Music is an important part of the Christmas season for many people. What Christmas music would the residents of Michilimackinac have known?
The origins of many of the traditional Christmas carols we sing today are hard to trace because they were handed down from generation to generation. Carols were popular music, generally not part of religious services in the eighteenth century. The tunes often began as dance tunes; carol originally meant round dance.[i] The words and tunes we know today were often not standardized combinations until they were mass produced in the nineteenth century. Nevertheless, there are a few that could have been sung at Michilimackinac which are still sung today.
“Noël Nouvelet” is a traditional French carol, probably from the turn of the sixteenth century, still heard today. The most common English words set to this tune are “Sing We Now of Christmas,” but a better translation is “Christmas Comes Anew.” The verses of “Noël Nouvelet” describe the various characters from the crèche, or nativity scene: Mary, Joseph, the infant Jesus, angels, shepherds and the three kings from the east. It was printed in 1721 in Grande Bible des noels, taunt vieux que nouveaus.[ii]
You can hear the tune here (unable to embed the video, unfortunately): Noël Nouvelet
The tune “Patapan” may be a traditional French tune, but the words are credited to Bernard de la Monnoye. He published it in his 1720 collection Noël bourguignons. It is also known by its first line, “Guillaume, prends ton tambourin,” which is translated as “Willie, bring your little drum” in the English version. The line “Turelurelu, Patapatapan,” mimicking the sound of the flute and drum is the same in both the French and English versions.[iii]
Watch a performance of “Patapan” here:
“God Rest You Merry Gentlemen” is a traditional English carol. The first known manuscript version dates to the 1650s. It was printed on a broadsheet titled Three New Christmas Carols around 1760 in London. Its current tune is known from the eighteenth century. The carol was so common it was mentioned by Dickens in A Christmas Carol.
Watch “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen” sung in a church here:
“While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night” was the first Christmas hymn authorized for use in the Anglican church. Nahum Tate’s text was published in the 1700 Supplement to A New Version of the Psalms of David. Even today it is sung to multiple tunes.[iv] Later in the eighteenth century, Methodists increased the practice of congregational hymn singing.
You can see one common setting of “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night” here:
Christmas music surrounds us in December. Whether you join in the singing or just enjoy listening, take a moment to think about the generations of people who have enjoyed the same music.
[i] Sian Ellis (2024) “The history behind British Christmas carols,” British Heritage Travel. https://britishheritage.com/history/history-british-christmas-carols [ii] Thought Co. Team (2019) “Noël Nouvelet French Christmas Carol.” https://www.thoughtco.com/noel-nouvelet-french-christmas-carol-1368135 and C. Michael Hawn (2014) “History of Hymns: Sing We Now of Christmas,” Discipleship Ministries, The United Methodist Church. https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-sing-we-now-of-christmas [iii]Ron Houston (2018) “Pat-a-pan,” The Society of Folk Dance Historians. https://www.sfdh.us/encyclopedia/pat-a-pan [iv] Spencer McDaniel (2019) “Here are Some of the Most Ancient Christmas Carols,” Tales of Time Forgotten. https://talesoftimeforgotten.com/2019/12/25/here-are-some-of-the-most-ancient-christmas-carols
