"The First Noel" is a traditional English carol. It is
thought to have originated in the 18th century. The
title is derived from the French word 'Noël' which
means Christmas, which in turn comes from the Latin
word for birthday, 'Natalis'. The carol was first
published in 1823 in "Carols Ancient and Modern". A
popular arrangement of this carol is a 4-part choir
version by the English composer John Stainer, which he
published in his "Carols, New and Old" in 1871. As an
English folk melody it is ...(+)
"The First Noel" is a traditional English carol. It is
thought to have originated in the 18th century. The
title is derived from the French word 'Noël' which
means Christmas, which in turn comes from the Latin
word for birthday, 'Natalis'. The carol was first
published in 1823 in "Carols Ancient and Modern". A
popular arrangement of this carol is a 4-part choir
version by the English composer John Stainer, which he
published in his "Carols, New and Old" in 1871. As an
English folk melody it is unusual in that it consists
of one musical phrase (8 bars) repeated twice, followed
by a refrain (also 8 bars) which is a variation on the
first phrase.