Sunday, December 7, 2014



CHRISTMAS CAROL TIMELINE (approximate)
Courtesy of Becky Wharton

UNKNOWN: O Tannenbaum, German; Here We Come A Wassailling, English; We Wish You A Merrie Christmas, English.

1300:               Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mild; German lullaby

1580:               What Child Is This? (Greensleeves), probably older

1591:               Coventry Carol, part of a play, England; words Robert Croo, unknown composer

1666:               I Saw Three Ships, England, published 1833

1696:               While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night, G.F.Handel, Nahum Tate, poet.

1700s:             Angels We Have Heard On High, published 1855;  The First Noel, published 1833, English & French

1719:               Joy To The World, Isaac Watts, Engllish

1751:               O Come All Ye Faithful, French & English

1780:               Twelve Days of Christmas, English & French

1800s:             Go Tell It On the Mountain, spiritual;   Deck The Halls, Welsh melody, American words.

1818:               Silent Night, Gruber, German

1827:               God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, English

1840:               Hark The Herald Angels Sing, German & English

1849:               It Came Upon A Midnight Clear, Massachusetts

1850:               Jingle Bells, published 1857, James Lord Pierpont, Massachusetts/Savannah Ga.

1887:               Away In A Manger, published, German

1904:               Carol Of The Bells, Ukranian

1907:               Pat-A-Pan, published in English, Burgundy, France carol

1932:               Santa Clause Is Coming To Town, John Coots & Haven Gillespie

1933:               I Wonder As I Wander,  Annie Morgan, Murphy, NC, published 1934 John Jacob Niles

1934:               Winter Wonderland, Felix Bernard

1940:               White Christmas, Irving Berlin, (movie Holiday Inn, Bing Crosby 1942)

1943:               I’ll Be Home For Christmas, Walter Kent, Bing Crosby

1944:              Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Hugh Martin, performed by Judy Garland

1944:              The Christmas Song/Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire/Merry Christmas To You, performed 1946

1945:              Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne

1946:              All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth, Don Gardner, Perry Como Radio Show

1947:              Here Comes Santa Claus, Gene Autry

1948:              Sleigh Ride, Leroy Anderson

1948:              Blue Christmas, Billy Hayes & Jay Johnson

1949:              C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S

1949:              Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Johnny Marks

1950:              Silver Bells, Jay Livingston & Ray Evans

1951:              It’s Beginning To Look Like Christmas, Meredith Willson

1951:              Christmas in Killarney, Irish

1951:              Frosty The Snowman, sung by Gene Autry

1952:              I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause, Tommie Carter

1953:              Santa Baby, Tony & Phil Springer & Joan Javits

1954:              Caroling, Caroling, Alfred Burt

1954:              There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays, Robert Allen.  Sung by Perry Como

1955:              I’m Getting Nuttin’ For Christmas, Sid Tepper & Roy Bennett

1956:              I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day, Johnny Marks, words Henry W. Longfellow 1863

1958:              Jingle Bell Rock, Joe Beal, James Boothe

1958:              Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, Johnny Marks

1958:              Little Drummer Boy(Carol Of The Drum), Katherine Davis

1958:              The Chipmunk Song, Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.

1959:              The Secret Of Christmas, Sammy Cahn & Jimmy VanHeusen

1961:              Must Be Santa, Hal Moore & Bill Fredricks

1962:              Do You Hear What I Hear? Gloria Shayne Baker, plea for peace during Cuban Missile Crisis

1963:              It’s the Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, George Wyle & Edward Pola; Andy Williams

1964:              Holly Jolly Christmas, Johnny Meeks

1966:              Christmas Is, Percy Faith

1966:              We Need A Little Christmas, Jerry Herman

1970:              Feliz Navidad, Jose Feliciano

1970:              Merry Christmas Darling, Richard Carpenter & Frank Pooler

1979:              Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer, Randy Brooks.