Sources

The three essential websites for folk carols are:

Hymns and Carols of Christmas

https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com

This extensive website, established in 2002 and continuously expanded, remains a valuable source of information for anyone researching traditional Christmas carols. Although the site can be a little difficult to navigate, it rewards patient searching.

Vaughan Williams Memorial Library

https://www.efdss.org/vwml

The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library website contains songs, manuscripts and copies collected by figures such as Cecil Sharp, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sabine Baring-Gould, Lucy Broadwood and Frank Kidson.

Tip: Click Catalogues and Indexes, then either search for your carol's title under Archive Catalogues or select Roud Indexes and enter the Roud number shown in our entries (for example, The Cherry Tree Carol is Roud 453).

Mainly Norfolk

https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/about.html

Mainly Norfolk is an excellent resource for finding modern recordings and performances of traditional folk carols. Established in 1996, it documents folk artists, their recordings and discographies. Search using the carol title and, where possible, its Roud Index number for the best results.

Recommended Books

The following books provide valuable background information and are referenced throughout this website. Many are available to read online via the Internet Archive.

• Anon, A Good Christmas Box (Walters of Dudley, 1847) – 58 carols, words only.
• Bradley, Ian, The Daily Telegraph Book of Carols (London, 2006).
• Bramley, Rev. Henry & Stainer, Sir John, Christmas Carols Old and New (Novello, 1867–1878), 3 volumes with words and tunes.
• Brand, John, Observations on Popular Antiquities (1777), expanded by Sir Henry Ellis (1813).
• Broadwood, Lucy & Fuller-Maitland, John, English County Songs (1893).
• Bullen, A.H., Carols and Poems from the Fifteenth Century to the Present Time (1886) – 90 carols, no tunes.
• Carols for Choirs, Volumes 1–4, edited by David Willcocks, Reginald Jacques and John Rutter (OUP, 1961–1980).
• Chope, Richard, Carols for Use in Church (1875) – 108 carols with tunes.
• Dearmer, Percy & Vaughan Williams, Ralph (eds.), The English Hymnal (OUP, 1906).
• Gant, Andrew, Christmas Carols: From Village Green to Church Choir (Profile Books, 2014).
• Gilbert, Davies, Some Ancient Christmas Carols (1822 & 1823 editions).
• Greene, Richard Leighton, The Early English Carols (Clarendon Press, 1935).
• Helmore, Rev. Thomas & Neale, Rev. J.M., Carols for Christmas-tide (1853).
• Hone, William, Ancient Mysteries Described (1823), including a list of 89 annually printed carols.
• Husk, William, Songs of the Nativity (1866) – 80 carols, 12 with tunes.
• Hutton, Ronald, The Stations of the Sun (OUP, 1996).
• Hymns Ancient and Modern (William Clowes, 1861).
• The New Oxford Book of Carols, edited by Hugh Keyte & Andrew Parrott (OUP, 1992).
• The Oxford Book of Carols, edited by Percy Dearmer, Ralph Vaughan Williams & Martin Shaw (1928).
• Rickert, Edith, Ancient Christmas Carols (1910).
• Rimbault, Edward Francis, A Collection of Old Christmas Carols (1846 & 1863 editions).
• Routley, Erik, The English Carol (Herbert Jenkins, 1958).
• Sandys, William, Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern (1833) – 74 carols, 13 with tunes.
• Shaw, Martin & Dearmer, Percy, The English Carol Book (1913; Volume 2, 1923).
• Sharp, Cecil, English Folk-Carols (Novello, 1911).
• Sylvester, Joshua, A Garland of Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern (1861).
• Vaughan Williams, Ralph, Eight Traditional English Carols (Stainer & Bell, 1919).
• Vaughan Williams, Ralph, Twelve Traditional Carols from Herefordshire (Stainer & Bell, 1920).