Five Golden Rings

      Today's carol is rather late and rather rushed and I have friends to thank for bringing it to my attention only last night. When I started this series I only had eleven carols lined up. Yes, there was a twelfth I didn't know about yet. I was confident, however, that I would discover it, or it would come to me and it did. Thank you Nathan, you know who you are!

        It takes a rather unique but by no means novel approach and is matched with a carol we're all familiar with: What Child Is This, and weds the two in a hauntingly beautiful counterpoint.

        The idea of mixing two songs in such a fashion, as I mentioned earlier, is not a new practice. It was done often in medieval times, but many of the original tunes for those have been lost and and the lyrics eventually became inseparable so that people today think of them as one song; the Macaronic In Dulci Jubilo is perhaps the most famous example. 

         Anyhow, I was thrilled to find out that something like this had been done so well so recently. Most of the time I turn up my nose when people attempt this now because it's badly done...a case in point being that hideous thing I've heard where they mix "Lo How A Rose" with "Some Say Love is Like a Flower." Both songs are beautiful but the combination is hideous and the part divisions clumsy at best, Frankenstein's Monster at worst. 

         This one on the other hand is elegant, tasteful, and extremely beautiful. My Friends, without further ado, I submit to you Child of The Poor 

 

             

I don't need to introduce the old Carol's Lyrics to you, so I'll simply share the three verses of Child of The Poor.

 Who is this, indeed? Friends, don't ever lose the wonder and mystery of the Incarnation. The Magnum Mysterium of Christ coming to earth. This touching verse captures it so perfectly and encapsulates the person of our Lord. Who is this? This is Christ.

        Until Tomorrow,

                       ~ Christianna