Although it might have been written earlier it is thought that James Francis Wade who was a copier of manuscripts wrote the verses and the music of this famous hymn while living at the Roman catholic College for Englishmen at Douai in France in about 1745.
They were included in a packet of manuscripts sent to the English Roman Catholic College in Lisbon in 1750 and found their way to England in 1785.
In 1841 Frederick Oakeley was the minister at the Margaret Chapel in London's West End and gave this version, which he had translated from the Latin, to his congregation. It was known originally as 'Adeste, fideles' (Come Faithful Ones). In both versions it had eight verses and usually the eighth is only sung on Christmas Day.
(Information from 'Famous Hymns and Their Stories' by Christopher Idle and 'Best Loved Christmas Carols' compiled by Martin Manser)
This version is from the Northern Baptist Association - The Big Sing in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 2008.
Probably one of the best know Christmas Carols, sung everywhere every year.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Did you post in error?
ReplyDeleteI don't think so. It is the 3rd isn't it?
DeleteIt's Sunday.
DeleteIt's Advent!!
DeleteOh right.
DeleteLaughing out loud here. xx
DeleteOne of my father's favourites - sung everywhere, ALL year.
ReplyDeleteNot one of my favourites - it's too long!
DeleteA lovely carol - and what beautiful stained glass!
ReplyDeleteLots of versions on youtube but this was the nicest to look at
DeleteI love Christmas carols. Good to learn some history of them.
ReplyDeleteIt's handy that I have a book and borrowed another but not all are included
DeleteIf you blog a carol each day, we can start the morning with a bit of singing,
ReplyDeleteJoy does a piece of Christmas music all through Advent for us all to enjoy
DeleteIt's great to start the day with some music, isn't it? xx
DeleteA rousing carol to exercise the lungs and start Advent - Thelma's idea of a carol a day seems a good one. Perhaps you were going to do that anyway.
ReplyDeleteNo not every day, just now and again
DeleteGood blog subject for the festive season. In The Bleak Midwinter is my favourite Christmas Carol.
ReplyDeleteI used to like that but now find it very dreary!
DeleteWhen ai was at secondary school we learned the first verse in Latin and that’s how it was always sung, under the watchful eye of the Rector. I can still do it 60 years later! Catriona
ReplyDeleteGoodness, that's clever
DeleteAt my school Christmas carol services in the 1960s we used to sing the Latin version.
ReplyDeleteI did a year of Latin but don't remember a single word
DeleteI love the descant you sometimes hear, although not in this version.
ReplyDeleteThere's probably a you-tube version with the descant somewhere
DeleteThis is one of my favorite Christmas carols. I have long memories of singing it in choir as we entered the sanctuary on Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeleteSo familiar, although there are others I love more - thank you for the history.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
It's not one of my favourites. I need to find out more about some other carols that I like better
DeleteI love the Christmas Carols and when my parents (many eons ago) decided I needed to attend a church, I sang in the church choir for a few years. Oddly enough, I remember the words for most carols. The Christmas tradition of strolling carolers is also lovely.
ReplyDeleteSue, referencing your last post, I found rosemary very easy to grow from cuttings.
ReplyDeleteI'm not usually all that successful with cuttings but I took eight snips from an old shrub and all eight grew roots in jars of water.
All eight took successfully to being potted on and two of them are now large enough to sit in large pots outside the front door.
There is something very Christmas-sy about hearing voices join together. Thank you for a cheerful touch to my morning.
ReplyDeleteWe sang it at an amateur choir Christmas concert last night, and had our first mince pie. The tickets were a present from our daughter, a lovely start to the season of Advent.
ReplyDeleteA fine covering of snow this morning, and our first Christmas card.
One of my favourite hymns. We sing it in Latin and English at Mass. I learned the entire song in Latin in my high school Latin class.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I remember this one from school lol. I'm not religious but there are some lovely Christmas carols.
ReplyDeleteA lovely carol, traditionally such Christmas Day with the 'Yea, Lord, we greet three' verse added. I love the descant too. xx
ReplyDeleteSuch???? I means 'sung', of course, sorry. xx
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