Subject: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: UK Steve Date: 20 Sep 99 - 07:06 PM My daughter Anne is taking part in a Christmas production at the local Church. The basic concept is Christmas through the ages and the many facets of its celebration. Anne is planning a solo vocal accompanied by hopefully guitar or maybe piano. We are looking for something that is perhaps a little outside of the mainstream Christmas carol catalogue, we are particularly interested in English traditional music. I have had a look in the local library and there are various books of folk songs covering the usual subjects, love, lust, death etc, but nothing particularly seasonal outside of I Saw Three Ships, and references to partridges in pear trees. Does anybody out there have any suggestions? |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Jo Taylor Date: 20 Sep 99 - 07:18 PM The Coventry Carol The Holly and the Ivy with the older tune, I'm humming it but you can't hear me, can you? If you don't know it, I'll do ABCs ... Jo Taylor |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Joe Offer Date: 20 Sep 99 - 08:48 PM Hi, Steve - try a category search of our database here. Put @Xmas or @carol in the search box in the upper-left corner of this page, and you'll find lots. One favorite of mine is "Cherry Tree Carol." We have at least three versions of that. -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: sophocleese Date: 20 Sep 99 - 09:23 PM How mainstream is mainstream? The Oxford Book of Carols has some lovely carols that are rarely heard annd many of the tunes are English traditional, some of the words too. I'm also trying to think of others, thinking, thinking... |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Arkie Date: 20 Sep 99 - 09:56 PM "Twas On A Night Like This" is a wonderful Christmas recording with lots of good songs. Sandy could probably elaborate more, since he and Caroline did that with Cathy Barton and Dave Para. The Christmas Revels have quite a few songs which are not all that well known. I also really like O Little Town of Bethlehem sund to the tune Green Forest. You could get those from a Methodist Hymnal. |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: DougR Date: 20 Sep 99 - 09:56 PM UK Steve: I would recommend "The Cherry Tree Carol," a lovely simple little song that lends itself well to simple guitar accompaniment. DougR |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Stewie Date: 21 Sep 99 - 12:48 AM The Watersons' Frost and Fire, now on CD on Topic, has a few good'uns, including the lovely 'The Holly Bears a Berry'. |
Subject: Lyr Add: CHRISTMAS IN THE ALICE (Greg Hastings)^^^ From: Ted from Australia Date: 21 Sep 99 - 02:24 AM Try this for something different
CHRISTMAS IN THE ALICE Regards Ted ed42@4kz.com.au |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: GeorgeH Date: 21 Sep 99 - 07:56 AM If you're going to do the Cherry Tree Carol - and it's a song I love - PLEASE have the courage to include the verse which says "Let the father of your baby/gather cherries" (ok, misquoted from memory). In sanitising our Christmas story we do remove the humanity of the main players; if you look at the Mystery Plays you might share my impression that this is a recent and unfortunate tendency. G. |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Barbara Shaw Date: 21 Sep 99 - 08:05 AM Little Drummer Boy, Simeone Christmas Time's a'Coming, Tex Logan O Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, A.L. Phipps
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Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: sophocleese Date: 21 Sep 99 - 05:27 PM You could do the traditional 'My Dancing Day' ("Tomorrow shall be my dancing day...") and segue into the Hokey Pokey. The Oxford Book of Carols says that "the interweaving of the two love motives is as ancient and widespread as the association of religion with the dance." Even without the Hokey Pokey 'My Dancing Day' is a lovely tune. |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Susan A-R Date: 21 Sep 99 - 09:30 PM John Roberts and Tony Barrand's Noel Sing We Clear recordings are pretty wonderful. Is it Golden Bough??I believe they have a web site. Anyone up for a little blue clickey action?? One of my favorites is Green Grow's the Holly Green grows the holly So doth the ivy The wintry blasts blow ne'er so hard Green grows the holly It goes through the seasons and is a lovely progression and unusual melody. They also do several wassails which tie blessings at Christmas to productivity for the rest of the year in an interesting way. We have also paired I Saw Three Ships with Bring a Torch. They actually overlay pretty well. Have fun. Susan |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: DougR Date: 21 Sep 99 - 10:46 PM George H: You are right! The "Cherry Tree Carol" is a lovely song and should be done as you suggest. DougR |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Magpie Date: 22 Sep 99 - 02:53 AM Defititely not English, but nice all the same is Nanci Griffith's On Grafton Street, from the album The Flyer. Magpie |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Sandy Paton Date: 22 Sep 99 - 03:46 AM All of the "Nowell Sing We Clear" CDs are available from Folk-Legacy CLICK HERE. These can be ordered through the Mudcat Shop, remember, and a percentage goes to help support this amazing endeavor. Ruth Crawford Seeger did a book titled (I think) Christmas Folk Songs for Children and Peggy and Mike Seeger made a couple of recordings of material from the book. You might also find these listed in the Mudcat Shop, since it's likely that Wally has them on Camsco. I also love the "Cherry Tree Carol," but the folks in our local Protestant churches would surely be disturbed by what I consider to be the wonderful humanizing of Joseph. The simple "The Holly Bears a Berry" or the lovely "Babe of Bethlehem," both of which are on Folk-Legacy's Golden Ring (CD-16), might go down a bit more gently in a somewhat conservative setting. And, yes, as Arkie pointed out, "The Holly Bears a Berry" is also on our 'Twas On a Night Like This, a Christmas Legacy (CD-114). As noted above, the Watersons do a more vigorous version of "The Holly Bears a Berry" on Frost and Fire, which is one of my favorite recordings of all time. Check it out! Sandy |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Stolzi@aol.com Date: 22 Sep 99 - 01:24 PM "I Wonder As I Wander" is very beautiful, from the American mountain tradition which derives in the long run from England. And what is the counting song which ends with "One for the little bitty baby who was born, born, born in Bethlehem?" Oh yes: "Children, go where I send thee/How shall I send thee? I'm-a gonna send you one by one..." Seems to me Harry Belafonte recorded that one. |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: DougR Date: 22 Sep 99 - 05:07 PM Yes, Stolzi, I agree that "I wonder as I wander" is a beautiful old song. |
Subject: Lyr Add: BURGUNDIAN CAROL^^^ From: KathWestra Date: 22 Sep 99 - 05:49 PM Just for the record, though, I Wonder As I Wander is not traditional, from here or England. It was written by John Jacob Niles.
Another couple of lovely ones, though not English, are the Burgundian Carol and the Star Carol. Pete Seeger recorded the Burgundian Carol, which has a gorgeous modal melody. The words:
The Winter Season of the year
1st Chorus:
And when unto these humble beasts
2nd chorus: The Star Carol is the title song of Folk Legacy's 'Twas On A Night Like This," and has a lovely Italian melody perfect for harmonizing in thirds. See Sandy Paton's message earlier in this thread to get a copy. Being a Folk-Legacy recording, you'll also get a handy-dandy booklet with the words. |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Scott Cooper Date: 22 Sep 99 - 07:50 PM Another less trad carol is a recent setting by John Gorka to his original tune of Longfellow's "Christmas Bells." I got it from Windham Hill's "A Winter's Solstice III." A very pretty, 'folky' tune. One of my all time favourite traditional carols is the Wessex Carol, but the tune might be a little challenging. The last suggestion would be another more modern but folk-styled song: Jake Thackery's "Bethlehem." That one might be tough to find. Slainte |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Sandy Paton Date: 22 Sep 99 - 08:46 PM The "Star Carol" is actually a wonderful Sydney Carter song on the 'Twas On a Night Like This CD, but the title song is a very nice one, too. (Thanks, Kathy. Your kind suggestions make me all the more glad that I rescued you from Grand Rapids.) To correct my earlier misinformation: the Ruth Crawford Seeger book I referred to above is properly titled American Folk Songs for Christmas. Sorry for the memory lapse. Hope you didn't spend the afternoon at the Library looking for it under the wrong title! Sandy |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Susan A-R Date: 22 Sep 99 - 10:34 PM Sandy, Thanks for the spelling on Nowell, and the source. Of course, I should have thought of that. Susan |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: David Coffin dcoffin@cove.com Date: 23 Sep 99 - 09:55 PM I would encourage to look at some of the Christmas Revels recordings. They have several song books available as well. You can call them at 617 972-8300. I have performed with them for twenty years and they are a great resource. So is this amazing website which I am learning ti use as we "speak". |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Bat Goddess Date: 24 Sep 99 - 07:57 AM Another song from a Waterson's recording: "Sound, Sound Your Instruments of Joy" Linn |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Wotcha Date: 24 Sep 99 - 09:02 AM I'd also commend Roberts and Barrand's "To Welcome in the Spring," which has a nice "Candlemass Eve" [on the database]. You get some good liner notes (at least in the old vinyl edition) discussing the origin of Carols as an end of winter celebration of renewal -- originally not much to do with December. As one might say on the Kuwait Hash ... "Check it out." Allahamdalla, cheers, Brian |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: MMario Date: 24 Sep 99 - 10:04 AM How about the Huron Carol, possibly done with Away in a manger as a contrast.... |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: GUEST,Sweetpea Musical Promotions Date: 12 Dec 11 - 05:09 AM Greg Hastings' humorous Christmas Song CHRISTMAS IN THE ALICE is on his Walkabout CD and available via his website. www.greghastings.com |
Subject: RE: Help: Folk Songs with Christmas connections From: Les in Chorlton Date: 12 Dec 11 - 07:44 AM Interesting that given how important Christmas is in the great scale of English things that some few actual folk songs about Christmas were actually collected? L in C# |
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