If you’re ready to prepare for the beautiful liturgical season of Christmastide by learning traditional chants for this time, you’re in the right place. It’s never to early to begin practicing these chants, keeping a good Advent season the meanwhile! (Speaking of which–for Advent chants, please go here.)
The chants for Christmas clearly inspired the English carols we still sing. In fact, the well-known O Come, All Ye Faithful is an English translation set to its parent Gregorian chant Adeste Fideles. As you learn these Christmas pieces, your appreciation for the Church’s contribution to festal music will certainly deepen. It will be so clear how this music was the seedbed of the popularly sung traditional Christmas carols of Europe that we still hear today.
Learn this one first! I can almost hear angelic trumpets when I am singing this phenomenal chant. It’s pure joy in Latin. (Sheet music PDF linked here in the list at bottom of page!)
This one has got to be my very favorite. It’s so lovely, the melody dips and swoops. I’ve found that this is a very good piece to sing to make even your daily tasks devotional during Christmastide.
Sheet music PDF linked here in the list at page bottom. (You can find sheet music for a beautiful English version in modern musical notation here.)
Sheet music is found inside the Christmas section of the Parish Book of Chant, free PDF download here.
This simple piece was stunning enough to turn heads during Communion at Midnight Mass years ago. It’s quite long, having 14 verses as well as a repeated refrain. Again, sheet music here in the helpful list.
- (Bonus Latin Polyphony) Gaudete, Gaudete
I listen to this piece often, all year, because it is glorious. Can you get a few singers together this Christmas? A delightfully simple and straightforward arrangement is here (scroll down a little to the “Contents” section of the post, and it’s the first piece listed in the “Christmas” section) which makes it accessible for beginning choirs.
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These beautiful pieces will add cheer to your prayers during the holy season of Christmastide. Traditional chant is one of the best ways to keep Christ in Christmas in your home and your parish. Sing these with a joyous heart!
St. Catherine Catholic Culture Center 