Why We Sing Carols

In 129 AD, the first Christmas Carol appeared in Ancient Rome. Then-Pope Telesphorus proclaimed that “In the Holy Night of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior, all shall solemnly sing the ‘Angel’s Hymn.’”

Through the span of the Roman empire, and into the early middle ages, the singing of Christmas songs, both sacred and secular, served to lift the spirits of communities through cold European winters. At the heart of this activity lay the practice of singing in congregation. Unlike the formal classical concert (a product of 17th century aristocratic France), the group singing of carols is a musical tradition rooted firmly in group participation. Throughout the middle ages, Christmas carols were most often written by Franciscan friars, who would gather in large circles, link arms, and dance as they sang together.

In 15th century Germany, Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press revolutionized the way human beings would record and preserve their history. As it did for literature, so the printing press would also do for the recording of musical traditions. The printed text, and musical notation of Christmas Carols began to spread throughout the old world. By the early 17th century, it had reached the New World too. The Ainsworth Psalter arrived in New England with the Pilgrims in 1629, providing the core canon for New England’s fledgling church choirs.

The printing press shaped musical history in more significant ways than the mere recording of musical notation. Principally, it drove the spread of ideas, cross-pollinating various species of philosophical inquiry, and generating a creative explosion in art, literature, and music. This gave rise to Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn (whose “Hark the Herald” features on our forthcoming lessons and carols program). At the very time the American revolutionaries were erecting the foundations of the young Republic here in the United States, the great composers were initiating their own musical revolution in Europe. They were shaping the modern musical language we enjoy today, and vastly expanding vocal repertoire for choirs and soloists alike.

Most importantly for the Christmas Caroling tradition, was the effect the western musical tradition had on Victorian England. Through the long 19th century, the proliferation of church and community organizations, musical societies, and a nascent national pageantry, brought the English carol service to a new level of refinement: the “Lessons and Carols Service” became the staple of English holiday ritual in the Victorian era, and spread across the globe as a beloved form of Christmas worship.

That form of service is the tradition we partake in around the world every Christmas. Despite its long trail of development, a proper Lessons and Carols service still holds true to one central tenet—it is participatory. Seek one out, and join in it; inspired by the knowledge that you are partaking in a great tradition handed down from ancient times, to us, its custodians in modernity.

In this spirit, Common Sense Society is hosting an evening of lessons and carols on December 16 in Alexandria, Virginia. The event is open to the community, so bring your family and join local musicians, singers, and community leaders in this great tradition. Find out more about the event and RSVP here or through the link below.