Period Christmas Music

[Parault]

While listening to Christmas music today I was wondering about which of my favorites were from early to mid 1860's. I found that my most favorite "We Three Kings" was written somewhere around the late 1850's by Reverend John Henry Hopkins Jr. but, was not put in print until around 1863.

Does anyone else have a favorite, that has 18th or 19th century beginnings?

[redleggeddevil]

Re: Period Christmas Music

My favorites are the weird, old, dark , moody carols--"The Boar's Head Carol", "The Cherry Tree Carol", "Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head". I think they perfectly capture the mood of gathering darkness, mystery and expectation that lead us into Christmas.

A particular favorite, although not as dark and moody as the others, is "Stuff Your Guts (The Christmas Holidays)", a rousing British tune from the 1780's. It has everything a great holiday classic requires--class envy, deceit and mockery of the French. Better still, I am confident it is the only Christmas song ever to contain the phrase "dirty sluts."

Ah, culture!

[DocReynolds]

Re: Period Christmas Music

There are a bunch that would have been known: (Civil war era): God rest ye Merry gentlemen (18th century), O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Christians awake, Lo He Comes with Clouds descending, St. Patrick's Breastplate. (the tune was used for a number of Hymns, and Carols) O Come O Come Emmanuel, O Little Town of Bethlehem, AT least one version of It came upon a Midnight Clear..

I s'pose I could find mreo, but them's just the one's what come off the top o' me head...

Pete Bedrossian
150th NY/3rd NCT