The First Noel / Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing! / Joy to the World
arranged by Jerry Brubaker
All three carols featured in Trilogy for Christmas are beloved and rich with history. “The First Noel” was originally published in 1823 but had been in circulation for centuries beforehand. Its original author is unknown, and due to some anachronistic phrasing and repetition, some believe the melody was originally a harmony for different, lost carol. The author of “Good Christian Friends Rejoice” is more agreed upon, although not by the man himself – the words are attributed to the German mystic Heinrich Seuse, who claimed he wrote them down after angels sang them to him! “Joy To the World” doesn’t have quite as fantastical an origin story, although the words were originally sung to a completely different tune. Some early publications attribute the current melody to George Frideric Handel, although the accuracy of this is contested.
These three carols were arranged into one work by Jerry Brubaker, who served for 30 years in Washington, DC’s own United States Navy Band as a French horn soloist, composer, and arranger.
The First Noel / Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing! / Joy to the World
arranged by Jerry Brubaker
All three carols featured in Trilogy for Christmas are beloved and rich with history. “The First Noel” was originally published in 1823 but had been in circulation for centuries beforehand. Its original author is unknown, and due to some anachronistic phrasing and repetition, some believe the melody was originally a harmony for different, lost carol. The author of “Good Christian Friends Rejoice” is more agreed upon, although not by the man himself – the words are attributed to the German mystic Heinrich Seuse, who claimed he wrote them down after angels sang them to him! “Joy To the World” doesn’t have quite as fantastical an origin story, although the words were originally sung to a completely different tune. Some early publications attribute the current melody to George Frideric Handel, although the accuracy of this is contested.
These three carols were arranged into one work by Jerry Brubaker, who served for 30 years in Washington, DC’s own United States Navy Band as a French horn soloist, composer, and arranger.
