“The First Noel” has its roots in the fifteenth century in its oral form, and it appeared on eighteenth-century broadsides in Helston, near Cornwall (Keyte and Parrott, 1992, 482). It was published first in the revised edition of Some Ancient Christmas Carols (1823), edited by Davies Gilbert. Its publication in the famous Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (1833), compiled by William Sandys in London (Sandys, 1833, 74–75) increased the carol’s prominence. Originally in nine stanzas, five are commonly used in most hymnals today. Though the angels’ appearance to the shepherds (Luke 2:1–20) is the subject of the first stanza, most of the carol focuses on the journey of the magi (Matthew 2:1–12), giving the carol an Epiphany focus¹.

The First Noel, the Angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.

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Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night.

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And by the light of that same star
Three Wise men came from country far
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

This star drew nigh to the northwest
O’er Bethlehem it took its rest
And there it did both Pause and stay
Right o’er the place where Jesus lay.

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Then entered in those Wise men three
Full reverently upon their knee
And offered there in His presence
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.

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Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made Heaven and earth of nought
And with his blood mankind has bought.

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¹umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-the-first-noel

This Medieval Latin carol was translated by John Mason Neale who was a very famous Anglican hymnologist. He was a student of hymns – he also wrote a few hymns, a few that we still sing today. But more than writing hymns, he collected hymns. He studied hymns from other cultures and languages. He translated them from their original languages into English and set them to tunes and produced various books of hymns. This particular hymn is known in both Latin and German and it first appeared in his hymnbook Carols for Christmastide in London, England, in 1853.¹ 

Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice;
Give ye heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ was born today.
Ox and ass before him bow,
And he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today!
Christ is born today!

Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice;
Now ye hear of endless bliss:
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He has opened heaven’s door,
And we are blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!

Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice;
Now ye need not fear the grave:
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all
To gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save!
Christ was born to save!

¹https://rts.edu/resources/god-christian-men-rejoice/

On Christmas Eve in 1816 after reading in Luke chapter two of the heralding of the angels, prolific hymn writer James Montgomery began to write. At days end he had written a poem that appeared in his newspaper the following day. A blind songwriter and organist, Henry Smart, wrote a melody that was later used as a musical setting for Montgomery’s poem. The song was first sung in a Moravian Church in England, on Christmas day in 1821, and from that day on the world would have the wonderful carol, often heard at Christmas time, “Angels From the Realms of Glory.”¹

Angels from the realms of glory,
wing your flight o’er all the earth;
ye who sang creation’s story
now proclaim Messiah’s birth

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Come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn king.

Shepherds, in the field abiding,
watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing;
yonder shines the infant light:

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Sages, leave your contemplations,
brighter visions beam afar;
seek the great Desire of nations;
ye have seen his natal star

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¹staugustine.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2014/12/12/story-behind-song-angels-realms-glory/16092096007/

Though the roots of this carol are somewhat ambiguous, it seems to have been well known by the time Charles Dickens published his famous A Christmas Carol (1843) when Ebenezer Scrooge heard it being sung outside the door of his office on Christmas Eve. The most common version with eight stanzas appeared in Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (London, 1833) by William Sandys (1792-1874), the source upon which most hymnals have based their selection of stanzas. His collection included, according to the subtitle, “the most popular [carols] in the West of England, and the airs to which they are sung. Also specimens of French Provincial Carols.”¹ 

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray

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O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

In Bethlehem, in Israel,
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn

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From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same:
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name.

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“Fear not then,” said the Angel,
“Let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Saviour
Of a pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan’s power and might.”

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The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway
The Son of God to find.

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And when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Saviour lay,
They found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His Mother Mary kneeling down,
Unto the Lord did pray.

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 With sudden joy and gladness
The shepherds were beguiled,
To see the Babe if Israel,
Before His mother mild,
O then with joy and cheerfulness
Rejoice, each mother’s child.

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Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.

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¹https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-god-rest-you-merry-gentleman

This hymn I came across while reading online hymnals. This hymn was written by Joseph Anstice who was born in 1808 in Shropshire, UK. At the ago of 22, he became Professor of Classical Literature at King’s College University, London and he died aged 28. His hymns were printed a few months after his death. I don’t have a musical rendition of this one, but maybe you do? I’d love to hear!

When came in flesh the Incarnate Word,
The heedless world slept on,
And only simple shepherds heard
That God had sent his Son.

When comes the Saviour at the last,
From east to west shall shine
The judgement light, and earth aghast
Shall tremble at the sign.

Then shall the pure of heart be blest,
As mild he comes to them,
As when upon the Virgin’s breast
He lay at Bethlehem:

As mild to meek-eyed love and faith,
Only more strong to save;
Strengthened by having bowed to death,
By having burst the grave.

Lord, who could dare see thee descend
In state, unless he knew
Thou art the sorrowing sinner’s friend,
The gracious and the true?

Dwell in our hearts, O Saviour blest;
So shall thine advent’s dawn
’tween us and thee, our bosom-guest,
Be but the veil withdrawn.

This Christmas hymn written by Cecil Frances Alexander in 1848 was originally written to explain this part of the Apostles’ Creed: “Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary.” Each stanza explores part of the contrast between Jesus’ divinity and humanity. The first stanza contrasts the grand idea of “royal David’s city” with the lowliness of a cattle-shed, and the second, the glory of heaven, from where He came, with the poverty of earth to which He came. The hymn ends by reminding us that Christ has ascended once again to glory, where we shall see Him, as He said: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3)_¹.

Once in royal David’s city
stood a lowly cattle shed,
where a mother laid her baby
in a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ, her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven
who is God and Lord of all,
and his shelter was a stable,
and his cradle was a stall;
with the poor and mean and lowly,
lived on earth our Savior holy.

And our eyes at last shall see him,
through his own redeeming love,
for that child, so dear and gentle,
is our Lord in heav’n above,
and he leads his children on
to the place where he is gone.

Not in that poor, lowly stable
with the oxen standing by
we shall see him, but in heaven,
set at God’s right hand on high.
Then like stars his children crowned,
all in white, his praise will sound.

¹https://hymnary.org/text/once_in_royal_davids_city_stood_a_lowly

Another modern one by one of my favourite worship groups, Emu Music. Enjoy this one, that ponders on the wonder of God our saviour in a manger.

Beyond the hills of Bethlehem
The angel choir sings
A joyful chorus fills the skies:
“A saviour in a manger!”

The promise of a coming king
The hope of all the earth
To dwell within our broken world
The saviour in a manger

Refrain
Rejoice, the Lord has come
Rejoice, the promised son
Rejoice, the saving one
Has come to pay our ransom
The saviour in a manger

A treasure for the longing soul
His peace within our hearts
We sing the glory of the Son
Our saviour in a manger!

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Originally written as a German versification of the text Isaiah 40: 1-5, the text of this hymn was meant to show the promise of better days to come within the coming of the Messiah. The hymn was written by Johann Olearius in honour of St. John the Baptist day, and was published in the 1671 collection Geistliche Singe-Kunst.This collection contained nearly 1200 hymns, 300 of which came from Olearius himself. it wasn’t until nearly 200 years later that Catherine Winkworth translated this hymn from German to English and published it in her 1863 collection of translations Chorale Book for England. Known for her clean translations, Winkworth was good at maintaining the original form of the texts she translated¹. Enjoy!

“Comfort, comfort all my people;
speak of peace,” so says our God.
“Comfort those who sit in darkness,
groaning from their sorrows’ load.
Speak to all Jerusalem
of the peace that waits for them;
tell them that their sins I cover,
that their warfare now is over.”

All their sins our God will pardon,
blotting out each dark misdeed;
all that well deserved his anger
he no more will see or heed.
They have suffered many a day;
now their griefs have passed away.
God will change their aching sadness
into ever-springing gladness.

John the Baptist’s voice is crying
in the desert far and near,
calling people to repentance
for the kingdom now is here.
O that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way;
let the Valleys rise to meet him
and the hills bow down to greet him.

Then make straight the crooked highway;
make the rougher places plain.
Let your hearts be true and humble,
ready for his holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
now o’er earth is spread abroad,
and all flesh shall see the token
that his word is never broken.

¹http://etymologyofhymns.blogspot.com/2012/12/comfort-comfort-ye-my-people.html

My church ever year bring out this song at Christmas time. This song from Sovereign Grace takes inspiration from prophecies about Jesus as well as Mary’s Magnificat. The song does well to express the joy Mary and the Israelites who believed must have felt to know the promised Messiah has come. I have included before an acoustic and studio version below.

Oh, the mercy our God has shown
To those who sit in death’s shadow
The sun on high, pierced the night
Born was the Cornerstone

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Unto us a Son is given, unto us a Child is born
He Who is mighty has done a great thing
Taken on flesh, conquered death’s sting
Shattered the darkness and lifted our shame
Holy is His name

Oh, the freedom our Savior won
The yoke of sin has been broken
Once a slave, now by grace
No more condemnation

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Now my soul magnifies the Lord
I rejoice in the God Who saves
I will trust His unfailing love
I will sing His praises all my days

My soul magnifies the Lord
I rejoice in the God Who saves
I will trust His unfailing love
I will sing His praises all my days

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Celtic Worship fast became one of my favourite bands after hearing their powerful renditions of psalms, older hymns and original works, while adding in their Scottish heritage. I loved this song as soon as I heard it, and it’s praise to Christ the Messiah being born.

Here in a stable He lays so peacefully;
Light of the world freely given for us to receive.
Wise men bowed down and the shepherds rejoiced,
He is here for all to see.

Refrain
Oh, a child is born,
A Son came down for us.
He, reigns on high,
This Christmas time;
And evermore

Humbly He came to the earth, little child for me;
To suffer, to save, to bring life past the grave.
Angels they sang giving praise 
To the one precious gift for all to receive.

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Jesus our saviour we praise your holy name;
We give thanks to you for your love, mercy and grace.
Restoring us now, bringing hope to the world
Praise the Lord, He reigns on high!

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