The French people love to sing at Christmas! Chants de
Noël (Christmas Carols) from France may be found in
most English-language hymnals. You may have sung the
playful “Il est né le devin enfant” (“He Is
Born”, The United Methodist Hymnal, No 228) with its
delightful inclusion of “oboe and bagpipes.” See
the following link for a discussion of this hymn:
"History of Hymns: French carol “He Is Born”
celebrates joyous season." This carol recalls the long
wait of the prophets and i...(+)
The French people love to sing at Christmas! Chants de
Noël (Christmas Carols) from France may be found in
most English-language hymnals. You may have sung the
playful “Il est né le devin enfant” (“He Is
Born”, The United Methodist Hymnal, No 228) with its
delightful inclusion of “oboe and bagpipes.” See
the following link for a discussion of this hymn:
"History of Hymns: French carol “He Is Born”
celebrates joyous season." This carol recalls the long
wait of the prophets and invites the singers to join a
lively shepherd folk band at the manger.
“Noël nouvelet, Noël chanton ici” (“Sing we now
of Christmas”) follows well in this tradition, but
brings a distinctive emphasis. Unlike those mentioned
above, the five stanzas include not only the angels’
song and the visit by the shepherds, but also the
journey of the Magi. It's a perfect song to accompany
the French tradition of the crèche. Handmade nativity
scenes are not only common in homes, but also in town
squares. Little clay figures, traditionally made in the
south of France, are called “santons” (“little
saints”). Fine craftsmanship characterizes the
production of these figures, and they are a source of
local pride for the communities that produce them. It
is interesting that “crèche” is also the French
term for nursery for young children during the day.
Source: UMC Discipleship
(https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-h
ymns-sing-we-now-of-christmas).
Although originally written for Chorus (SATB) and
Piano, I created this stylized instrumental
interpretation of "Sing We Now of Christmas" (Noël
nouvelet, Noël chanton ici) for String Quartet (2
Violins, Viola & Cello).