God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen is an ancient Earth Christmas carol. The exact date of composition and author have been lost to history. The song was already centuries old by the early 19th century.

It was this song that was being played by a group of robotic Santas prior to attacking Rose Tyler and Mickey Smith on Earth. (DW: The Christmas Invasion)

A group of children were also singing this song when the Doctor arrived in London on Christmas Eve 1851, just before his encounter with the Cybermen. (DW: The Next Doctor)

By coincidence or by design, the melody of the carol is the same as that of the "Venusian lullaby" occasionally used by the Doctor to lull his foes into a state of tranquility. (DW: The Dæmons, The Curse of Peladon and MA: Venusian Lullaby)

Behind the scenes

 * The Next Doctor broke the pattern of Doctor Who Christmas specials featuring original songs by Murray Gold; in fact, it is the only song heard in the special.