The First Noel

“The First Noel” is one of the oldest Christmas ballads still sung today. The song first appeared in print in 1833; however the song goes back at least three hundred years prior to that. The origin is also unknown as both France and England claim it as a part of their heritage. The spelling of “noel” would seem to indicate a French connection, though there seems to be quite a lot of evidence pointing to this carol migrating from Britain to France rather than the other way around. What cannot be doubted is the faith and spirit of the song’s writer; his Christian witness comes alive each time the old carol is sung!

Just as there are two different points of view as to the origin of the song, there are also two different ways of spelling the song’s title. In England, and sometimes in America, the old carol is known as “The First Nowell.” In France it is always spelled “Noel.” Either spelling means the same: an exhilarating, joyful expression for the birth of Christ!

“The First Noel” is one of the few surviving early Christmas standards that can genuinely be earmarked as a folk song. Whoever wrote it was obviously incredibly enthusiastic bout Christmas and fully understood the wonder of Christ’s birth but didn’t have a full grasp on the Scriptures that told the story of that birth.

When “The First Noel” was written, there were very few Bibles in circulation. Most were either in churches or monasteries and were written in Latin. Common people rarely saw an actual Bible, and even if they would have, they wouldn’t have been able to read the words since most people living in those times were illiterate.

This was probably the case with the composer of “The First Noel.” Without the ability to read scriptures, the writer drew from the stories he had been told about the events of Christ’s birth. He had most of the story correct in keeping with scripture, except he erred when he depicted the shepherds following the star to Christ’s birthplace.

For the first three hundred years of its existence, “The First Noel,” like all other carols, was not a part of religious services. New songs, even if they embraced a story from the Scriptures, were not allowed in most churches. Even though the clergy of the day did not approve of such songs to be sung in churches, these songs became favorites of the people. They related the joy of Christmas, the wonder of God sending a Son to save every man and woman, no matter their station in life. And they became a part of family tradition. As with other songs, many of the most beloved songs would have been lost if common folks had not passed them down from generation to generation.

“The First Noel” finally was published by William Sandys in 1833. A lawyer by trade, Sandys loved music and spent his spare time collecting both French and English folk songs. In his book on Christmas folk songs he included “The First Noel.” Already a favorite with the peasant class, by the mid-1800s, when the Church of England began to use new songs during services, “The First Noel” found universal acclaim.

Today this song, obviously inspired by the story of the birth of a Savior and probably written by a common, illiterate man, remains one of the most loved carols of all time. Anyone who has sung “The First Noel” would have no doubt that the composer not only believed every word he wrote but also was excited about the story he was sharing.

(Excerpts from “Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas” by Ace Collins)