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Carols in ancient times were folk songs created for the celebration of
various festivals, usually those associated with the changing seasons and usually
accompanied with dancing. With the introduction of Christianity into western Europe
and the adjustment of the dates of Christian festivals to coincide with existing
pagan festivals, the carols continued in popular use. Like all true folk songs,
they were passed on by word of mouth, each generation learning from their elders
and, sometimes, by "horizontal transmission" where members of one community would
learn and adopt carols popular in an adjacent community.
The history of carols is complicated. There were several periods when conservative Christian theologians would condemn carols and the associated dances as inappropriate for the celebration of a Christian holy day. Like most folk traditions, carols persisted whether approved and publicly enjoyed or disapproved and enjoyed underground. In England carols nearly took a death blow when in 1647 the celebration of Christmas was prohibited by the Puritan parliament. Many carols were lost and some were only partially recovered. By the 19th century the concept of the carol was revived with some attempts by trained composers to recreate the genre. These attempts were largely unsuccessful but, fortunately, some genuine carols were recovered with the freshness of melody and lyrics that is characteristic of folk music. Clerical scholars J. M. Neale and John Stainer contributed valuable collections, notably Carols for Chrismastide (1853-1854) and Christmas Carols New and Old (three series 1871 - 1880). The carols in this section are my selections from various sources. Most of these carols are not the usual ones sung everywhere. They are mostly from folk sources or are adapted from folk sources. There are also a few personal favorites from Victorian or more modern sources, including a few that play well on the banjo. The best sources for the carols are:
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