{"id":21894,"date":"2022-11-22T20:48:02","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T19:48:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/?p=176060"},"modified":"2022-11-24T10:30:41","modified_gmt":"2022-11-24T09:30:41","slug":"polish-christmas-carols-7-of-the-best","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/polish-christmas-carols-7-of-the-best\/","title":{"rendered":"Polish Christmas carols: 7 of the best"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Hannah Nepilova\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 22 November 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Poland has amongst the most varied Christmas carols of any country, but which are the most popular, the most tuneful, and the most famous of them all? Here is our round-up of favourite Polish Christmas carols.<\/p>\n

Best Polish christmas carols<\/h2>\n

\u00a0B\u00f3g si\u0119 rodzi (God is born)<\/h3>\n
Probably the most famous of all the Polish carols is B\u00f3g si\u0119 rodzi.\u00a0 With its stately melody, it was even briefly considered by some as an alternative to the Polish national anthem<\/a><\/strong>. The lyrics were written in 1792 by Franciszek Karpi\u0144ski but the music was written hundreds of years earlier and was used as the coronation hymn for Polish kings dating back as far as the reign of Stefan Batory in the 16th century.<\/p>\n\n<div\/>\n<div\/>\n<h3>Gdy Si\u0119 Chrystus Rodzi (When Christ was born)<\/h3>\n<p>Some say this smoothly melodious carol came from France, but, due to scarcity of sources, it\u2019s difficult to say for sure. The earliest printed version dates from 1843 and was found in \u2018Pastora\u0142ki i carols\u2019 with melodies by Fr. Micha\u0142 Mioduszewski.<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Gdy\" si=\"\" chrystus=\"\" rodzi=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KRhb-uBKiTk?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<div\/>\n<div\/>\n<div\/>\n<div>\n<section class=\""highlight\"> <div class=\""highlightcontent\" editor-content=\"\"> <p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/25-greatest-christmas-carols-all-time\/"\">The 25 best Christmas carols of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/the-best-christmas-classical-music-albums\/"\">The best Christmas classical music albums and recordings<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-christmas-musicals\/"\">10 of the best Christmas musicals<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/michael-buble-christmas-songs\/"\">Michael Bubl\u00e9\u2019s Christmas songs: 5 of the best for the festive period<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>\u00a0Gdy \u015aliczna Panna (When the Lovely Virgin Mary)<\/h3>\n<p>Dating from the early 18th century, this anonymous carol was very popular in its time, particularly in convents. Its lyrics describe the Virgin Mary rocking the baby Jesus as he sleeps.<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Gdy\" panna=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/89FgaUDfobQ?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<div\/>\n<div\/>\n<div\/>\n<h3>\u00a0P\u00f3jd\u017amy Wszyscy do Stajenki (Let\u2019s all go to the stable)<\/h3>\n<p>The lively character and marching rhythm of this song is appropriate given that it\u2019s all about the journey to the stable where the baby Jesus is lying. While its lyrics date from the 18th century, its melody was added a hundred years later and was probably written around the Kr\u00e1kow area, though the composer remains anonymous.<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Pojd\u017amy\" wszyscy=\"\" do=\"\" stajenki=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YCKrlijs4cQ?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<div\/>\n<div\/>\n<div>\n<section class=\""highlight\"> <div class=\""highlightcontent\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/christmas-songs\/"\">Best Christmas songs of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/ten-best-christmas-jazz-albums\/"\">10 best Christmas jazz albums<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/jazz-christmas-songs\/"\">Christmas jazz songs: 12 of the best<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/christmas-violin-music\/"\">Easy Christmas music for the violin<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <\/div>\n<div\/>\n<div>\n<h3>W\u015br\u00f3d Nocnej Ciszy (In the Stillness of Night)<\/h3>\n<p>Traditionally sung at Midnight Mass in Poland, this dignified 19th century carol first appeared in a church songbook by\u00a0<span class=\""gmail-"\">Fr.\u00a0<\/span>Micha\u0142 Marcin Mioduszewski. It has since been reworked many times, with various patriotic songs sung to its melody.<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""W\u015br\u00f3d\" nocnej=\"\" ciszy=\"\" kol=\"\" polska=\"\" z=\"\" tekstem=\"\" babadu=\"\" tv=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/k45AJhW-Fu0?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<div\/>\n<h3>\u00a0Lulaj\u017ce Jezuniu (Sleep, little Jesus)<\/h3>\n<div\/>\n<div>The composer Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Chopin used a motif from this carol in the middle section of his scherzo in B minor, Op.20. And no wonder that he found inspiration in it. Written in the 1600s as a lullaby for the baby Jesus, \u2018Lulaj\u017ce Jezuniu\u2019\u00a0is one of Poland\u2019s most beautiful carols \u2013 considered by many as an emblem of \u2018Polishness\u2019 \u2013 and it continues to be regularly sung by Polish families on Christmas Eve. It also known outside Poland, for example, in France, where it was translated into \u2018Nuit de lumi\u00e8re.\u2019<\/div>\n<div\/>\n<iframe title=\""Lulaj\u017ce\" jezuniu=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tPc20BS3hC8?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<div\/>\n<div\/>\n<div\/>\n<div>\n<section class=\""highlight\"> <div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul>\n<li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/best-christmas-piano-music\/"\"><b>The best Christmas piano music<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/christmas-songs-for-children\/"\"><b>Christmas songs for children: our favourite 10\u2026<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/santa-claus-songs\/"\"><b>Santa Claus songs: our favourite 10 that celebrate Father Christmas<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/the-best-christmas-music-programmes-on-bbc-radio-this-year\/"\"><b>The best Christmas music programmes on TV and radio this year<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <\/div>\n<h3>W Dzie\u0144 Bo\u017cego Narodzenia (On Christmas Day)<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>Though rarely heard nowadays, this happy and festive 17th century carol has historical significance. During the First World War, Boles\u0142aw Pochmarski, an academic serving in the trenches, adapted \u2018W Dzie\u0144 Bo\u017cego Narodzenia\u2019 into a new carol, the \u2018Christmas carol of the legions\u2019, whose nationalist lyrics (That in the cannon roar, the smoke, the Polish name, the Polish name, is resurrected?) served to boost morale when it was sung by Polish soldiers on Christmas Eve 1915.<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""W\" dzie=\"\" bo=\"\" narodzenia=\"\" tradycyjne=\"\" polskie=\"\" kol=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zSSY54KNRWY?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<div\/>\n<div><strong>Find\u00a0 <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/tag\/christmas-carol-lyrics\/"\">lyrics to your favourite Christmas carols here<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div\/>\n<div><em>Photo: Getty<\/em><\/div> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Hannah Nepilova Published: Tuesday, 22 November 2022 at 12:00 am Poland has amongst the most varied Christmas carols of any country, but which are the most popular, the most tuneful, and the most famous of them all? Here is our round-up of favourite Polish Christmas carols. Best Polish christmas carols \u00a0B\u00f3g si\u0119 rodzi (God […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":21895,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/polish-christmas-carols-7-of-the-best.jpg",1890,1260,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/polish-christmas-carols-7-of-the-best-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/polish-christmas-carols-7-of-the-best-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/polish-christmas-carols-7-of-the-best-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/polish-christmas-carols-7-of-the-best-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/polish-christmas-carols-7-of-the-best-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/polish-christmas-carols-7-of-the-best.jpg",1890,1260,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Hannah Nepilova Published: Tuesday, 22 November 2022 at 12:00 am Poland has amongst the most varied Christmas carols of any country, but which are the most popular, the most tuneful, and the most famous of them all? Here is our round-up of favourite Polish Christmas carols. Best Polish christmas carols \u00a0B\u00f3g si\u0119 rodzi (God…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/21894"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}