Christmas Carols through the Ages

“Illuminated Hymns, selected from various works and attributed to Michael Charles Peck”- unpublished bound manuscript, c.1853 – L.001 PEC

When this amazing volume was earmarked for a Christmas blog at the beginning of the year, no one could have predicted the events that unfolded in 2020.  With the feeling of renewed hope and with a Christmas like no other approaching, it felt more adapt and fitting to highlight this illuminated Hymnal which has some Christmas Carols contained within the volume.

The beautifully illustrated title page

Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago. They were pagan songs, sung at the Winter Solstice celebrations as people danced round stone circles. The word Carol means dance or a song of praise and joy. Carols used to be written and sung during all four seasons, but only the tradition of singing them at Christmas has really survived.

Early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations for Christmas and so Christian songs were sung instead of pagan ones. The early carols were all written and sung in Latin which most people could not understand which lead to the tradition largely disappearing.

Then in 1223, St Francis of Assisi started his Nativity Play in Italy.  This proved popular since they were mainly performed in the language of the people who watched the play.  These new carols, written in the languages of the individual countries, spread across Europe.

The Carol 'While Shepherds watch their flocks by night'

When the Puritan came to power in England in 1640s, Christmas and the singing of carols were banned.  The carols survived since people still sang them in secret.  Carol singing had a revival in the Victorian era largely due to the efforts of William Sandy and Davis Gilbert.  They collected and collated the old Christmas music from villages across England.

One of the Christmas Carols within this volume, “While Shepherds watched their flocks by night” [see photograph] shows the incredible detailing within each illustration contained in the book whilst the fly-leaf page had the beautifully illustrated “Illuminated Hymns” [see photograph].

Happy Christmas to you all.

Caoimhe West, Reader Assistant, Unlocking the Treasures Project