Christmas Carols

Listening to Christmas carols is part of an old Christmas tradition. Coroling is believed to have originated in England when musicians would go from town to town giving impromptu performances for the rich.

The use of carols then evolved to festivals where they were sung as processional songs. Some traditional qualities of a carol was that the words expressed should celebrate a topic that was seasonal, have verses and a chorus arranged alternately and have music that was suitable for dancing.

Making changes to Christmas carols continues in a different way today with pop artistes singing the carols to different tunes and melodies to give them a style that characterizes the particular artiste. Having Christmas carols with tunes of contemporary or popular music of today means that they are also more likely to survive because younger listeners will be interested in hearing any music that is done by their favorite or other popular singers.

The popularity of Christmas carols in the United States increased in the 19th century, as it did in England, because many of the traditions related to Christmas came to the United States from England. The United States and England also have closely linked religious observances, which also accounts for the popularity and similarity of Christmas carols that are enjoyed in both countries.

Today, shopping centres play Christmas carols, usually starting toward mid-November, to signal the coming season. The singing of carols at churches, schools, and by groups performing at shopping centres is common at the start of December. Carol singing at at churches and schools is usually in full swing by mid-December as the Christmas season gets started and the countdown to Christmas Day begins.

	Christmas Carols: Complete Verses A caroler's delight: complete lyrics for over 50 of the most popular and beloved Christmas songs: "Away in a Manger," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Joy to the World," "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "O Holy Night," "Silent Night," "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and many more. The perfect companion for the holiday season.
	Christmas Carols with CD (Audio) This great series comes with a CD that features separate tracks for the Primo and Secondo parts - perfect for practice and performance! 9 holiday favorites, including: Angels We Have Heard on High * Ding Dong! Merrily on High! * The First Noel * God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen * Hark! the Herald Angels Sing * It Came upon the Midnight Clear * O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) * O Little Town of Bethlehem * What Child Is This?
	A Christmas Carol, the Chimes and the Cricket on the Hearth Generations of readers have been enchanted by Dickens's A Christmas Carol the most cheerful ghost story ever written. Written in just a few weeks, A Christmas Carol famously recounts the plight of Bob Cratchit, whose family finds joy even in poverty, and the transformation of his miserly boss Scrooge as he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. From Scrooge's "Bah!" and "Humbug!" to Tiny Tim's "God bless us every one!" A Christmas Carol shines with warmth, decency, kindness, humility, and the value of the holidays.
	Carols for Choirs 2: Fifty Carols for Christmas and Advent A second collection of 50 carols, mostly for SATB, some unaccompanied, and some having accompaniments for piano, or organ, or orchestra, or brass ensemble. Many of the carols are from traditional sources, rearranged: among the items composed especially for this volume are carols by William Walton, Benjamin Britten, Richard Rodney Bennett, and William Mathias. Instrumental material for most of the accompanied items is available on hire. Eight Carol Accompaniments for 5 and 8-part brass (from CfC1 and CfC2) are on sale.

The Lyric Library: Christmas: Complete Lyrics for 200 Songs
An incredible resource of 200 lyrics to the most loved Christmas songs of all time: Angels We Have Heard on High * Auld Lang Syne * Away in a Manger * Baby, It's Cold Outside * The Chipmunk Song * The Christmas Shoes * The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) * Christmas Time Is Here * Do They Know It's Christmas? * Do You Hear What I Hear * Feliz Navidad * The First Noel * Frosty the Snow Man * The Gift * God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen * Goin' on a Sleighride * Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer * Happy Xmas (War Is Over) * He Is Born, the Holy Child (Il Est Ne, Le Divin Enfant) * The Holly and the Ivy * A Holly Jolly Christmas * (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays * I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day * I Wonder As I Wander * I'll Be Home for Christmas * I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm * In the Bleak Midwinter * It Came upon the Midnight Clear * It's Beginning to Look like Christmas * It's Just Another New Year's Eve * Jingle Bells * Joy to the World * Mary, Did You Know? * Merry Christmas, Darling * The Most Wonderful Time of the Year * My Favorite Things * Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer * Silent Night * Silver Bells * The Twelve Days of Christmas * What Child Is This? * What Made the Baby Cry? * Wonderful Christmastime * and more.