title: The First Nowellkey: Christmasharp type: Chromaticgenre: Cskill: BeginnerAn Old English traditional Christmas carolKey of C Major Range: C4 to C52 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3 -3 -4 4 -4 -3 3The__ first__ Now-ell, the__ an-gel did say,-3 -4 4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2Was to cer-tain poor shep-herds in fields as they2 -1lay;__2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3 -3 -4 4 -4 -3In__ fields where they lay___ keep-ing their3sheep,-3 -4 4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2On a cold win-ter’s night that was__ so deep.2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3Now – ell__, Now – ell__,4 -4 -3 -3 3Now-ell,__ Now-ell,__4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2Born is the King of Is – ra-el!2 -1 1 -1 2-2 3 -3 -4 4 -4 -3 3They__ looked____ up and__ saw__ a___ Star,_____-3 -4 4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2 -1Shining in__ the East,__ be-yond__ them far;__2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3 -3 -4 4 -4 -3 3And__ to__ the_ earth, it___ gave_ great light,-3 -4 4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2And__ so__ it continued both day and night.2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3Now – ell__, Now – ell__,4 -4 -3 -3 3Now-ell,__ Now-ell,__4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2Born is the King of Is – ra-el!2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3 -3 -4 4 -4 -3 3And__ by__ the__ light of__ that_ same star,-3 -4 4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2 -1Three__ wise__ men came__ from country far;__2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3 -3 -4 4 -4 -3 3To__ see__ for__ a King was_ their__ in-tent,-3 -4 4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2And to follow the star wher-e-ver it went;2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3Now – ell__, Now – ell__,4 -4 -3 -3 3Now-ell,__ Now-ell,__4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2Born is the King of Is – ra-el!2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3 -3 -4 4 -4 -3 3The__ star__ drew__ nigh to__ the__ North-West,-3 -4 4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2 -1O’er_ Beth-le-hem it__ took its___ rest,__2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3 -3 -4 4 -4 -3 3And__ there it__ did, both__ stop and stay,-3 -4 4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2Right over__ the place where Je-sus lay.2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3Now – ell__, Now – ell__,4 -4 -3 -3 3Now-ell,__ Now-ell,__4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2Born is the King of Is – ra-el!2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3 -3 -4 4 -4 -3 3Then__ en – tered in those_ wise men three-3 -4 4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2 -1Full__ re–verent-ly__ up-on__ their knee,2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3 -3 -4 4 -4 -3 3And__ of-fered there in__ His___ pre-sence-3 -4 4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2Their gold and myrrh and frankincense;2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3Now – ell__, Now – ell__,4 -4 -3 -3 3Now-ell,__ Now-ell,__4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2Born is the King of Is – ra-el!2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3 -3 -4 4 -4 -3 3Then__ let__ us__ all with__ one__ ac-cord-3 -4 4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2 -1Sing__ praises to__ our__ hea-ven-ly Lord,2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3 -3 -4 4 -4 -3 3That_ hath_ made__ heaven and earth of nought,-3 -4 4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2And__ with His blood mankind__ hath bought:2 -1 1 -1 2 -2 3Now – ell__, Now – ell__,4 -4 -3 -3 3Now-ell,__ Now-ell,__4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4 4 3 -2 2Born is the King of Is – ra-el!A Little History:Northern Illinois University Professor Emeritus (and world renownedexpert on Christmas carols) William Studwell has chosen the450-year-old song as his Carol of the Year for 2006. He purposefullyrefers to it by its original title “The First Nowell,” and is usingthe occasion of the honor to set the record straight on the song’shistory.“Whenever the misguided and mistaken form “The First Noel”appears in the literature of carols, the usual and typical impressionderived is that the carol is of French origin,” says Studwell, who hasbeen selecting a Carol of the Year for 21 years. “But such aninference is thoroughly and unequivocally incorrect.”The word “Nowell” is indeed an Anglicized version of the French wordfor Christmas, “Noel,” he says. However, all historical evidenceindicates that the song emerged from the remote Cornwall region ofsouthwest England in the mid 16th century. Whether the name waschanged by a Francophile publisher or just a lazy typesetter seeking ashorter word is unclear, but sometime between 1870 and the early 20thcentury, the switch was made. Regardless of how or why it happened,the new title stuck and confusion over the birthplace of this muchbeloved carol has reigned ever since….