This well-known Christmas carol began life as a sixteenth-century French dance, the "Branle de l'official." The branle was a popular group dance, in which dancers held hands, formed circles, and then rotated according to various patterns;
most likely refers to the servants quarters in an aristocratic estate, indicating that the dance was not one of particular nobility. The dance's association with the servant class if further reinforced by its use of the Ionian mode (equivalent to the modern major mode), which at the time carried strong bacchanalian associations. The "Branle de l'offical" was recorded in a volume of music and choreography compiled by the French ecclesiastic Jehan Tabourot (1520 - 95), and titled
Perhaps surprisingly, the now-familiar text -- including the melismatic "Gloria! Hosanna in excelsis!" -- was not appended until the early twentieth century, when George Ratcliffe Woodward and
, both English church musicians, adapted the tune for use as a carol. It has since become one of the most familiar and often-sung Christmas tunes. ~ All Music Guide
| 'Til the Season Comes Round Again |
2007 |
| 25 All Time Christmas Favorites |
2000 |
| 40 Most Beautiful Christmas Classics |
2007 |
| 50 Most Loved Christmas Carols |
2005 |
| 50 Most Loved Christmas Carols |
2005 |
| A Canadian Brass Christmas |
|
| A Cello Christmas |
1996 |
| A Cello Christmas [Hybrid SACD] |
2005 |
| A Choirboy's Christmas: The Gold Collection |
1999 |
| A Choral Christmas |
2002 |
| A Choral Christmas |
2002 |
| A Choral Christmas: Trinity Church in the City of Boston |
2001 |
| A Christmas Choral Spectacular |
2004 |
| A Christmas Concert |
2000 |
| A Christmas Festival of Songs |
2005 |
| A Christmas Gift from Sundown Records |
1986 |
| A Christmas Potpourri |
|
| A Classic Christmas: Songs of Praise |
2000 |
| A Feast of Christmas Carols |
2000 |
| A Feast of Christmas Carols |
2000 |
| A Festival Of Carols |
|
| A Festival of Christmas |
2003 |
| A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols |
|
| A Glorious Christmas |
1992 |
| A Hometown Christmas, Vol. 1 |
2003 |
| A King's College Christmas |
|
| A Little Christmas Music |
1989 |
| A Mantovani Christmas |
1999 |
| A Mantovani Christmas |
|
| A Reader's Digest Christmas: The Joy of Christmas |
2003 |
| A Tapestry of Carols |
|
| A Traditional Christmas Carol Collection |
2006 |
| A Traditional Christmas Collection |
|
| A Treasury of Christmas |
1998 |
| A Treasury of Christmas Classics |
1996 |
| A Very Madrigal Christmas |
2007 |
| A Very Special Christmas [Box Set] |
2006 |
| Adeste Fiddles [B&N Exclusive] |
2008 |
| Adeste Fideles: Christmas Music from Westminster Cathedral |
1993 |
| Advent and Christmas Music from Lichfield Cathedral |
2007 |
| All Time Christmas Favorites |
|
| All Time Christmas Favorites (Box Set) |
1998 |
| André Rieu: Merry Christmas |
2000 |
| Angelic Christmas |
1995 |
| Ansel Adams Sounds of Christmas |
2005 |
| Ave Maria: Christmas Favorites |
1993 |
| Bells at Christmas |
|
| Best Carols 100 |
2007 |
| Best Loved Christmas Carols |
2004 |
| Brass 2: Favorite Christmas Carols |
1995 |
| Brass Christmas |
1997 |
| Bright Day Star: Music for the Yuletide Season |
1994 |
| Britten, Schnittke, Haydn and others |
1998 |
| Canterbury Carols |
|
| Carol: A Christmas Journey |
2003 |
| Carols From Canterbury |
1995 |
| Carols From King's |
1991 |
| Carols From King's College Cambridge |
1997 |
| Carols From Trinity |
1988 |
| Carols at Christmas |
|
| Carols at Christmas |
2003 |
| Carols at Christmas |
2003 |
| Carols for Christmas, Vols. 1 & 2 |
1985 |
| Carols from New College |
1985 |
| Carols from Windsor Castle |
2000 |
| Celestial Christmas, Vol.4 |
|
| Celtic Christmas |
1999 |
| Celtic Christmas Harp |
1999 |
| Children Sing for Children: 25 Christmas Songs |
2002 |
| Christmas Angels: A Thousand Voices Sing the Finest Christmas Music in Lincoln Cathedral |
1994 |
| Christmas Bells are Swingin' |
2004 |
| Christmas Carols |
|
| Christmas Carols |
|
| Christmas Carols |
1984 |
| Christmas Carols |
|
| Christmas Carols |
1995 |
| Christmas Carols |
2002 |
| Christmas Carols |
2001 |
| Christmas Carols |
1993 |
| Christmas Carols |
1997 |
| Christmas Carols |
2007 |
| Christmas Carols |
2006 |
| Christmas Carols from St John's |
2003 |
| Christmas Carols from St. John's |
|
| Christmas Carols from Wells & Salisbury |
2004 |
| Christmas Carols from York Minster |
2000 |
| Christmas Choirs |
2002 |
| Christmas Chorale |
2008 |
| Christmas Echoes, Vol. 2 |
1992 |
| Christmas Fanfare |
1993 |
| Christmas Favorites |
2000 |
| Christmas Guitar |
2005 |
| Christmas Joy |
2003 |
| Christmas Joy (Box Set) |
2002 |
| Christmas Joy, Vol. 2 |
|
| Christmas Joy, Vol. 4 |
1999 |
| Christmas Memories [Borders Exclusive] |
2008 |
| Christmas Music |
1991 |
| Christmas Music from St. Paul's |
1998 |
| Christmas Past: Traditional Holiday Music from the 19th Century & Before |
1996 |
| Christmas Star: Carols for the Christmas Season |
1997 |
| Christmas With the Academy |
1994 |
| Christmas at Beaumont Tower |
|
| Christmas at St. Giles' |
|
| Christmas at St. Thomas New York |
1988 |
| Christmas at Stanford |
1994 |
| Christmas from Covent Garden |
1994 |
| Christmas from English Cathedrals |
1998 |
| Christmas from the Vatican |
2006 |
| Christmas in St. Charles |
2004 |
| Christmas in the Busch |
2000 |
| Christmas with Kiri Te Kanawa: Carols from Coventry Cathedral |
1994 |
| Christmas with London Brass |
1990 |
| Christmas with Solid Brass |
1989 |
| Christmas with The Vienna Choir Boys and Hermann Prey & Placido Domingo |
1988 |
| Christmas with Thomas Hampson |
1991 |
| Christmas with the Cambridge Singers |
|
| Christmas with the Choral Scholars |
1998 |
| Christmas with the Giannini Brass |
1997 |
| Christmas with the Mantovani Orchestra |
2003 |
| Christmas: A Gift for You [Box Set] |
2008 |
| Christmas: What Cheer! |
|
| Classic Christmas |
1991 |
| Classic Christmas Carols |
2007 |
| Classical Christmas Instrumental |
1998 |
| Classical Christmas [Box Set] |
1998 |
| Classical Favorites for the Holidays |
2005 |
| Coca-Cola Symphonic Treasures |
|
| Dagen Är Kommen |
1996 |
| Dale Warland Singers-Carols For Christmas |
1996 |
| Dallas Christmas Gala |
2000 |
| Dream a Dream |
2000 |
| Essential Carols: The Very Best of King's College Choir, Cambridge |
2005 |
| Essential Carols: The Very Best of King's College Choir, Cambridge |
2005 |
| Gabriel's Message: One Thousand years of Carols |
1999 |
| Gaudete / Härlig är Jorden |
1993 |
| Greatest Christmas Carols |
2001 |
| Greatest Christmas Show On Earth |
|
| Gruber, Mendelssohn and Gauntlett |
|
| HGTV: Holidays at Home |
2006 |
| HGTV: The Art of Living [Box Set] |
2006 |
| Hark! |
|
| Holiday Favorites (Box Set) |
2002 |
| Holiday Guitar |
2007 |
| Holiday Strings |
2002 |
| I Saw Three Ships |
2007 |
| In Adventu Domini |
|
| In Celebration Of Christmas |
1991 |
| In Dulci Jubilo: Festive & Christmas Music |
1994 |
| It's Christmas Again at Longwood Gardens |
1995 |
| Joy To The World |
2001 |
| Joy to the World |
2000 |
| Joy to the World |
2002 |
| Joy to the World: A Garland of Christmas Music |
1997 |
| Joy to the World: Carols from Worcestershire Cathedral |
2003 |
| KDFC: A Classical Christmas 2 |
2004 |
| L'Étoile d'Orient |
1999 |
| Les plus beaux Noëls |
1999 |
| Let It Snow |
2007 |
| Love Came Down at Christmas |
2005 |
| Mad About Christmas |
1994 |
| Merry Christmas with Plácido Domingo, Hermann Prey and the Vienna Choir Boys |
|
| Mittens for Christmas |
2001 |
| Norman Rockwell: A Merry Little Christmas |
2005 |
| Noël Nouvelet |
2007 |
| Noël! Noël! Noël! |
1989 |
| Noël: Christmas at King's |
1995 |
| Nutcracker Christmas |
|
| On Christmas Night |
|
| Once Were Christmas Angels: The Pure Sound of Boy Trebles |
2006 |
| Our Dancing Day |
2003 |
| Rejoice and Be Merry! |
2008 |
| Rejoice! - A String Quartet Christmas, Vol. 2 |
1997 |
| Santa's Helpers |
2000 |
| Santa's Helpers (Box Set) |
2000 |
| Season's Greetings |
2002 |
| Season's Greetings from the University of North Texas |
|
| See Amid the Winter's Snow: Christmas from Gloucester |
2008 |
| Sharing the Holidays: Holiday Dreams |
|
| Silent Night (Box Set) |
2002 |
| Silent Night, Holy Night with The Mantovani Orchestra |
2001 |
| Simply Christmas |
2003 |
| Simply Christmas: Home for the Holidays |
2006 |
| Sing Joy the Day: Christmas Carols from Ely Cathedral |
|
| Sing Noel |
1999 |
| Sing Noel! |
2004 |
| Sing We All Merrily: A Colonial Christmas |
|
| Sing We Noël: Choral Music from St. John's Episcopal Cathedral, Denver |
1992 |
| Sing a Song of Christmas: The World's Best Carols |
1998 |
| Sir Cristemas: Carols Newly Composed and Arranged |
|
| Songs for the Season |
2003 |
| Songs of Christmas, Vol. 2 |
1998 |
| Spirit of Christimas |
2001 |
| Spirit of Christmas (Box Set) |
2002 |
| Star of the Magi |
|
| Star of the Magi |
1999 |
| Starlight Christmas |
2003 |
| Sweet Songs of Christmas |
2003 |
| Sweet Songs of Christmas |
2007 |
| Te Deum - A Celebration In Song |
1994 |
| The #1 Christmas Album |
2001 |
| The Bells of Christmas |
2004 |
| The Best Carols in the World...Ever! |
1998 |
| The Best of Christmas |
1995 |
| The Best of Christmas |
1994 |
| The Best of Christmas (Box Set) |
|
| The Best of Christmas: 50 Holiday Favorites |
2003 |
| The Brighouse & Rastrick Band Christmas Album |
2000 |
| The Cambridge Singers Christmas Companion |
2000 |
| The Carol Album, Seven Centuries Of Christmas Music |
1990 |
| The Carols Album |
2007 |
| The Charlotte Church Collection [Box Set] |
2007 |
| The Children's Gift: Classic Holiday Songs |
1996 |
| The Christmas Angels Series (Box Set) |
1993 |
| The Christmas Collection |
1997 |
| The Christmas Collection [Box Set] |
2007 |
| The Christmas Music Box |
2008 |
| The Christmas Song |
1998 |
| The Christmas Spirit |
1996 |
| The First Nowell: Carols from Westminster Cathedral |
2001 |
| The Heart of Christmas |
2007 |
| The Holly And The Ivy |
1989 |
| The Incredible Christmas Album |
2003 |
| The King's Singers Greatest Hits |
2008 |
| The Magic of Christmas |
1994 |
| The Mantovani Orchestra Plays Christmas Favorites |
1996 |
| The Most Wonderful Time of the Year |
1998 |
| The Mystery of Christmas |
1997 |
| The Naxos Book of Carols: An Advent Sequence in Music |
2003 |
| The Snowman: It's a Snowman Christmas! |
2003 |
| The Sounds of Christmas: Christmas Voices |
2008 |
| The Twelve Days of Christmas |
2006 |
| The Ultimate Christmas Album |
1995 |
| The Ultimate Christmas Album [CD+DVD] |
2008 |
| The Ultimate Classical Christmas |
2007 |
| The Ultimate Classical Christmas Album of All Time |
2002 |
| The Very Best of Christmas |
2006 |
| To Drive the Cold Winter Away |
1975 |
| Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day: Christmas at Emory University |
1994 |
| Traditional Christmas Carols |
2006 |
| Traditional Christmas Favorites |
2001 |
| Traditional English Christmas Carols |
|
| Traditions: The Time Life Treasury of Christmas |
2009 |
| Unspecified, Gruber and Handl |
|
| Veni, Veni, Emmanuel: Carols from Cambridge |
1996 |
| Voices of Angels |
2004 |
| Voices of Angels |
2004 |
| We Wish You a Merry Christmas |
2007 |
| Welcom Yule! |
1997 |
| Welcome All Wonders! Christmas at Washington National Cathedral |
2004 |
| Welcome Christmas: Carols & Lullabies from Around the World |
2004 |
| Welcome Yule! |
|
| What a Wonderful Christmas |
|
| Wintertime Cheer |
2007 |
| Yuletide Favorites |
1996 |
