The First Noel

Did you know that when a ewe rejects her newborn lamb, the shepherd has only hours to convince her to nurse it—or the lamb will die? This is the work of shepherds—staying awake through the night when lambs are being born, watching closely, ready to step in and save them. It gives new meaning to the good shepherd. In this episode, host Maggi Van Dorn travels to a farm in Herefordshire, near the Welsh border, to understand shepherding, and discovers why God might have chosen shepherds to be the first to hear the good news. But shepherding is not all Maggi learned about for this episode. She has a firsthand learning experience too. After 30 years, she once again took up the fiddle, working with her teacher to discover why “The First Noel”—with its simple, stepwise melody—is the perfect carol for those just starting out or returning to music. She speaks with: Luke Timothy Johnson, a leading scholar of Luke’s Gospel and former Benedictine monk, on why God announces the incarnation first to shepherds—the poor and overlooked—who notice what others miss. Colin Britt, conductor and director of choral activities at Mount Holyoke College, on the word “Noel” (or “Nowell” in its original Cornish spelling) and why this carol’s repetitive structure helped it survive and spread through folk tradition. Austen Ivereigh, a papal biographer and writer who, with his wife Linda, tends sheep on a regenerative farm in Herefordshire, on what it takes to care for a flock and keep vigil through the night awaiting birth. The music featured in this episode was generously gifted to “Hark!” Our thanks to Colin Britt, Matt Isaac, The Grant High School Royal Blues directed by John Eisemann, Quincas Moreira, Salt of the Sound, The Maine All-Student Theater Project, Tony Alonso and GIA Publications, and Maggi’s fiddle teacher Nic Coker. Our theme music was produced by Frank Tuson. Want short, inspiring Bible reflections every day during Advent and Christmas? This year, our Scripture Reflections are free for Hark! listeners—sign up at AmericaMagazine.org/hark. Love a good holiday brain-teaser? Our weekly Christmas carol trivia is exclusively for America subscribers. ⁠Take the quiz here!⁠ Or visit, AmericaMagazine.org/hark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can listen to The First Noel online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The First Noel is an episode from Hark! The stories behind our favorite Christmas carols by America Media.

This episode is 55:20 long.

This episode was published on Dec 14, 2025.

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