Christmas Carol Sing-Along · Christmas
The First Nowell
Get ready for Christmas. Practise the carols at home, in your own time, on your own or with family and friends. First hear it, then sing it.
1 Listen
Let the choir sing it to you. Follow the music and the words.
2 Sing
Now it’s your turn. The organ plays, and the gold note shows the way.
A traditional carol. Davies Gilbert printed the words in 1823; William Sandys printed the tune in 1833.
On a phone? Turn it sideways and tap the full-screen button, and the music fills the screen.
“The First Nowell” is a traditional carol. It survives in a manuscript from the early 1800s, written down for Davies Gilbert, who printed the words in 1823. Michael Perry later adapted the version we sing.
The rest of the story
William Sandys printed the tune in 1833. Where the tune came from is uncertain.