The History and Meaning of “The First Noel” and Its Cornish Origins
“The First Noel” is derived from the Cornish song “The First Nowell.” It is a very old song, but in its current form was first published in 1823 in Carols Ancient and Modern, 1823, and in 1833 in Gilbert and Sandys Carols, 1833. These books were related. They were edited by William Sandys and arranged and edited by Davies Gilbert. The word ‘Nowell’ is an Early Modern English synonym of ‘Christmas.’
The word was regularly used in the burden of carols from the Middle Ages through the early modern period. Unusually, the melody of “The First Noel” consists of one musical phrase repeated twice, followed by a refrain which is a variation on that phrase. All three phrases end on the third of the scale. Do you tend to notice the music behind songs?
“The First Noel” Explanation
“The First Noel” is a traditional English Christmas carol with Cornish origins. It is from the early modern period, but possibly earlier. The song is usually performed in a four-part hymn arrangement first written in 1871. Variations of the theme of “The First Noel” are included in Victor Hely-Hutchinson’s “Carol Symphony,” which was published in the 19th Century.
“The First Noel” has this in common with many traditional songs and carols: the lyrics vary across books. Multiple versions can be found in The New English Hymnal (1986) by Henry Ramsden Bramley. Ralph Dunstan’s gallery version in the Cornish Songbook (1929). A third version is found in Reverend Charles Lewis Hutchins’s version in Carols Old and Carols New (1916). It would not be surprising if the songs in your hymnals at church vary as well.
There is a biblical explanation for the song. The angel Gabriel’s annunciation to the shepherds (as recounted by Linus in “Peanuts”) and the shepherds’ adoration of the manger are described in the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke. This is the same scene depicted in your nativity set at home. The Star of Bethlehem appears in the story of the Magi in the Gospel of Matthew. That story does not appear in the story of the shepherds, or in the other three gospels.
Davies Gilbert
Davies Gilbert was born on March 6, 1767. He was the second of the three children of Reverend Edward Giddy. The Gilbert (which was called Giddy) family moved in 1775; by 1780, the family returned to where they started. Davies Gilbert was taught by his father. He would later adopt Gilbert as his last name, which was his spouse’s maiden name. They were married in 1808.
Gilbert was educated first at Penzance Grammar School and then at Oxford, where, on June 29, 1789, he graduated with a master’s degree. He was elected to the Royal Society and served as its President from 1827 to 1830. He was also High Sheriff of Cornwall from 1792 to 1793. He even served in the House of Commons as a Member of Parliament. He was interesting and did a lot.
Gilbert was a friend of the doctor Thomas Beddoes and attended Beddoes’ lectures at Oxford when Beddoes became University Reader in Chemistry in 1788 and was in regular correspondence with him over the latter’s plans for a Pneumatic Institution in Bristol. This was important because Gilbert was a mathematician and engineer. He wrote “The First Noel” in his spare time.
Conclusion
“The First Noel” is a great Christmas carol. It has special meaning after the birth of Jesus Christ, while he, Mary, and Joseph were in the manger. It is important to recognize that the song’s author was many things, including a mathematician, engineer, and member of the British Parliament. He wrote this great song in his spare time.
