Christmas Series: Music
History of Christmas Music
More than just Carols
Music early became a marked feature of the Christmas season. But the first chants, litanies, and hymns were in Latin and deemed too theological and too Latin for popular use. Under Francis of Assisi‘s influence in the 13th century, we began to see the rise of the carol written in the vernacular.
The word carol comes from the Greek word choraulein (pronounced chorolyne). The roots of the word are choros, meaning dance, and aulein, meaning to play the flute. So, a choraulein was an ancient circle dance performed to flute music.
In the Middle Ages, the English combined circle dances with singing and called them carols. Later, the word carol came to mean a song in which a religious topic is treated in a familiar or festive style. From Italy, it passed to France and Germany and later to England, retaining its simplicity, fervor, and mirthfulness. Music has become one of the greatest tributes to Christmas and includes some of the noblest compositions of great musicians.
Christmas Music in England
Interestingly, during the British Commonwealth government under Oliver Cromwell, the British Parliament prohibited singing Christmas carols as…
