Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1916 — Four Ancient Christmas Carols [ARTICLE]

Four Ancient Christmas Carols

THE ancient Christmas carci “Holy Night” is German in its origin and is considered by many persons to be the most beautiful of all Christmas carols. It hhs sometimes been ascribed to Martin Luther, but the consensus of expert opinion is that it is much older than his time and is one of the oldest of German folk songs. The carol “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” is English in its origin and dates back to about the beginning of the seventeenth century, although the author of the words and the composer of the music are unknown. The fine Aid melody sung to this poem possesses all the best qualifications of a sterling hymn tune and will probably last as long as the verses with which it is always associated. Originally the old carol was sung in polyphonic harmony with the melody placed in the tenor, as was the invariable custom of the seventeenth century. Modern transcriptions of it, however, have placed the melody in the upper voice part instead of the third voice part, as formerly. This carol, too, is one of the most popular and most beautiful in the entire range of Christmas music.

The carol “Draw Nigh, Immanuel,” is one of the oldest pieces of coherent music in existence, and both the words and music far antedate any of the others. The music is an old French melody, dated from the thirteenth century, although, of course, it has been harmonized to conform with more modem standards. There is a most curious but beautiful musical effect at the close of this carol. The words of “Draw Nigh, Immanuel,” are about 100 years older than the music, being taken from the Mozarabic breviary of the twelfth century. and it is generally believed that they were taken from the liturgy of the early Christians at Toledo, Spain, where the Mozarabic breviary was formulated. Another carol, “The First Noel,” has a traditional French melody and probably originated in Breton, although the exact origin of this fine old song is somewhat in doubt,