The Key West citizen., 1954-12-24
Christmas Carols Evoke The Simple Emotions

Carols, dear to every Key WeSter
at Christmas time because of the
simple emotions they evoke, are
among the oldest forms of music.
The first of them was the carol
of the Heavenly Host over the
plains of Bethlehem (Luke 11:13-
14) but the earliest manuscript Of
a carol is found in the British Mu-
scum in London executed in the
thirteenth century.
The carol is perhaps the earliest
form of the song and dance known
to man, the derivation of the word
itself being uncertain.
The more accepted derivatives
are "cantare," the Latin word for
Ito sing" and ''rola" which is q
joyous interjection.
Some musicologistS, however,
find a different Interpretation and
contend the word stems from the
early word for chorus.
Even more intriguing is the be
lief by some students that there is
a relationship between druidical
rites at Stonehenge, in England,
that mystic ring of monoliths. Ear
ly records contain references to
Stonehenge as ''the CAROL"
The first book of carols was
"auctorissed by my lord of Lon
don" in 1862 and bore the title
page "Christenmasse Carowles."
Some of these were legendary
and were drawn from the Coven-
try Mystery Play "Joseph Was an
Old Man" Others were from the
English folk tunes, used as the
vehicle for words relating to the
Christ Child.
There seems little doubt that
there is a pagan throwback to the
carols heard in Key West today.
Religious dances were of record
in Spain in the fifth century when
the choir boys equipped with cas-
tanets capered, singing, around
the lectern.
Caroling reached its musical
height during the reign of the Tu-
dors in England although there is
an historic reference to the fact
that when Henry VIII lay very ill
he forbade carols, bells and mer-
rymaking."
The Puritans endeavored to do
away with carols, holding that they
had no religious significance, and
the Scottish people at an even ear
lier date had tried to suppress the
lighter carols, considering them
''popish' and "pernicious."
AS time went along, there was a
tendency to widen the horizon of
the carol and some of the good old
drinking runes were employed for
the sacred words denoting the
birth of Christine irreverence be-
ing intended, since carols were
usually regarded as festive music.
The custom Of singing carols
from door to door is almost as old
as the carols themselves.
The first form was that of the
watch maintained in nearly all
English medieval cities. The men
of the watch would sing carols ac-
companied by flageolet and they
would collect pence from the gen.
try.
In the West Riding of Yorkshire
today children parade from house
to house with "milly" boxes (mi-
lady boxes) in which there is a
crib and a recumbent babe and In
to which the money offered them
is placed.
Rated among the most famous
Christmas Carols is while Shep-
herds Watched Their Flocks by
Night written by Nahum Tate in
1903.
Charles Wesley in the eighteenth
century wrote "Hark, How All the
Welkin Rings" later paraphrased
to "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing. y
Good King Wenceslas" which de-
notes the Christmas charity of the
Bohemian monarch, also ranks
high.
The repertoire increased as the
carol custom spread through Eu-
rope and the Christmas songs be-
came known as Noels in France
and Wiegenlied in Germany.
E1neR HlETG