Score: 3 pages, String parts 1 page each. The First Noel arranged for Alto Sax & Piano with new harmony for the final verse.

Origins
The First Noel is an English Christmas carol. Even more, it was probably written in the late Cornish Renaissance period. While other versions spell the title as Nowell, this is just a colloquial variation. Furthermore, Noel is an older word meaning ?Christmas.? Therefore ?the First Noel? translates as ?the First Christmas.? First of all, Gilbert and Sandy published the earliest version. As a result, this version appears in the ?Carols Ancient and Modern? songbook of 1823. William Sandy edited and arranged the book. Similarly, his partner Davies Gilbert edited and added the familiar extra verses. The First Noel: String Quartet Version comes with new harmony in final verse for more energy and drive.

Stainer
Organist and composer Sir John Stainer published the most noteworthy customary arrangement in the 1870?s. Stainer is above all famous for his songbook entitled: Christmas Carols New and Old (1871). This volume served as an important catalyst for reviving the English Christmas carol. Other famous Stainer arrangements from this book are such titles as What Child Is This, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Good King Wenceslas, and I Saw Three Ships.

Diatonic Function
The melodic structure in the First Noel is uncommon among English folk tunes. It simply repeats one phrase twice then follows a variation refrain. All three phrases of the song end on the mediant scale degree. This is unusual because the diatonic function of the mediant is non-final compared to the more usual tonic or even dominant degrees. Consequently, this gives the song as kind of open-ended feeling ? like maybe it never really ends.

Political Context
The Catholic clergy sang carols outside of the church in Latin. After the Protestant Reformation, the reformers thought it would be better for everyone to sing carols. They decided to bring music back to the common folk. So, they translated the lyrics from Latin into common language. Moreover, the Protestants wanted more control over the music in church than what the Vatican allowed. Protestant composers such as William Byrd composed complex polyphonic Christmas music that they called carols. Nonetheless, some famous folk carols were composed in this era. Eminent composers in the nineteenth century began to revise and adapt them. Consequently, they revived the English carol.

Song List: Let Our Gladness Know No End Oh! Infant Jesus When Christ Was Born Of Mary Free O Come, All Ye Faithful Angels, From The Realms Of Glory Angels We Have Heard On High As Each Happy Christmas I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day As Joseph Was a-Walking As with Gladness Men of Old Away In A Manger Hey, Hey, Ho A Babe Is Born in Bethlehem In a Manger He Is Lying The Babe Of Bethlehem Jingle Bells Beautiful Savior Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella Cantique de Noel The Cherry Tree Carol Child Jesus Came To Earth This Day Come, All Ye Children Everywhere, Everywhere, Christmas Tonight The First Noel From Every Spire On Christmas Eve From Heaven Above Gather Around the Christmas Tree Glad Christmas Bells The Golden Carol Good Christian Men, Rejoice Infant So Gentle Hark! The Herald Angels Sing O Little Town of Bethlehem O Come, Little Children Lullay, Though Little Tiny Child Silent Night Oh, How Joyfully O Christmas Tree Joy To The World Lo, How a Rose Little Children, Can You Tell? Hark the Glad Sound I Saw Three Ships It Came Upon the Midnight Clear We Wish You a Merry Christmas From Earthly Tasks Lift Up Thine Eyes As Lately We Watched God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen The Other Night A Child This Day Is born Sleep, Holy Babe Christ Was Born on Christmas Day Companions, All Sing Loudly The Seven Joys of Mary Deck the Hall Come, All Ye Shepherds In Bethlehem, The Lowly Immortal Babe Wassail, Wassail Jolly Old Saint Nicholas The Happy Christmas Comes Once More Oh! Night Among The Thousands While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks To Us Is Born A Little Child Hark Ye Shepherds Hark, from the Midnight Hills Around We Three Kindgs of Orient Are Good King Wenceslas Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep Noel, Noel Here We Come A-Caroling Whence Comes This Rush of Wings? The Holly and the Ivy Oh! Dear Jesus How Brightly Beams The Morning Star What Child Is This? March Of The Three Kings On Christmas Night Joseph, O Dear Joseph Mine There Comes a Vessel Laden Mary, Dear Mother Of Jesus How Vain the Cruel Herod's Fear Rise Up, Shepherds, an' Foller Go, Tell It on the Mountains O Come, O Come Emmanuel Ring, Christmas Bells The Sleep of the Child Jesus My Sheep Were Grazing A Joyful Christmas Song O Holy Night We Do Worship Thee