The First Nowell Sheet Music

The first Nowell (The first Noel) is a popular English Christmas Carol. The tune seems to be based on an English carol dating from the 16th or 17th century. The commonly known combination of melody and lyrics was first published as sheet music in Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern, by William Sandys (1833). The spelling of “Nowell” is an English bastardization of the French word for Christmas: Noël.

The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay tending their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

They looked up and saw a star
shining in the east beyond them far,
and to the earth it gave great light,
and so it continued both day and night.

Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
born is the King of Israel.

Etc.