We had Mass Friday night for the Vigil of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The Gospel reading was the story from Luke about the Annunciation, so our choir director chose "The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came." She asked the congregation how many knew the song, and I was the only one to raise his hand. But we sang it anyway, the choir director, the piano player, and me.
And it turned out well.
Here are some recordings that I came across:
- Kings College Cambridge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCploJcOXsg
- Good Shepherd Band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ5wmFi9sfA
- All Angels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHuokdjT4UY
- Mediaeval Baebes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH24OPSieTc
Background information: http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/gabriels_message.htm
The Angel Gabriel from Heaven CameForm circles of 4 couples holding hs and numbered acw. Start either foot. Prepare for walking. Finish sequence without having once let go of hs and ready for new couple to right of previous leaders to lead. Dance the 10-bar 36 beat walking sequence 4 times for all couples to have a chance to lead.
The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
A
With 7 steps 1s go under an arch made by 3s and invert the set, one person on each side having to twist about quickly.
His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
B
With 7 steps all raise hs, walk backwards and turn over l.sh. while looping own r.arm over own head and own l.h. joined to neighours r.h. over their head.
'All hail', said he, 'thou lowly maiden Mary
C
Circle the 'basket' to the left with 8 steps.
Most highly favoured lady,'
D
With 4 steps raise hs and retire out of circle while all except 1M (who remains facing in) pull r.sh. back to unloop arms and finish facing out of set.
Glo1sto1st..oria!
E
With 10 steps and with no one letting go 1M makes an arch with r.h. and pulls with his l.h. so the line threads out until the set is inverted back to facing in.
Source: http://www.earthlydelights.com.au/xmas.htm (archive)
This carol is based on a Basque one, 'Birjina gaztettobat zegoen', collected by Charles Bordes and published in the series Archives de la tradition basque, 1895. Sabine Baring-Gould, who wrote several novels and hymns (including 'Onward Christian Soldiers) and who had spent a winter as a boy in Basque lands, translated the carol into English, reducing the original 6 stanzas to 4 and giving Gabriel the very beautiful 'wings as drifted snow'.
This is an unusual dance for a figured dance in that at no stage does anyone let go (the only other dance similar in this respect in this collection is the 'Gower Wassail'). Dancers need to be quick off the mark in A1, knowing who's leading, who's arching and who's going to be doing the twist on the side. In the B2 part of the dance it is important to remember that lead M should remain facing in and does not need to unloop his arms in the same way as the others do. All he needs to do is uncross his arms by leading dances with his l.h. under an arch made with his r.h. and all will be back in an inward-facing circle. If all arrive back in such a circle with time to spare, all can simply circle to right (the direction which flows naturally out of the unravelling) till the tune comes around again.