Here's a bit of a "taster" and you can watch the vid on the link while I go for a quick comfort break ...........
Christmas carols
Nineteenth century antiquarians rediscovered early carols in museums. According to the Encyclopędia Britannica, about 500 have been found. Some are wassailing songs, some are religious songs in English, some are in Latin, and some are "macaronic" — a mixture of English and Latin. Since most people did not understand Latin, the implication is that these songs were composed for church choristers, or perhaps for an educated audience at the Royal courts. The most famous survival of these early macaronic carols is the "The Boar's Head". Allegedly, it has been sung at Christ Church Cambridge since 1607 but was first published in 1521 by Wynken de Worde in “Christmasse Carolles” which is perhaps the earliest known collection of Carols in England.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7adE...eature=related