Given on this webpage are links to a variety of Christmas music that has been composed and sung through the last several hundred years. The origins of these mostly choral works are essentially Europe and the UK, with a few from America.
Some attempt below has been made to sort this music by composer, as well the as the language used in the songs. There are some examples where the lyrics are composed in Latin, which would be the case for composers who wrote for a Roman Catholic “audience.”
The first composer – Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was a renowned English composer and teacher, best known for his iconic orchestral suite The Planets, which showcased his unique blend of English folk tunes, Hindu philosophy, and modernist techniques like unusual meters. Despite health issues limiting his piano career, he became a respected educator at St. Paul’s Girls’ School and Morley College, composing numerous works, including band music, operas, and choral pieces, while earning his living as a trombonist.
Here are two versions of the Holst “Christmas Day” found on YouTube. The first has a small orchestra:
Ensemble Corund performs Gustav Holst Christmas Day (8:03)
The second has just organ and choir:
Here is an early version of Hodie Christus natus est (Today Christ is Born), written by Italian composer Giovanni Gabrieli, in the 1500s:
Gabrieli – Hodie Christus natus est (Universit tsChor M nchen)
And here’s another group with the same piece:
Hodie Christus natus est, Giovanni Gabrieli – Cor Ariadna de l’Agrupaci Cor Madrigal
Not all the early Christmas music was composed in Europe. Here a description of Boston-born William Billings (1746)
And here is a Christmas piece that Billings wrote:
A Virgin Unspotted (William Billings) – NOVA Ensemble (3:01)
Here’s another well-known Carol from the UK – John Mason Neale:
And speaking of the UK, what about Benjamin Britten? Britten pieced together a series of songs.
Here are the sections in the above Ceremony:
00:18 1. Procession “Hodie Christus natus est”
01:57 2. Wolcum Yole!
03:22 3. There is no rose
05:52 4. That yongë child
07:38 5. Balulalow
09:01 6. As Dew in Aprille
10:04 7. This Little Babe
11:38 8. Interlude
15:59 9. In Freezing Winter Night
19:32 10. Spring Carol
20:45 11. Deo gracias – Adam lay i-bounden
21:55 12. Recession “Hodie Christus natus est”
Benjamin Britten – A Ceremony of Carols (24:21)
Another version if you want to read the notes:
Benjamin Britten, A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28 (1943) (audio+score)
Here is a Christmas-related piece, written by French composer: Hector Berlioz:
Royal Choral Society: The Shepherds’ Farewell, Hector Berlioz (4:40)
With the notes:
Shepherds’ Farewell – ioz – L’enfance du Christ – Sir Colin Davis 1961. RICH BASS NOTES!
The “Big Three” Oratorios for Christmas Season
A case can be made that there are three ourstanding choral works dealing with the Advent of Christ that appear to stand apart from other “Christmas Music”, both in the comprehensive coverage of the events themselves, but also of the Spiritual meaning of lyric content:
Handel’s Messiah:
Handel’s Messiah in Grace Cathedral (complete) – Beautiful HD – American Bach Soloists
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio:
J.S. Bach – Cantata BWV 248 Weihnachtsoratorium (J.S. Bach Foundation) (2:34:12)
Note: For non-German-speaking people, the Bach Christmas Oratorio requires the user to deal with in-process translations, which while providing a “sense” of what is being sung, yet does not allow knowledge of the exact syllable on each “note” of the sung music.
Also, here’s a webpage with more information concerning Bach’s 6-part Christmas Oratorio:
Rudolph Lutz and Bach Choral Music
Ralph Vaughan-Williams – Hodie:
Ralph Vaughan Williams – ‘Hodie’ Christmas Cantata, for Soloists, Choir and Orchestra (1954)
Here’s a webpage with more information on Vaughn-Williams Hodie, and Hodie Christus Natus Est in general:
Hodie – On This Day Christ is Born
And here’s an early section of Hodie: Powerful!
Ralph Vaughan William’s Hodie. II Naration & III Song
Symphonic Choral – in addition to the Advent music above
Note that a review of symphonic choral music must include a significant body of work, dealing with issues of life and death, and even in many cases quoting directly from the Word of God. One group to consider would be the Roman Catholic Masses and Requiems. In addition, there are a few classical choral works of music that don’t deal with Christmas or Easter, yet might be worth looking into for God’s presence. Certainly one to consider is Mahler’s 2nd Symphony.
Mahler Symphony 2 – Commentary
And the end of the first movement of Mahler 8 is UP-lifting, for sure: Gloria Patre
Mahler Symphony No. 8 – Klaus Mäkelä and Concertgebouworkest
Among the Requiems, clearly for Non-Roman Catholics, Brahms’ work must be considered near the top. It is totally based on scripture:
Brahms Requiem – with Choral Score
Among the Roman Catholic Mass works, one very profound expression is Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.
Beethoven – Missa Solemnis – An Analysis of a Recording
But also, from his Mount of Olives oratorio.
UCLA Beethoven, Christ on the Mount of Olives, Op 85 (07:60)
And this, portions of Handel’s Messiah from Africa:
O death and But Thanks Be to God, from Messiah (3:52)
Handel’s MESSIAH: Worthy is the Lamb That Was Slain / Amen (7:39)
Or this, from Boston:
The trumpet shall sound – Handel’s Messiah featuring Roderick Williams (9:50)
But how can we forget Verdi?
Verdi – Four Sacred Pieces (Quattro pezzi sacri) [Zubin Mehta] Yvonne Minton (39:36)
And if you’d rather not deal with such a long piece, and also prefer France to Italy as the origin of the composer, then why not this?
Maurice Durufle – Requiem, Op. 9 (38:32)
Ok, maybe this is enough. Thanks for reading (and watching/listening) this far. Have a great day!
One more? Ok. This from the first of six Cantatas that make up the Bach Christmas Oratorio BWV 248. The trumpet presages the regal nature of Christ’s birth:
J.S. Bach – Cantata BWV 248: Aria “Großer Herr und starker König” (4:51)
And ok, let’s finish with the FINAL chorale in the last of the Cantatas in BWV 248, with the “tune” of what we know as “O Sacred Head Now Wounded”, but here – with different lyrics. Just jump to 21:25 of Cantata 6, and let the final applause be for ALL the music in this webpage:
At 21:25…
Now you are well avenged
On the host of your enemies;
Christ has broken in pieces
What was against you.
Death, Devil, Sin and hell
are weakened once and for all;
With God is the place
For the human race.