Top 10 Christmas Songs

The words of this Christmas song were written by Charles Wesley in 1739. The music was written by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840, not for this song, but for a contata commemorating the invention of the printing press. In 1855 Dr William Cummings put the words and music together to form the Christmas carol we are all familiar with.

Isaac Watts wrote hundreds of hymns and songs. In 1719 he wrote the Christmas song, Joy to the World as a translation of Psalm 98. In 1839 American composer, Lowell Mason, wrote the music for these lyrics and made some allusion to George Frederic Handel as being the lyricist, possibly to give the song a boost in its popularity.

This Christmas song is often attributed to John Francis Wade who was an itinerant scribe. He was able to work in several languages and also copy music. In 1750 he included this Christmas song in Latin in a manuscript he prepared for a college in Portugal. The song was translated into English in 1852.

Joseph Mohr was the pastor of a little Austrian parish church. On December 24th 1818, he learned that mice had chewed the bellows of the church organ. Thinking that he would have to have a Christmas service the next day without music, he went out on his pastoral calls. During his visits he composed a poem in his mind about Christ's birth. He wrote down the words and took them to the church organist, Franz X Gruber, who wrote the music using only three guitar chords.

This Christmas song was originally written in French by a poet and wine merchant, Placide Cappeau, because he was asked to do so by his parish priest. The music was written by Adolphe Adam, a Jew, who wrote the music for the ballet, Giselle. It was first performed on Christmas Eve 1847. This Christmas song was brought to America by John Sullivan Dwight, a fervent abolitionist, who translated it into English. It became very popular, especially during the Civil War in the North. O Holy Night was the very first song played on the AM radio in 1906.

Click the print button, to print a piano music score for O Holy Night with lyrics.

Joseph Mohr was the pastor of a little Austrian parish church. On December 24th 1818, he learned that mice had chewed the bellows of the church organ. Thinking that he would have to have a Christmas service the next day without music, he went out on his pastoral calls. During his visits he composed a poem in his mind about Christ's birth. He wrote down the words and took them to the church organist, Franz X. Gruber who wrote the music using only three guitar chords.

The first two verses of this Christmas song were published in 1885 in a Lutheran Sunday School collection. In 1887 it was published in another book with the title Luther's Cradle Hymn and a note saying that it was composed by Martin Luther. The truth is that the author of the first two verses is unknown. There are at least two tunes for the song but we don't know for sure who the composers were either. In 1904 Dr John McFarland added the third verse.

The word "Noel" comes from the French word, "Noël", meaning Christmas. This Christmas song is believed to have been written in the 16th century in England (though possibly France). It is also believed that this was a song which was sung by English peasants as they gathered to light their Yule log. Because the church at this time thought that peasants' songs lacked the seriousness of true hymns, this Christmas song was not used in churches until it was first published in Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern in 1833 by William B Sandys.

This Christmas song is based on the traditional French carol, Les Anges dans nos campagnes ("Angels in our countryside"). It was translated into English in 1862 by James Chadwick. Because the chorus contains the words, "Gloria in Excelsis Deo", a phrase which was used in church services in 130AD (meaning "Glory to God in the highest"), it has been suggested that at least part of this carol was used in early church services. The tune it is sung to most often is Gloria arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes.

Phillip Brooks, rector of a church in Philadelphia, visited Bethlehem in 1865 and this was the inspiration for writing the Christmas song in 1868 for the Sunday school service. Lewis Redner wrote the original tune for this simple little carol.