On the 7th Day of Christmas We Had some News about News of the French Carol Sort!
Danny Johnson
It's the 7th Day, so it must be time for French music. Let’s consult the New Oxford Book of Carols, my favorite reference book from late October through early December!
Words and languages change. In the late Middle Ages, nouvel an indicated the New Year, the time when carols were most usually sung. That phrase became corrupted to nouel and by the 16th century to noël, and the current use of a noël as a Christmas song was established.
Nouvelet can mean both ‘news’ and ‘newness.’ Noël nouvelet, meaning a newly-made song for both the New Year and the newly born infant-King, will be performed in 7 days. Our a cappella arrangement for 4 parts (sung by women) has been a fave for the last 6 or 7 years, even though there are often a few little tweaks from year to year. I’m not sure if the audients hear the changes but the performers do! Here's an audio teaser from our CD Stella splendens: An Early Music Christmas:
That’s all the nouvelet for now. Good night, and good luck.
TEMP: An Early Christmas in 6 Days.
Be wise, guys: get your tix in advance
at early-music.org
Click to buy tickets for our Christmas concerts on Dec. 11, 12, & 13!