by Emily Rinaman, Technical Services Librarian
Over the years the people of Tiffin have heard many different types of Christmas carols. Sharing one’s favorite Christmas song is a common conversation starter (and sometimes even a common lively debate) in December. There’s some who listen to Christmas music the second it hits the airwaves, and there are others who would rather not listen to it at all. These days it seems like it’s another hot topic that divides us when singing Christmas carols was really intended to bring us all together. In fact, the word “carol” actually means a “song of joy.”
Traditionally in several European countries, especially England where many of our well-known carols originate, caroling was not just a seasonal pastime; carols were a form of folk music created for many occasions. For example, Coventry Carol’s melody is derived from the Medieval Coventry Mystery Plays which were performed on the feast of Corpus Christi, which falls in June. There were other carols celebrating May Day. Many small towns in Europe had their own unique carols or mix of selections. Even certain occupations like blacksmiths and miners boasted individual tunes.
A nice quote about Christmas caroling written by a student for the Tiffin University newspaper, TYSTENAC, in December 1966.
One such tune that was sung by Tiffin City Schools’ students in 1966 was “The Boar’s Head Carol.” It is one of the oldest carols on record, dating from the 15th century. This carol honors the medieval tradition of sacrificing a boar as part of a Yuletide feast. It was traditionally sung at Queen’s College in Oxford during Christmas lunch, complete with eggnog and wassail.
Often, carols were sung in pubs up until the Victorian era, which is why the word “caroling” might bring up an image of men and women in top hats, lacy bonnets and muffs singing at the top of their lungs. Tiffin’s first community Christmas tree came about during this era. In 1914, residents decorated a tree near the Gibson Monument and all the area church choirs joined together to sing. A piano had even been delivered just for the event.
Many traditional Christmas carols have been kept alive from places where our ancestors once lived, like Germany, France and Italy. They have either been translated entirely or contain a mix of English with the native language like the chorus of “Angels We Have Heard on High” (“Gloria in excelsis Deo”) or the song “Jesu Bambino,” which was sung during a December 1940 Sunday worship at the Junior Home’s Ohio Memorial Church.
A group of children from the Kinder Keys perform Christmas carols in front of the Columbus City Hall in December 1969. The Kinder Keys raised money for Columbus Children’s Hospital. This photo was taken from the Ohio Memory’s Wonderful World of Ohio online collection and was created by the Ohio Department of Development.
Different groups in Tiffin have mastered these carols throughout the years. In 1939, the Laeti Latini (or Happy Latins club) from Columbian and the Latin Club at Hopewell-Loudon sang carols in Latin at the homes of faculty members. In 1969, Columbian students same German carols during a December concert. And a few years later the students in the Spanish and German classes paraded in the school hallways singing carols in those languages.
Other carols contain a range of harmonious melodies like the song “Echo Carol” that the mixed chorus at Tiffin University performed in the 1940s. During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, members of “antiphonal choirs” dispersed throughout a cathedral when singing this song to create the echo that gave the song it’s title. Sometimes, instruments were added. Today, Heidelberg University’s various choirs continue the tradition of performing Handel’s Messiah (2019 marked the 129th year). Even the audience is invited to join in during the performing of “Hallelujah!” A perfect example of the joy that Christmas brings.
Works cited:
Cooper, James. “The History of Christmas Carols.” https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/carols_history.shtml
Junior Home Sunday Worship Ohio Memorial Church December 22, 1940. https://www.ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p15005coll27/id/49779/rec/1
Oloffson, Krisi. “Christmas Caroling.” Published Dec. 21, 2009. http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1949049,00.html
Pentreath, Rosie. Oxford Dictionaries. “A Dive into the Surprising History of the Christmas Carol.” Dec. 2, 2020. https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/occasions/christmas/carol-history-origins/
Scott, Jenny. “UK Christmas Carols: Where Do They Come From?” BBC Online. Dec. 28, 2013. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-25419506
Seneca County Digital Library. https://www.ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p15005coll27/search
Seneca County Museum Newsletter Winter 1991. https://www.ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p15005coll27/id/42418/rec/1
Tiffinian 1966-12-16. https://www.ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p15005coll27/id/33831/rec/1
TYSTENAC 1944-1945. https://www.ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p15005coll27/id/46270/rec/1
Yearbook Columbian Blue and Gold 1939. https://www.ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p15005coll27/id/2968
Yearbook Columbian Blue and Gold 1969. https://www.ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p15005coll27/id/9403/rec/1
Yearbook Columbian Blue and Gold 1973. https://www.ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p15005coll27/id/10469/rec/1