Christmas carols. Without them, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas. From angel-singing, bell-ringing ebullience to deep, spiritual contemplation, nothing can match the Christmas carol in terms of creating an atmosphere – whether echoing through a vast cathedral, or sung by children in a nativity play, their power to move can be simply overwhelming. But which are the best Christmas carols of all time?
We reveal the top 50 Christmas carols, as voted for by 50 top choral experts from around the world. Do you agree with their choices or have we missed your favourite Christmas carol? Here is our ultimate Christmas carol list.
For a sneaky preview of their top 5 Christmas carols check out the video below
Greatest Christmas carols of all time: numbers 50 to 41
50. Away in a Manger
'Away in a Manger' may be one of the simplest carols of all, whether to sing, play or learn - but none the worse for that. A particular favourite in primary schools, where many parents over the generations have found themselves shedding a proud tear or two in that 'I love thee lord Jesus' solo verse...
We named 'Away in the Manger' one of the easiest pieces of Christmas music to play on the piano and violin
49. Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
'Elizabeth Poston rediscovered this early American text, which recalls the world of the Shakers,' composer John Rutter tells us about this 1967 carol, 'and set it to music so simply that it's difficult to believe no one thought of her tune before (a perfect choral setting too, not a note too many). Spellbinding, magical, unique.' Here are the lyrics to 'Jesus Christ the Apple Tree'.
48. Joy to the World
A festive toast to Handel, please! The music may be by leading 19th-century US church figure Lowell Mason, but he was clearly borrowing from the great Baroque composer: notice just how similar the celebratory carol’s opening notes and the ‘And Heaven and Nature Sing’ refrain are to ‘Glory to God’
and ‘Comfort Ye’ in Messiah.
47. See amid the winter's snow
An uplifting carol that comes right from the heart of Victorian England. First published in Christmas Carols Old and New in 1871, its words were written by Edward Caswall, son of a vicar and the notes by John Goss, organist of St Paul’s Cathedral – many today know Goss’s music best from David Willcocks’s gorgeous 1961 arrangement.
46. Gloria from Puer Natus Est
Thomas Tallis’s 1554 Puer Natus est mass may have been a case of wishful thinking – was the 16th-century composer reflecting Catholic hopes that Queen Mary I would bear an heir? The work was written for a grand occasion at St Paul’s, reflected by Tallis’s use of full vocal forces throughout and long, arching phrases that fill the outermost reaches of even the most spacious cathedral.
45. Gabriel's Message
Chortling choristers love it for the sheer amusement of singing 'Most highly flavoured gravy' in place of the intended words. For the rest of us, the gentle ebb and flow of this Basque traditional folk carol, which describes the story of Gabriel's annunciation to Mary, has a uniquely haunting quality.
Here are the lyrics to The angel Gabriel from heaven came' also known as 'Gabriel's Message'
44. Angels from the Realms of Glory
Familiar as Angels We Have Heard On High outside the UK, this hymn has a ‘Gloria’ refrain that is second only to Ding Dong Merrily On High. In Jacques’s arrangement, one voice after another takes on the four-quaver passages as if in a celestial relay race before all come together for a magnificent ‘In Excelsis Deo!’ finale.
43. Adam Lay Ybounden
Written at very short notice in 1957 by Boris Ord, organist and choirmaster of King’s College, Cambridge, who then established his work for unaccompanied voice as a regular at the college’s Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. It is still frequently included in the service today.
42. Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas refers to Saint Wenceslaus, the 10th-century ruler of Bohemia and Christian missionary, who met a grisly end at the hands of his brother’s supporters. The touching story told in JM Neale’s 19th-century words, though nicely wintery, seems to have little historical basis.
41. Il est né le divin enfant
A lovably earthly French traditional carol, in which we are joyfully invited to ‘Jouez hautbois’ (Play the oboe) and ‘Résonez musettes’ (Sound the bagpipe). Best enjoyed in its original language – though possibly not in Siouxsie and the Banshees’ dubious pop take on it, released as a single in 1982.
Greatest Christmas carols of all time: numbers 40 to 31
40. It came upon a midnight clear
How you know this carol depends largely on which side of the Atlantic you are. US congregations have long been singing Richard Storrs Willis’s setting of the words by Massachusetts minister EH Sears, but their UK counterparts will be more familiar with its beautifully understated setting by Arthur Sullivan. The latter is the one voted for here.
39. Hodie Christus Natus Est
Early 17th-century German composer Heinrich Schütz was just one of a number of composers over the ages to have set Hodie Christus Natus Est, an antiphon traditionally sung at Vespers on Christmas day. Schütz’s original setting weaves soprano and tenor soloists in intricate counterpoint, but it has since been arranged for larger choral forces.
38. The First Nowell
Its origins lost way back in the mists of time, The First Nowell is simplicity itself: the same line is repeated twice in the verse, with only a slight variation in the chorus. Perhaps that simplicity is what makes it such a favourite with choirmasters – this hymn is ideal for the occasional self-penned decorous descant.
37. Jauchzet Frohlocket
At around eight minutes long, the exultant opening chorus to Bach’s Christmas Oratorio unsurprisingly finds itself included in many a Christmas carol service. ‘Triumph, rejoicing’ beam the choir, and even if Bach’s originally intended brass and percussion aren’t to hand, the music is still guaranteed to provide an almighty festive uplift.
36. Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen
Composed in the early 17th century, Michael Praetorius’s Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen is one of those hymn tunes whose ‘tingle factor’ lies in the way that it instantly transports the listener back to a different era. English-speaking congregations are generally familiar with it in the guise of ‘A Great and Mighty Wonder'.
35. Ding Dong Merrily on High
'Glo-o-o-o-o-o-orr, o-o-o-o-o-orr, o-o-o-o-o-orr, o-o-o-o-o-oria, Hosanna in Excelsis!' Need we say more?
Here are the full lyrics for Ding Dong Merrily on High', if you want to know what's sung between the glorias' and Hosannas'!
34. Illuminare Jerusalem
A modern gem. Leading Scottish composer Judith Weir wrote this short anthem for choir and organ for King’s College, Cambridge, where it was first performed in the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in 1985. Setting a medieval Scottish text, it has since enjoyed popularity both in the UK and beyond.
33. Wexford Carol
Dating right back to the 12th century, the 'Wexford Carol' comes from the town of Enniscorthy in, yes, County Wexford, Ireland. Beginning 'Good people all, this Christmas time' it has become familiar to many today through John Rutter's beautiful arrangement of 1978, which begins with a melodious, if frighteningly exposed, baritone solo.
32. Quem Vidistis
Three of Poulenc’s four unaccompanied Christmas motets were voted into our top Christmas carols list. This one tells of the shepherds eagerly returning from the manger – the tentatively asked opening question ‘Quem vidistis?’ (Whom have you seen?) is met with the joyful answer ‘Natum vidimus’ (We have seen the Son).
31. Here is the little door
GK Chesterton’s beautifully crafted portrait of the Magi arriving at the stable is given a suitably intimate setting for unaccompanied voices by 20th-century English composer Herbert Howells. Overall, the mood is humble, peaceful and reflective, but woven in to the music are occasional references to the darker, more disturbing elements of the Christmas story. Stunning: and makes the list of our greatest Christmas carols of all time.
Greatest Christmas carols of all time: numbers 30 to 21
30. I Wonder as I Wander
In North Carolina in 1933 a girl called Annie Morgan caught the ear of folklorist John Jacob Niles as she sang a garbled version of an Appalachian folksong. Paying her to sing it again, Niles wrote what he heard down and filled in the gaps. Arranged by several composers since, 'I Wonder as I wander' has proved a draw for choirs the world over. It made our list of best little known Christmas carols.
29. This is the truth from above
Like Niles (above), Vaughan Williams heard this exquisite carol sung by a folk singer, one Ella Leather in Herefordshire in 1909. His subsequent unaccompanied choral setting with its poignant modal harmonies recounts the creation of man and Jesus’s promise of redemption. VW later used it to open his Fantasia on Christmas Carols.
28. Joys Seven
The earliest known manuscript of this traditional folksong, dating from the 14th century, tells of just five joys enjoyed by Mary. Today, depending on where you are in the country, you may find versions with up to 12 joys, each listed in turn! In best King’s College, Cambridge tradition Stephen Cleobury has left his festive mark as director of music with a number of fine arrangements, this included.
27. O Little Town of Bethlehem
Another carol sung to different melodies depending where you are. The words are by American priest Phillips Brooks, who wrote the text after attending Midnight Mass in Bethlehem in 1865. In the US the setting by Brooks’s church organist Lewis Redner is best known, while in England Vaughan Williams’s arrangement of the gentle English hymn tune ‘Forest Green’ is most often sung.
26. This Little Babe
Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols for treble voices and harp had an unlikely genesis, written as it was on a Danish cargo ship crossing the Atlantic in the Middle of World War II - in the mid-summer! From it comes 'This Little Babe' in which the choir divides thrillingly into a rapid three-way canon over furious harp rhythms. It should, reckoned Britten biographer Humphrey Carpenter, be sung with 'all the vigour of a pillow fight'.
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25. Silent Night
One of the most familiar and best-loved Christmas carols, Silent Night was composed - suitably - on Christmas Eve, 1818. The music, that is: the lyrics had been written a few years earlier.
When was Silent Night written?
The story goes that churchgoers in the Austrian town of Oberndorf were battling through the snow to attend mass. Inside the church, meanwhile, two men were completing the final touches to a carol that they had written that same day. Those men were Father Joseph Mohr, the assistant priest, and his friend Franz Xaver Gruber. And they were about to give 'Silent Night' its very first-ever performance.
24. The Lamb
The visionary 18/19th-century poet poet and artist William Blake wrote 'The Lamb' in 1789. This disarming poem formed part of Blake's cycle Songs of Innocence. Blake's other memorable creations include the famous hymn, 'Jerusalem'.
And what of the beautiful, haunting music by which we now know Blake's poem? Well, many composers have ventured to set Blake's poem to music. Memorably, Vaughan Williams, in 1958. But it is Sir John Tavener's 1982 version that we sing (or hear) with such rapt attention today. First performed at that year's Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, 'The Lamb' has since become one of Tavener's best known works.
23. The Three Kings
Also known as 'Three Kings From Persian Lands Afar' (and not to be confused with 'We Three Kings'), this Christmas carol was created by the German composer Peter Cornelius. His original version was for singer plus piano. The English organist Ivor Atkins later arranged a choral accompaniment. 'The Three Kings' narrates the visit of the three Magi to the baby Jesus.
22. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen!
Another of the very oldest Christmas carols in the repertoire. 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen dates back to the 16th century, or perhaps earlier. It makes a famous appearance in Charles Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol', where it appears that the legendary grinch Ebeneezer Scrooge is not a fan. In fact he takes such offence that the carol singer on the other side of the door runs away ‘in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost’.
21. The Sans Day Carol
Also known as The Holly Bears a Berry, the Sans Day Carol traces its origins back to 19th-century Cornwall. The story is told that a certain Mr Watson heard it sung in St Day (Cornish: Sen Day), a village named after a Breton saint. Watson wrote down the first three verses and chorus, and named his new carol after the village where he heard it. A fourth verse was added, and the carol was translated into English.
Greatest Christmas carols of all time: numbers 20 to 11
20. Hodie Natus Est
The 17th-century Dutch composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck is perhaps best known for his keyboard works. But he also wrote some serious choral music. The joyful carol 'Hodie Christus Natus Est' is one of his finest essays in the form. Taken from his second book of Latin motets, the 1619 Cantiones Sacrae, this sparkling, three-minute carol isn’t harmonically or contrapuntally complex, but it manages to create the illusion of constant movement by swapping little melodic ideas back and forth between the five parts.
19. No Small Wonder
Now here is a carol that packs plenty of power into its short running time. We begin with a soft organ introduction and an opening line sung in unison. After that, the singing expands arrestingly into four parts as the narrator marvels at the Christmas miracle.
The lyrics to No Small Wonder were written by Paul Wigmore. They were then set to music by organist and composer Paul Edwards in 2000. This one was voted by Matthew Steynor, director of music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Miami. He told us that No Small Wonder is ‘chorally and aurally extremely satisfying’.
18. The Little Road to Bethlehem
The British composer Michael Head spent time giving morale-raising piano recitals in factories during the Blitz. Soon after World War Two ended, he composed The Little Road to Bethlehem, a beguiling miniature for four-part choir.
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17. Hodie Christus Natus est (Poulenc)
Poulenc’s joyous Hodie Christus Natus Est brings the Frenchman’s Four Christmas Motets to an ebulliently rowdy conclusion! We start off with a rare moment of glory for the altos, who boldly sing out the opening ‘Hodie Christus Natus Est!’ and that sets the ball rolling. After that, it’s fast-paced fun all the way – you won’t find a more uplifting festive listen than this.
16. There is a Flower
The great British composer John Rutter beguiles audiences with his rich harmonies and folk-like melodies. They are contemporary - yet they often have the atmosphere of being written centuries ago. 'There is a Flower', with its simple, spare treble melody gradually enriched with delicious choral textures, is one such delight.
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15. O Magnum Mysterium (Victoria)
Another musical setting of this deeply spiritual Gregorian chant. The 16th-century Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria may have studied under the great Palestrina. We can’t be sure, but the fluid counterpoint of his 1572 motet O Magnum Mysterium certainly has strong echoes of the great Italian composer. As one of the more generally joyful composers of the Renaissance, it’s no surprise to hear Victoria’s Christmas motet finish with a rousingly florid and affirmative ‘Alleluia!’.
14. Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Two famous names loom large in the story of this much-loved Christmas carol. It was in 1739 that Charles Wesley wrote a Christmas hymn that began ‘Hark! how all the welkin rings, Glory to the King of Kings’. That was the first incarnation of what is now 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing'.
That's the lyrics, then. As to the melody, that came around a century later, from the fertile pen of the composer Felix Mendelssohn. He it was who composed the cantata Festgesang an die Künstler to commemorate 400 years since Gutenburg’s invention of the printing press.
The last piece in the jigsaw was British singer William Hayman Cummings, who put music and lyrics together in 1855 to create the much-loved Christmas carol.
13. O Magnum Mysterium (Poulenc)
Of Poulenc’s four Christmas motets, the first is the most solemn, the most haunting and has consistently proved the most popular since they were published in 1952. Poulenc’s lapsed faith was famously re-ignited following the death of his friend Pierre-Octave Ferroud in 1936 – with its evocative twists and turns of dark harmony, few works can match the troubling O Magnum Mysterium in displaying the sheer depth of a composer’s belief.
12. The Sussex Carol
The Sussex Carol exudes an atmosphere of joy and celebration, from its cheery ‘On Christmas Night’ opening to its final, triumphant ‘Amen!’. The words were first published way back in 1684, but it was not until 1919 that composers Cecil Sharp and Ralph Vaughan Williams first wrote down, independently, the lilting melody. The latter heard the carol sung by Harriet Verall of Monk’s Gate in Sussex – hence the title. But it was David Willcocks who brought the carol its real fame with his 1961 arrangement, which Jeremy Suter, master of the music at Carlisle Cathedral, describes as having ‘all that is compelling in a choir carol: a beautiful melody enhanced by an attractive organ part, some enjoyable double choir work, a descant and an uplifting ending’.
11. Once in Royal David’s City
It's a Christmas moment we are all familiar with, and one that never fails to make us catch our breath with emotion. Each year, one chorister from King’s College, Cambridge is selected for a great honour. They open the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols with the first, solo verse of 'Once in Royal David's City'. Their audience: a chapel packed to the gunwales… and several million radio listeners.
However, to save the poor/lucky lad from having his run-up to Christmas completely savaged by nerves, the chosen treble is never told of his big moment until just before the service is about to begin. The treble solo is just one highlight of this perennial favourite – that moment when congregation and organ stirs to life for the second verse and the glorious descant are just as much a part of the annual King’s Christmas experience.
Greatest Christmas carols of all time: numbers 10 to 1
10. What Sweeter Music
Our American readers may have first become familiar with this beautiful little masterpiece thanks to a certain Volvo car advert. Its origins, however, go back (a little) further. In fact, What Sweeter Music was written for the world-renowned choir of King’s College, Cambridge, for their 1987 service of Nine Lessons and Carols.
What Sweeter Music features an exceptional melody and luscious harmonisation. As the composer himself explains ‘Robert Herrick’s lovely text was not only just right in that context, highlighting the idea of the gifts that we can bring but also seemed to sum up exactly what carols are for and what Christmas is all about.’
9. Of the Father’s Heart Begotten
Aside from its high placing in our top Christmas carols list, Of the Father's Heart Begotten deserves a very special mention. That's because it can trace its origins back a long way: it is, in fact, perhaps the first Christmas carol. ‘Corde natus ex parentis’, to give it its original name, was composed by the Roman poet Aurelius Prudentius Clemens. He was around in northern Spain in roughly 350 to 400 AD.
Today, Prudentius’s text is usually translated as ‘Of the Father’s Heart Begotten’ or ‘Of the Father’s Love Begotten’. It was 19th-century music editor Thomas Helmore who decided to couple the words with a Latin plainchant taken from the Piae Cantiones Theoderici Petri Nylandensis of 1582 – the result is solid, simple and hugely atmospheric. Or, as Sarah Baldock, organist of Chichester Cathedral, puts it: ‘Such a strong tune and wonderful words!’
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8. O Come all ye Faithful / Adeste Fideles
A perennial favourite, O Come all ye Faithful was nominated for our list of greatest Christmas carols of all time by Robert Hollingworth, founder of British vocal ensemble I Fagiolini. It is, we reasoned, perhaps the one Christmas carol without which no Christmas service would quite seem complete. What's the clue to its magic? Perhaps it's the steadily increasing volume of the chorus, in which only the upper voices sing first, with all other voices then joining in with increasing festive gusto?
7. There is no Rose
The medieval text There is no Rose tells of a rose that represents the Virgin Mary. It's been set to music many times. The settings by Benjamin Britten and John Joubert have both become classic modern Christmas carols.
And the South African-born Joubert’s perfectly poised 1954 setting for unaccompanied choir enters our list at number six. In the words of Professor Edward Higginbottom, director of music of New College, Oxford, ‘Like most good carols, it’s strophic and singable. But it goes much further than that: exquisitely textured, not a chromatic note in sight, recurring melody that is the height of unaffected elegance, and captivating exchanges between the voices.’
6. Tomorrow shall be my Dancing Day
The Cornish carol Tomorrow shall be my Dancing Day was first published in 1833, when it appeared in William Sandys’s volume Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern. It is believed, though, to trace its roots back much further. 'Tomorrow shall be my Dancing Day' may originate with the Medieval mystery plays.
Describing the life of Christ in the form of a dance, the text has been set by composers from Gustav Holst to Igor Stravinsky; British composer John Gardner’s lively arrangement for choir, organ and optional percussion, written in the 1960s, is the version that found itself repeatedly voted for by our choral experts. ‘Gardner combines a catchy melody with simple but ingenious rhythmic patterns to produce an irresistible setting of this traditional English text,’ enthuses Stephen Darlington, choral director at Christ Church, Oxford. ‘You cannot fail to smile on hearing it.’
5. Lully, Lulla (The Coventry Carol)
The 16th-century carol 'Lully, lulla' or The Coventry Carol, which dates back to the 16th century, is about as dark as Christmas carols get, with its doomladen words depicting a mother’s fears for the fate of her child as she lulls him to sleeps. In British composer Kenneth Leighton’s 1956 setting, the mother’s words are sung by a desperately haunting treble solo which sighs mournfully above the gently ebbing and flowing accompaniment of the rest of the choir. In the third verse, the choir takes over the narrative to tell of Herod’s slaughter of the innocents, ending with a viciously dramatic ‘To Slay’. Then the soloist resumes, taking the work to its doleful finish – Leighton’s major-key final chord, however, does suggest some slight glimmer of hope.
4. Bethlehem Down
Composer Peter Warlock wrote the music to the beautiful Bethlehem Down. Journalist and poet Bruce Blunt penned the lyrics. The duo allegedly wrote the carol to fund an 'immortal carouse' (read: heavy bout of drinking) over Christmas 1927. Its particularly English strand make it perfect for the sombre yet reverent mood of many a traditional candle-lit carol service.
3. A Spotless Rose
The composer Herbert Howells revealed that the carol 'A Spotless Rose' came to him while he sat watching trains travelling from Bristol to Gloucester through the window of his Gloucestershire cottage. Shunting trains seem a world away from the arching lines of the anthem itself, in which the flowing melody is carried first by the choir then a baritone soloist over a subdued chorale-like harmony. And, as is so often the case with Howells, a touch of brilliance is saved for the final chords. ‘I should like, when my time comes, to pass away with that magical cadence,’ wrote fellow composer Patrick Hadley. Jeremy Suter, master of music at Carlisle Cathedral agrees: ‘The scrunchy harmonies of the final few bars are pure, unadulterated bliss!’
2. In Dulci Jubilo
In Dulci Jubilo has a delightfully festive ancient German tune, which has enjoyed many interpretations. These include the famous Bach Christmas organ chorale prelude and the hymn ‘Good Christian Men Rejoice’. Not forgetting, of course, Mike Oldfield’s 1975 chart hit.
In Dulci Jubilo really comes into it own, however, when heard in RL Pearsall’s sumptuous 1837 arrangement. With its intriguing mix of Latin and English words, Pearsall’s music builds up from a straight-forward hymn tune in the first two verses, through some exquisite counterpoint for soloists in the third, before the full, unaccompanied choir gathers together for a rousing finale – when we reach the words ‘There the bells are ringing’ a peal-like phrase in the treble line soars thrillingly. ‘In Dulci Jubilo is probably my favourite carol of all,’ says Robin Tyson, King’s Singer and a former King’s College, Cambridge choral scholar. ‘It’s a forward-moving carol with an ancient and beautiful melody and rich, lush harmonies that swim round a church.’
1. In the Bleak Midwinter
Does any other carol get to the very heart of Christmas as understatedly but effectively as In The Bleak Midwinter? Christina Rossetti’s poem of 1872 is nigh-on perfect as a carol text: there’s the winter cold, the coming of Christ, the description of the nativity scene and, finally, that ‘What shall I give him?’ moment of self-reflection.
And then there’s the music. While Gustav Holst’s charming setting of 1909 is rightly loved by millions worldwide, it is the less well known but infinitely more stylish setting by Harold Darke from two years later that is many people's favourite.
Rhythmically, Darke’s opening line is identical to Holst’s, but whereas Holst uses the full choir, Darke, who was briefly organist at King’s College, Cambridge, scores the first verse for solo treble over the most muted of organ accompaniments. The remaining three verses are sung by the full choir, tenor solo, and choir again until, after a final, tender ‘Give my heart’, the organ brings the carol to a sublimely hushed conclusion.
‘In The Bleak Midwinter’s text and music flirt with sentimentality without crossing the line,’ reflects Jeffrey Smith, director of music at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. ‘And I love the delicious irony – and global connection – of singing “Snow had fallen, snow on snow” in our California sunshine, or for that matter, imagining a snowy Bethlehem long, long ago.’