The First Noel - A Christmas Music Countdown
“The first Noel,
The angels did say,
Was to certain poor shepherds
In fields as they lay.”
According to Wikipedia, “The First Nowell” (also written The First Noël) is a traditional English Christmas carol, most likely from the 18th century. In its current form, it is of Cornish origin, and it was first published in Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (1823) and Gilbert and Sandys Christmas Carols (1833), both of which were edited by William B. Sandys and arranged, edited and with extra lyrics written by Davies Gilbert.
The melody is unusual among English folk melodies in that it consists of one musical phrase repeated twice, followed by a variation on that phrase. All three phrases end on the third of the scale. The refrain, also unusual, merely repeats the melody of the verse. It is thought to be a corruption of an earlier melody sung in a church gallery setting; a conjectural reconstruction of the earlier version can be found in the New Oxford Book of Carols.
The word “noel” comes from the French word Noël meaning “Christmas,” from the Latin word natalis ("birth").
This birth was like nothing that had ever happened before. In ancient times, wise men believed their fates were linked to the movement of the stars. The appearance of stars and comets, the alignment of the planets and the stars in certain formations were portents of great things to come.
What the shepherds and the wise men found was a baby, whose future had been foretold and yet not even the wise men knew for certain what path His life would take. Born in humility and poverty, his birth was like no king anyone had ever heard of.
The shepherds were outcasts in the society, too poor and considered to unpure to worship in the great temples. The Gentiles had their own customs and were considered sinners by the Jews. What could this baby do for them?
The First Noel - The First Christmas - was only the beginning, a blank slate yet to record the deeds of the baby born that night. Yet those who witnessed his birth had faith that this baby would be the salvation of Mankind. The certainty of his footsteps had been long foretold. He would not fail in his mission, though He would inevitably sacrifice His own life to assure that success and gain us God’s mercy.
What seemed so simple to simple shepherds over 2,000 years ago perplexes modern man, with all his scientific knowledge and philosophy. We weren’t there in the beginning; we only have the testament of His witnesses as it has been passed down to us over the millennia.
Yet it appears that simple shepherds knew something on that First Noel that sophisticated, modern human beings, with their education and technology are missing. Politicians apologize for using the word “Christmas.” Average people hesitate to utter the words that illiterate shepherds could say without a stammer.
The angels did say,
Was to certain poor shepherds
In fields as they lay.”
According to Wikipedia, “The First Nowell” (also written The First Noël) is a traditional English Christmas carol, most likely from the 18th century. In its current form, it is of Cornish origin, and it was first published in Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (1823) and Gilbert and Sandys Christmas Carols (1833), both of which were edited by William B. Sandys and arranged, edited and with extra lyrics written by Davies Gilbert.
The melody is unusual among English folk melodies in that it consists of one musical phrase repeated twice, followed by a variation on that phrase. All three phrases end on the third of the scale. The refrain, also unusual, merely repeats the melody of the verse. It is thought to be a corruption of an earlier melody sung in a church gallery setting; a conjectural reconstruction of the earlier version can be found in the New Oxford Book of Carols.
The word “noel” comes from the French word Noël meaning “Christmas,” from the Latin word natalis ("birth").
This birth was like nothing that had ever happened before. In ancient times, wise men believed their fates were linked to the movement of the stars. The appearance of stars and comets, the alignment of the planets and the stars in certain formations were portents of great things to come.
What the shepherds and the wise men found was a baby, whose future had been foretold and yet not even the wise men knew for certain what path His life would take. Born in humility and poverty, his birth was like no king anyone had ever heard of.
The shepherds were outcasts in the society, too poor and considered to unpure to worship in the great temples. The Gentiles had their own customs and were considered sinners by the Jews. What could this baby do for them?
The First Noel - The First Christmas - was only the beginning, a blank slate yet to record the deeds of the baby born that night. Yet those who witnessed his birth had faith that this baby would be the salvation of Mankind. The certainty of his footsteps had been long foretold. He would not fail in his mission, though He would inevitably sacrifice His own life to assure that success and gain us God’s mercy.
What seemed so simple to simple shepherds over 2,000 years ago perplexes modern man, with all his scientific knowledge and philosophy. We weren’t there in the beginning; we only have the testament of His witnesses as it has been passed down to us over the millennia.
Yet it appears that simple shepherds knew something on that First Noel that sophisticated, modern human beings, with their education and technology are missing. Politicians apologize for using the word “Christmas.” Average people hesitate to utter the words that illiterate shepherds could say without a stammer.
posted by Belle | 4:43 PM
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