Lexana Music.

Five Multilingual Christmas Carols

A collection of five festive carols fetauring English, French, German, Spanish and BSL lyrics.

1. Caroo, Caroo, Caroo (trad. Irish)

2. Los peces en el río (Spanish and English)

3. Kling, Glöckchen, klingelingeling (German and English)

4. The Shep, Shep, Shep, Shep, Shepherds(English)

5. La Marche des rois (French and English)

This collection of five multilingual Christmas Carols is aimed at choirs made up of younger voices. The carols use English, Spanish, French, German, and British Sign Language (BSL). Choir directors are encouraged to alter the arrangements to suit their needs. There are plenty of free online resources to help with the BSL.

The music and lyrics are either written or arranged by Al Hodgson

Here are more details about each carol:

• 1. Caroo, Caroo, Caroo (trad. Irish) Duration c. 2'50"

"Curoo Curoo" (The Carol of the Birds) is a traditional Irish Christmas carol that dates back to the 18th century. The song is deeply rooted in Irish folklore and celebrates nature's joyful response to the nativity. The original author and composer are unrecorded. It survived for generations as a piece of oral folk tradition. The title "Curoo Curoo" is an onomatopoeic representation of birdcalls, specifically mimicking the cooing of a dove or the chirping of wild birds.

• 2. Los peces en el río (Spanish and English) Duration c. 1'40"

“Los peces en el río” (The Fish in the River) is one of the most popular traditional Spanish Christmas carols (villancicos) in the Spanish-speaking world. Like "Curoo Curoo," it relies heavily on natural imagery to celebrate the Nativity, but it has a completely anonymous origin and unique musical roots. Music historians trace its origins anywhere from the 13th to the 16th century. The song is believed to have originated in the Andalusia region of southern Spain.

• 3. Kling, Glöckchen, klingelingeling (German and English) Duration c. 1'50"

"Kling, Glöckchen, klingelingeling" (Ring, Little Bell, Ring) is one of Germany’s most famous traditional Biedermeier-era Christmas carols. Written in the 19th century, it is a secular, child-friendly holiday song deeply tied to unique German folklore. The words were written around 1850 by the German teacher and poet Karl Enslin. It was originally published in 1854 as a poem titled "Christkindchens Einlass" (The Christ Child's Entry).

• 4. The Shep, Shep, Shep, Shep, Shepherds (English) Duration c. 2'30"

“The shep, shep, shep, shep, Shepherds” is a fun and light-hearted song all about the arrival of the shepherds as portrayed in the traditional Nativity. The ‘rock and wool’ feel will get everyone’s toes tapping. This is then contrasted by a more relaxed middle section which features optional British Sign Language (BSL). This song is originally from ‘The Multilingual Nativity’ by Al Hodgson.

• 5. La Marche des rois (French and English) Duration c. 1'50"

"La Marche des rois" (The March of the Kings), also known as La marche des Rois mages, is a highly dramatic and historic French Christmas carol originating from the Provence region. It is unique amongst carols for its distinctive military character and driving tempo. While the exact date of composition is unrecorded, the melody is deeply tied to the 13th-century medieval Provençal tradition. The carol owes its massive global recognition to the famous 19th-century French composer Georges Bizet when he used it in the stage music for the play L'Arlésienne (1872).

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