An Old-and-New Carol for Go Caroling Day

Posted on December 20, 2022 by wordcloud9

It is widely believed that caroling on Christmas started in 1223 at the church of St. Francis of Assisi. He thought that it was better to sing songs full of joy and fun during the holidays, instead of solemn hymns. He also started the live nativity scene. Caroling has been around even longer than Christmas itself, as it was a part of many earlier religious observances and practices.

The Friendly Beasts – illustration by Sharon McGinley

One of the oldest carols is “The Friendly Beasts” – which has come down from sometime in the 12th century from an unknown composer in France. The modern English lyrics, written by Robert Davis, were first published in 1934, though the lyrics were known before their publication.

To listen to “The Friendly Beasts” click:

About wordcloud9

Nona Blyth Cloud has lived and worked in the Los Angeles area for over 50 years, spending much of that time commuting on the 405 Freeway. After Hollywood failed to appreciate her genius for acting and directing, she began a second career managing non-profits, from which she has retired. Nona has now resumed writing whatever comes into her head, instead of reports and pleas for funding. She lives in a small house overrun by books with her wonderful husband.
This entry was posted in Holidays, Music and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.