THE TEN BEST FRENCH SONGS FOR CHRISTMAS

several popular Christmas carols have German or English origins (think of “O Tannenbaum”), but there are also several French chants de Noël that are well worth hearing. Our ultimate French Christmas playlist is provided below and features both original French songs like “Les Anges dans nos campagnes” and French renditions of well-known carols like “Jingle Bells.” (That you will know as “Angels We Have Heard on High”) Classic French singers and songwriters like Édith Piaf, Johnny Hallyday, Claude Debussy, and Tino Rossi are also featured on our playlist!

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

NOËL NOUVELET

The end of the 15th century saw the composition of this French cantique de Noël. “Sing We Now of Christmas” is the title of the English translation. Check out this video of a chorus singing classic songs like “Noël Nouvelet” and “Douce nuit,” if you enjoy this style of choral music.

LES ANGES DANS NOS CAMPAGNES

https://youtu.be/nm4wKPHBwoM?si=dB2tgFReuOe_KMCA

A traditional French song that served as the inspiration for the melody of “Angels We Have Heard on High” The chorus “Gloria in excelsis Deo” is still there in the French translation, even though the majority of the lyrics are changed from the English version. This implies that you can jest in both French and English about the same corny joke: “What is the number of syllables in the word Gloria?” (What number of syllables does the word “Gloria” have?) A Christmas fan’s response is “18.”

NOËL DES ENFANTS QUI N’ONT PLUS DE MAISON

This composition (for voice and piano) was composed by the well-known French composer Claude Debussy in December 1915, in the midst of World War I. It is a patriotic song about France being occupied by Germany. Debussy’s final composition is this one.

https://youtu.be/K0hndayO9KM?si=Iylzk_TvBYDrc1vx