Sheet music for Xmas

JO CLARKE ON CHRISTMAS MUSIC THE OLD FASHION WAY

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BEFORE streaming and festive playlists, Plymouth tuned into Christmas music the old-fashioned way.

The archives at The Box hold sheet music for carols and musical hits that were once sold at a shop called Liscombe's on Union Street.

Before they were known as Christmas carols, pagan songs that marked the Winter Solstice in late December were sung each year. Christian songs and celebrations followed. European composers began to craft new songs, although they were written in Latin which everyday people didn't understand and so failed to gain popularity.

This all changed in 1223 when a series of 'Nativity Plays' took place in Italy and which included songs that helped tell the story in a language people could understand and join in with. They soon spread to other countries and became known as carols.