The First Noel

This page includes a lyric video, as well as a short history of “The First Noel.” I hope you enjoy singing this classic song and learning more about its history.

Enjoy this You Tube video with lyrics for “The First Noel”:

The words of this carol were first published (without music) by Davies Gilbert in his 1823 revised edition of Some Ancient Christmas Carols; the words are thought to date back to the 15th century. Gilbert was a member of the British Parliament for almost 30 years, and he devoted much of his time to promoting science, art, and history. His efforts to collect Christmas carols, particularly from his native Cornwall, was personal. He wrote that he was “anxious to preserve them on account of the delight they afforded him in his childhood.”

In 1833, the tune to “The First Noel” (a traditional English melody) was published by William Sandys in Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern. Interestingly, Sandys had a distant family connection to Gilbert and shared the same passion for collecting carols from Cornwall. Sandys’ work became the primary source for many subsequent collections of English Christmas carols.

For more intriguing history on “The First Noel” (and 19 other classic Christmas songs), you can purchase our Christmas Songs eBook (only $2.99; use code “celebrate20” for 20% off).

You can also download our free, complimentary Sheet Music for “The First Noel.”

For additional resources (like original sheet music), visit Hymns and Carols of Christmas or Net Hymnal.

This page was created by:

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