Cecil James Sharp

“ Remember Christ our Saviour
Was born on Christmas Day
To save poor souls from Satan's power,
That long have gone astray—
Which brings tidings of comfort and joy,
⁠Joy and joy,
Which brings tidings of comfort and joy. ”

“ The Queen of Glory.
2⁠Joseph took Mary
In the orchard wood,
Where there were apples, plums, cherries,
As red as any blood.
3⁠Then bespoke Mary,
So meek and so mild:
Get me some cherries
For my body's bound with child. ”

“ THE VIRGIN UNSPOTTED.
1⁠The Virgin unspotted the Prophets foretold
Should bring forth a Saviour, which now you behold,
To be our Redeemer, from death, hell and sin,
Which Adam's transgressions involved us in. ”

“ When from sin He set us free
All for to gain our liberty.
3⁠Now sin depart, behold His grace,
Everlasting life comes in its place,
And soon we shall its terror see
And poor and rich must conquered be. ”

“ The Blessed Virgin Mary
Unto the Lord did pray.
O we wish you the comfort and tidings of joy!⁠
3⁠God bless the ruler of this house,
And long on may he reign,
Many happy Christmases
He live to see again! ”

“ HE term "Carol" is not an easy one to define. The Rev. H. R. Bramley's definition—a kind of popular song appropriated to some special season of the ecclesiastical or natural year—is, perhaps, the best that has been devised; it is, at any rate, wide enough to embrace all the songs in this collection. Formerly there existed carols associated with Easter (e.g. "The Moon shines bright") and other festivals of the Church's year; but the carol of the present day is almost invariably connected with the season of Christmas. ”

“ Into the pit of discontent,
Where wicked fiends they do torment.
22⁠The righteous need not fear to die
For they shall be with Christ on high;
Although afflicted here on earth,
They will be happy after death. ”

“ With our wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.
6⁠Here's to our cow and to her long tail
Pray God send our master he never may fail
A bowl of strong beer; I pray you draw near,
And our jolly wassail it's then you shall hear.
⁠We'll drink to thee, drink to thee,
And our jolly wassail it's then you shall hear. ”

“ The hills and rocks did rend,
⁠The mountains did divide.
10⁠The heavens themselves grew very dark,
⁠The moon forsook her light;
And for three hours in the day
⁠It was a dismal sight.
11⁠The earth did tremble and quake,
⁠And graves did open wide;
Dead men's ghosts walked up and down
⁠In a frightful manner beside. ”

“ COME ALL YOU TRUE GOOD CHRISTIANS.
1⁠Come all you true good Christians,
That liveth here on earth,
O salutate the morning
Of our Blessed Saviour's birth.
⁠This is the happy morning!
⁠This is the blessed morn!
⁠To save us all from ruin
⁠The Son of God was born. ”

“ God send you a happy Christmas and a bright New Year.
Mr. Ison could only remember the words of the first stanza. The remaining lines in the text are from a version sung to me by another Ely singer, Mr. Robert Feast, and are printed without emendation.
The carol is, of course, well known. The tune, however, usually given in the carol books, is in the æolian, not dorian mode. The air is a favourite one with English folk-singers and is often used in Wassail songs (see Folk-Songs from Somerset, No. 129) . A very beautiful mixolydian variant was sung to me by a Warwickshire singer. ”

“ VIII.⁠THE SINNERS' REDEMPTION.
THE SINNERS' REDEMPTION.
1⁠All you that are unto mirth inclined,
Consider well and do bear in mind
What our great God for us hath done
In sending His beloved Son. ”

“ To cleanse the world and ransom thee.
20⁠Although He died He lives again,
And with His Father now doth reign;
At His right hand He sits on high
And lives to all eternity.
21⁠He'll come again to judge the world ”

“ These are not traditional or folk-carols but the elementary compositions of simple musicians, very possibly of those who in the old days were members of the Church bands. They are easily distinguished from the popular carol by the formal nature of the music and words, and also by the fact that many of them are written in parts. Some of these compositions are by no means without merit. The melodies, if not inspired, are usually strong and sincere, and, plainly, the expression of genuine feeling. ”

“ On Christmas Day all in the morning?
4⁠Christ and His Mother were in those ships,
Christ and His Mother were in those ships,
Christ and His Mother were in those ships
On Christmas Day all in the morning. ”

“ The next thing, which to you I tell,
Woman was made with him to dwell.
3⁠Then after this, 'twas God's own choice
To place them both in Paradise,
There to remain from evil free
Except they ate of such a tree. ”

“ The Irish broadside is a Masonic song in nine stanzas beginning thus:
Come all you Craftsmen that do wish
To propagate the grand design,
Come, enter into our high temple
And learn the art that is divine.
The last two stanzas given me at Ham Street are not in the broadside.
This carol is, and has been for many years, annually sung at Christmas in Ham Street and the neighbouring villages by a party of male carol singers. I have not found or heard of it elsewhere; nor can I connect the air, which is a strong one, with any other English folk-tune.
No. 17. THE LITTLE ROOM.
Sung by Mr. ”

“ And all the bells on earth did ring
For joy our Saviour Christ was born
On Christmas Day in the morning.
AS I SAT BY MY OLD COTTAGE DOOR.
(ALTERNATIVE WORDS TO "AS I SAT ON A SUNNY BANK," SECOND VERSION) . ”

“ Nay, nay, sweet Jesus said,
Nay, nay, that may not be,
For there are too many sinful souls
Crying out for the help of me.
The Holy Well has been a popular ballad with folk-singers; for Mr. Harris Cowper quotes a version from a chap-book printed at Birmingham, circa 1843; and I have in my possession two Birmingham broadsides by Russell, and Bloomer, from the former of which the above stanzas have been copied.
Although there are several incidents in the Apocryphal Gospels of the Infancy which bear upon the story of The Bitter Withy, not one of them is identical with it. ”

“ The place that's burdened with sin.
⁠And we are, etc., etc.
5⁠Narrow is the path that leads to Heaven,
Very few that walk therein;
It will take you to that holy Temple,
The very place that is free from sin. ”

“ CHERRY TREE CAROL.
first version.
1⁠Joseph was an old man
And an old man was he;
And Joseph married Mary,
The Queen of Galilee.
2⁠Mary and Joseph
Together did go,
And there they saw a cherry tree,
Both red, white and green. ”

“ And there He met three rich young lords:
Good morning! to you all.
4⁠Good morn! good morn! good morn! said they:
Good morning! then said He,
O which of you three rich young men
Will play at ball with me? ”

“ To read the Bible o'er, good man,
⁠Etc., etc.
5⁠The next great joy that Mary had,
It was the joy of five,
To see her own Son Jesus
To bring the dead to life;
To bring the dead to life, good man,
⁠Etc., etc. ”

“ It is just his transparent sincerity, his freedom from affectation, self-consciousness and conventional restrictions, that makes the unlettered rustic pre-eminently fitted to translate into music and poetry the dramatic incidents of the Christ story. ”

“ As bitter as any gall.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
⁠The rising, etc., etc.
6⁠The holly and the ivy
When they are both full grown.
Of all the trees that are in the wood. ”

“ HE Editor wishes to thank, first of all, those singers, many of them of great age, who, in allowing him to note down their songs, have provided him with the material for this volume; their names are recorded in the Notes. ”

“ And immediately it arose, and there began to flow forth at its root a most pure fount of waters, very cool, and exceedingly clear" (see The Apocryphal Gospels, translated by B. Harris Cowper, pp. 59–60) . ”

“ Samson Bates of Lilleshall, Shropshire.
Mr. Bates sang from a copy of A Good Christmas Box, from which the words in the text have been copied. The carol is mentioned in Hone's list.
No. 20. NEW YEAR'S CAROL.
Sung by Mr. ”