Today's carol has, at best, hazy origins. The first known publishing date was in 1926, but the author is unknown, and no one is certain when, exactly, it was written, though most believe it was sometime in the early 1800s. Beyond that, next to nothing is known. This is why, my friends, when you scribble a brilliant poem or piece of music down somewhere, either on a stray piece of paper or a notebook, just sign and date it. You never know whether one hundred years from now, someone might discover it, love it, and be scratching his head regarding the bloke who wrote it.
I suppose, if you don't sign it, it might just become folk music later on down the road. That's a perk, maybe...? Still, just sign it.
Anyhow, there are two version of this. One, the edition published in 1926 was put together by Reverend Pickard-Cambridge in Dorset, a region in southwest England. The music is fugal, meaning that the voices follow each other in round. The second version was arranged by the Copper family, a family of folk singers in the mid-1900s. The difference is mainly in the words rather than in the melody. I'll share both versions of the lyrics, but will share the Copper's arrangement for the video.
I love the way it sounds when all voices are in motion. It's not as smooth as a simple round, but very harmonic in its own way.
First off, Pickard-Cambridge's version:
Shepherds, arise, be not afraid
With hasty steps repair
To Bethlehem city see the maid,
With her blest Infant there.
Laid in a manger view the Child,
Humility divine:
Sweet innocence (how meek! how mild!),
Grace in His features shine!
For us the Saviour came on earth,
For us His life He gave,
To save us from eternal death
And raise us from the grave.
To Jesus Christ, our glorious King,
Be endless praises given!
Let all the earth His mercies sing,
Who made our peace with Heaven.
And the Copper Family version:
Grace in his features shine,
To save us from eternal death
And to raise us from the grave
To our Redeemer, to our Redeemer and our heavenly King.
The line, "sin on earth" in this version is thought to be a corruption of "see the maid," since that makes more sense. However, in my mind, "seen on earth," is also a possibility. I'm no expert on this subject, and no one knows for certain, so we can but speculate on why the Copper family decided to sing, "sin on earth," which makes little sense in context. However, such is life. The biggest difference between these versions is the repeated chorus in the Copper version as well as the fact that there are only three verses.
What think you? Which is your favourite?
Let me know what you think of the carol. I think we really ought to get a group together to sing it sometime.
Until Tomorrow,
~ Christianna
1 comments:
I like the Cooper family version, I think because of the repeated chorus and recording (great clarity!). I agree that whomever in the family learned the song first may have misheard the original lyrics. Hence, "sin on earth" instead of "see the maid".
Somewhat related, when looked into the Sussex Carol, I found this interesting tidbit from Wikipedia: Both the text and the tune to which it is now sung were discovered and written down by Cecil Sharp in Buckland, Gloucestershire, and Ralph Vaughan Williams, who heard it being sung by a Harriet Verrall of Monk's Gate, near Horsham, Sussex (hence "Sussex Carol").[3][4] The tune to which it is generally sung today is the one Vaughan Williams took down from Mrs. Verrall and published in 1919.[2]
In taking your advice to listen to different versions, I found that it too has different lyrics floating around!
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