{"id":22029,"date":"2022-11-25T15:50:19","date_gmt":"2022-11-25T14:50:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/?p=176307"},"modified":"2022-11-25T17:18:41","modified_gmt":"2022-11-25T16:18:41","slug":"french-christmas-songs-8-of-the-best","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/french-christmas-songs-8-of-the-best\/","title":{"rendered":"French Christmas songs: 8 of the best"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

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

Published: Friday, 25 November 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Although many of the Christmas songs (\u2018Les chants de No\u00ebl\u2019<\/em>) that we know in English have been translated into French \u2013 some French children even think that Jingle Bells<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>was originally a French song \u2013\u00a0 France has many popular Christmas carols and songs of its own.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are eight of our favourites.<\/p>\n

Best French Christmas songs<\/h2>\n
\u00a0\u2018Petit Papa No\u00ebl\u2019 (\u2018Little Father Christmas\u2019)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<div>This song was made famous by the French singer Tino Rossi, who performed it in Richard Pottier\u2019s film <i>Destins <\/i>in 1946. The original words \u2013 by Xavier Lermercier \u2013 described a young boy\u2019s prayer to Father Christmas asking for his father, who was a prisoner of war in Germany, to come home.<\/div>\n<div>But the lyricist Raymond Vincy later rewrote them, moving all allusion to the war. Since then it has become possibly\u00a0the most popular secular hymn in France, sung by children all over the country.<\/div>\n<h3><strong>\u2018C\u2019est No\u00ebl\u2019 (\u2018It\u2019s Christmas)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<iframe title=\""Fernandel\" c=\"\" no=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/C4kgxHs2bMI?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>The composer Henri Batti allegedly wrote this touching and cosy song for the first Christmas he spent with his baby daughter in 1950. Switching between a modern celebration of Christmas and a retelling of the Nativity, it was meant to be one of four songs sung by the French actor and singer Fernandel in the 1956 film <i>Honor\u00e9 de Marseille. <\/i>But it was cut in the editing, and in the end only appeared in a recording released the same year.<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"> <div class=\""highlightcontent\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/polish-christmas-carols\/"\">Polish Christmas carols: 7 of the best<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\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<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <h3><strong>\u00a0\u2018Entre le boeuf et l\u2019\u00e2ne gris\u2019 (\u2018Between the Ox and Grey Donkey\u2019)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<iframe title=\""Entre\" le=\"\" boeuf=\"\" et=\"\" l=\"\" gris=\"\" choeur=\"\" a=\"\" cappella=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nc9a0AoNdw8?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>Dating back at least as far as the 16th century, and possibly the 13th century, \u2018Entre le boeuf et l\u2019\u00e2ne gris\u2019 (\u2018between the ox and grey donkey\u2019) is one of the oldest French carols that is still sung today. Simple but beautiful, the lyrics refer to the animals surrounding Jesus\u2019s manger, whose breath, according to popular tales, would have warmed the newborn<\/p>\n<h3>\u2018La No\u00ebl de la Rue\u2019 (\u2018Christmas in the Street\u2019)<\/h3>\n<iframe title=\""Edith\" piaf=\"\" le=\"\" no=\"\" de=\"\" la=\"\" rue=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v1eSqmKwrfg?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>The legendary chanteuse \u00c9dith Piaf, whose\u00a0life was marred by illness, injury, disappointed love and addiction, was not known for writing Christmas songs. And this rare example, recorded in 1951, does not exactly deliver festive cheer: \u2018The light and the joy are behind the windows,\u2019 go the lyrics, \u2018Not for you, not for me. It is for your neighbour.\u2019 But it is beautifully poignant.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\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> <p><strong>5. \u2018No\u00ebl \u00e0 Paris\u2019 (\u2018Christmas in Paris\u2019)<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Charles\" aznavour=\"\" noel=\"\" a=\"\" paris=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6KrQt-K6WYo?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>Charles Aznavour, the famous French-Armenian singer descended from the cook of Tsar Nicholas II, sang this nostalgic Christmas song on his 1978 album \u2018Un enfant est n\u00e9 (A Child is Born)\u2019. His warm, gravelly voice \u2013 not for nothing was he often described as the French Frank Sinatra \u2013 was a perfect fit for it.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u2018Il est n\u00e9 le divin enfant\u2019 (\u2018The Divine Infant is Born\u2019)<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Tino\" rossi=\"\" il=\"\" est=\"\" n=\"\" le=\"\" divin=\"\" enfant=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NRU-6ZHU9H8?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>This popular Catholic carol is about the birth of Jesus and the 4000-year wait for the event as foretold by the prophets. It was first published in 1874 and has since been interpreted many times by artists including \u00c9dith Piaf, Annie Lennox and Placido Domingo.<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"> <div class=\""highlightcontent\" 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<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <p><strong>\u2018No\u00ebl au bout du monde\u2019 (\u2018Christmas at the End of the World\u2019)<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Anne\" sylvestre=\"\" no=\"\" au=\"\" bout=\"\" du=\"\" monde=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YI4UP77QaZ8?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>This charming children\u2019s song is one of many written by the late French singer-songwriter Anne Sylvestre, who appeared several times on the French television show Discorama in the \u201960s. It tells of the people around the world who celebrate\u00a0Christmas in their own way, with a special shout out to those who put tinsel on banana trees.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8. \u2018Venez divin Messie\u2019 (\u2018O Come, Divine Messiah\u2019)<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Venez\" divin=\"\" messie=\"\" chorale=\"\" saint=\"\" ferdinand=\"\" des=\"\" ternes=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mPqYgdzhUO4?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>The melody to this French advent Christmas song was taken from \u2018Laissez pa\u00eetre vos bestes\u2019 (\u2018Let your animals graze\u2019), a 16<sup>th\u00a0<\/sup>century French Christmas hymn. In this version, however, the original lyrics were changed with all references to Heaven and Hell removed to conform to Progressivism.<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"> <div class=\""highlightcontent\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul>\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<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> <p><em>Photo: <strong><a title=\""User:Aristeas"\" href=\""https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/User:Aristeas"\">Roman Eisele<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Hannah Nepilova Published: Friday, 25 November 2022 at 12:00 am Although many of the Christmas songs (\u2018Les chants de No\u00ebl\u2019) that we know in English have been translated into French \u2013 some French children even think that Jingle Bells\u00a0was originally a French song \u2013\u00a0 France has many popular Christmas carols and songs of its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":22030,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"4"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/french-christmas-songs-8-of-the-best.jpg",640,478,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/french-christmas-songs-8-of-the-best-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/french-christmas-songs-8-of-the-best-300x224.jpg",300,224,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/french-christmas-songs-8-of-the-best.jpg",640,478,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/french-christmas-songs-8-of-the-best.jpg",640,478,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/french-christmas-songs-8-of-the-best.jpg",640,478,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/french-christmas-songs-8-of-the-best.jpg",640,478,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: Friday, 25 November 2022 at 12:00 am Although many of the Christmas songs (\u2018Les chants de No\u00ebl\u2019) that we know in English have been translated into French \u2013 some French children even think that Jingle Bells\u00a0was originally a French song \u2013\u00a0 France has many popular Christmas carols and songs of its…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/22029"}],"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\/22030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}