| Author | Topic: Add: On Christmas Night [Sussex Carol] | |
| dmcg | Posted - 27 Sep 04 - 10:17 am | |
On Christmas night all Christians sing, To hear the news the angels bring. On Christmas night all Christians sing, To hear the news the angels bring. News of great joy, News of great mirth. News of our merciful King's birth. Then why should men on earth be so sad, Since our Redeemer made us glad, Then why should men on earth be so sad, Since our Redeemer made us glad, When from our sins he set us free, All for to gain our liberty. When sins departs before his grace, The life and health come in its place; When sins departs before his grace, The life and health come in its place; Angels and men with joy may sing, All for to see the new-born King. All out of darkness we have light, Which made the angels sing this night; All out of darkness we have light, Which made the angels sing this night; 'Glory to God and peace to men, Now and for evermore, Amen' Source: Singing Together, Autumn 1965, BBC Publications Notes: Apart from 'Sussex Carol' and an acknowledgement to OUP the booklet is unforthcoming about this song. The Oxford Book of Carols says 'Tune noted by the late Dr. Culwick in 1904, from his mother, who heard it many years previously in the streets of Dublin. The tune is printed in the Journal of the Folk Song Society, vol ii, p 126.' I do not have that edition of the Journal. In a Mudcat Mmario thread gives this variation: X:1 T:Sussex Carol N: Collected from Mrs. Verall, Monks Gate, Sussex N: harmonization by R. Vaughan Williams, 1919 M:6/8 Q:1/4=120 K:G dd2Bc2|dBAGA2|FG2GAB|cB2AG2|AB3c2|-cd3G2| AB3e2|-ed2cB2|-BA3A2|GABcdc|BG3A2|-AB3c2| -cd3e2|eA2cB2|-B4dd|-dBc2dB|AGA2FG|-GGABcB| -BAG2AB|-B2c3d|-d2G2AB|-B2e3d|-dcB3A|-A2A2GA| BcdcBG|-G2A3B|-B2c3d|-d2e2eA|-AcB4|-B2dd2B| c2dBAG|A2FG2G|ABcB2A|G2AB3|c3d3|G2AB3|e3d2c| B3A3|A2GABc|dcBG3|A3B3|c3d3|e2eA2c|B11/2|| Edited By dmcg - 27-Sep-2004 10:35:21 AM | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 27 Sep 04 - 10:24 am | |
I believe the name 'Sussex Carol' originates - as far as these things ever do for one reason - with the Oxford Book of Carols, where it appears under that name. From the point of view of that book, I suppose it was a more distictive name than 'On Christmas Night', but I doubt if anyone in Sussex called it the Sussex Carol. I have always disliked the name, as it carries the implication that Sussex has no other carols. "A Sussex Carol", maybe, but "The Sussex Carol" grates. On the other hand, it is probably one of the most widespread songs that people sing with some awareness that it came out of the tradition and are happy to do sing without any finger-in-the-ear jokes, so maybe its a price worth paying. | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 27 Sep 04 - 03:47 pm | |
The Oxford set, as reproduced in Singing Together, is Mrs Harriet Verrall's (noted by Vaughan Williams), not Dr Culwick's (which was from Staffordshire, not Dublin). Could you clarify the note you quote? I don't see it in my copy. | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 27 Sep 04 - 04:10 pm | |
Not clarify it - throw it all away and start again! The copy in the Oxford Book of Carols has two tunes. The first is from Mrs. Verrall, Monks Gate, as pointed out above. The note I entered related to the second tune. I will fix the database forthwith. I have also now tried to play the variation MMario provided and I think the ABC standard has probably changed since he submitted it, as the harmony is being mixed in with the main voice on the utilisites I am using. Perhaps you had better stick to this version, or his post. Edited By dmcg - 27-Sep-2004 04:38:01 PM | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 27 Sep 04 - 05:52 pm | |
I'm still confused. Could you give the page reference for the note re. Culwick? | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 27 Sep 04 - 05:59 pm | |
I quoted its in its entirely. All I can say in addition is that in my edition it is at the bottom of page 50. My edition is the 38th Impression, 1993, ISBN 0-19-353314-6. I notice it was 'Re-engraved and reset for the 25th Impression' in 1964. Is your version earlier than that? Edited By dmcg - 27-Sep-2004 06:12:40 PM | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 27 Sep 04 - 06:34 pm | |
That explains it: my edition is 1956 (23rd impression). Reference only to Mrs Verrall. A tune variant is given for verse 3, which I suppose may be Culwick's, though altered; I'll have to compare notation when I have a bit more time. | ||