Music History 

Written in 1872 as a poem by English poet Christina Rosetti. In 1906, the composer Gustav Holst added music to make it one of the best-known Christmas carols.

Written in 1964 by Geoffrey Ainger, from the Presbyterian Hymnal

Written in 1805 by the Irish poet Thomas Moore while staying at Jenkinstown Castle in County Kilkenny, Ireland, where he was said to have been inspired by a specimen of Rosa 'Old Blush'.  The poem was then set to the tune of a traditional tune, The Young Man’s Dream, written in 1792. 

A traditional English carol, “Soal” is the equivalent of “Soul”.  The Souling Song was sung by children who would go from door to door asking for pennies and soulcakes.  The custom of wassailing at Christmas time is similar to the soulcake tradition.

An old English carol, with the melody from William Ballet’s Lute Book.

A traditional English folk song, a broadside ballad named “A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves registered by Richard Jones in 1580.

A traditional religious Irish Christmas carol originating in County Wexford, telling about the nativity of Jesus Christ. Claimed to be from the early Middle Ages. 

This hymn was written by James Montgomery in 1816, for the Hallam Sunday School, near Sheffield, England.  Modern English melody arranged by Ralph Vaughn Williams in 1906. 

"Mary, Did You Know?" is a Christmas song addressing Mary, mother of Jesus, with lyrics written by Mark Lowry in 1984, and music written by Buddy Greene in 1991. It was originally recorded by Christian recording artist Michael English on his self-titled debut solo album in 1991.  

The Cherry-Tree Carol is a ballad with the rare distinction of being both a Christmas carol and one of the Child Ballads . The song itself is very old, reportedly sung in some form at the Feast of Corpus Christi in the early 15th century.

The ballad relates an apocryphal story of the Virgin Mary, presumably while traveling to Bethlehem with Joseph for the census. In the most popular version, the two stop in a cherry orchard, and Mary asks her husband to pick cherries for her, citing her child. Joseph spitefully tells Mary to let the child's father pick her cherries.[2]

At this point in most versions, the infant Jesus, from the womb, speaks to the tree and commands it to lower a branch down to Mary, which it does. Joseph, witnessing this miracle, immediately repents his harsh words.[2]  

Written by Stephen Foster in 1864. At this time close to his death, Foster was bankrupt and writing songs for rent and food money.  He was inspired by the Bach Christmas oratorio, that tells the story of the Nativity.