God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen appeared in print for the first time in William Sandy’s Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern in 1833, although it was believed to have been written many years earlier. Today, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen is one of the most loved and popular English Christmas songs of all time. Italian composer and arranger Lorenzo Bocci fell in love with the delightful melody and created an arrangement that will be perfect at any Christmas concert or event.