Period Yule Songs


Gloucestershire Wassail
(English, 14th century)
Key: G – D G G G A B C B A C~D


God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
(English, ~1760)
Key: Dm – D D A A G F E D C D E F G A


I Saw Three Ships
(English, melody 17th C, published 1833)
Key: F – C F F G A C A G Bb A F F A G E C


O Here We Come A-wassailing
(English, 1850)
Key: C – C D E D C D E D C G G G G


O Christmas Tree
(German 16th C, additional lyrics 1824)
Key: F – C F F F G A A A A G A Bb E G F


O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
(French 15th C, translation 19th Cent.)
Key Dm: D F A A A G Bb A G F


O Come, All Ye Faithful
(English, melody 1751, lyrics 13th C)
Key: F – F F C F G C A G A Bb A G


The Holly and the Ivy
(English, 1710)
Key: C – C C C C A G E


We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Might be too cliche?)
(English, 16th century)
Key: F – C F F F G F E D D


Cornish Wassail


Masters in this Hall
Lyrics 1860, French tune 1706


Boar’s Head Carol
1521 – Wynkyn de Word’s Christmasse Carolles


Riu Riu Chiu, 1556, Spanish


Noël nouvelet, French, late 15th Century


Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella, French 1688, English lyrics



Gaudete, 1420, published 1582, Latin
(It was a hit for Steeleye Span…?)

There is more. “Good King Wenceslas” lyrics 1853, music from a 13-century spring carol “Tempus adest floridum”, and of course Coventry Carol, definitely 1534-1591ish.