Once in Royal David's City

Once in Royal David's City
Left light of the memorial window dedicated to Cecil F. Alexander in St Columb's Cathedral
GenreHymn
OccasionChristmas
Written1848
TextCecil Frances Alexander
LanguageEnglish
Based onLuke 2:4–7
Meter8.7.8.7.7.7
Melody"Irby" by Henry Gauntlett
Henry John Gauntlett

Once in Royal David's City is a Christmas carol originally written as a poem by Cecil Frances Alexander. The carol was first published in 1848 in her hymnbook Hymns for Little Children. A year later, the English organist Henry Gauntlett discovered the poem and set it to music.[1]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference carol was invoked but never defined (see the help page).