THE FIRST NOEL

THE FIRST NOEL is a hymn tune, credited to English. In a hymnal the tune has a name of its own, printed in capitals, because the same music carries many texts: any hymn written in its meter can be sung to it.

The four-part harmony played here comes from the Open Hymnal Project's public-domain edition (copied from The Methodist Sunday School Hymnal, 1911 Hymn 66.). Choose any text below and press play to hear the words sung to THE FIRST NOEL, with the lines highlighted as they come — on organ, piano or guitar, in any key.