Christmas is the day when the birth anniversary of Jesus is celebrated with much joy and fervour. It is widely believed that Jesus Christ was born on the 25th of December and showered relentless love and kindness to humankind. It’s that time of the year when carols, which are songs with lyrics based on the theme of Christmas, are given much pertinence. There is a wealth of hidden meaning in every Christmas song.
The year 1426 marks the birth of Christmas carols in English language and first appeared in a work of John Awdlay. Originally carols were communal songs and gained popularity only after Reformation in the Protestant dominant countries. On this auspicious occasion of Christmas, we bring you a musical treat and an insight into the traditional Christmas carols.
Silent Night, Holy Night
This song was written by Franz Xaver Gruber and Josef Mohr in 1818 and sung by various artists from every music genre.
Angels from the Realms of Glory
The Scottish poet James Montgomery had written this carol in 1816 and it began to be sung in churches after 1825. This song beckons to
“Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the new born King.”
Joy To World
Joy To World was written by Isaac Watts and first published in 1719. This Christmas hymn has been sung by many artists and very recently the high energy indie rock band Citizens sang it with a cool rock vibe.
Happy Christmas
This classic was first composed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Adam Lavigne of the music band Maroon 5 also rendered a version of this musical piece. Initially this song was a protest song in reference to the Vietnam War but eventually became a Christmas carol.
So here’s a melodious good bye to 2013. Listen to these Yuletide melodies, share them with friends and sing them during parties to bring on the holiday cheer.
picture courtesy-novareinna.com
