Traditional
Gaudete may date from the late medieval period. The Latin text is a typical medieval song of praise, which follows the standard pattern for the time – four-line verses, and a two-line refrain (this was known as the Burden). Carols could be on any subject (a carol was just a song, originally sung only by priests and in Latin, but later by the people and in their own languages).
Gaudete was of course famously recorded by Steeleye Span in 1973 and was a successful single, reaching number 14 in the UK singles charts. It is a most unusual song for the pop charts and remains both one of only two chart hits sung entirely in Latin (the other being Pie Jesu) and one of very few entirely a cappella chart hits (others include Only You by the Flying Pickets, After the Gold Rush by Prelude, Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin and Caravan of Love by the Housemartins).