Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: GUEST,Sherry Moss at Signal Mtn, TN
Date: 19 Nov 12 - 07:13 AM

We're doing an "Appalachian Christmas" program this year at the Christian Elementary School I work with & in researching appropriate sounds, came across "Wintergrace" for the first time. What a beautiful, haunting Christmas piece! Around here, there are a lot of folk & bluegrass players to accompany & so many of the children have never heard either type of dulcimer. Thank you Jean Ritchie for helping making our program truly a worship of the birth of our Lord!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: GUEST,dulcimerjohn
Date: 01 Nov 08 - 09:58 PM

love this as a change of season song...I do it year-round however..

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 01 Nov 08 - 07:01 PM

Darn- In re-reading I see that my hasty PS to the above message didn't get added. It said, Sorry; I overlooked the fact that the two verses are each double-fourliners, so my correction should have read, "The FIFTH line in the second verse should be, "And man and beast and bird AND tree."(not, IN tree," etc. The rest of the comment stands.    JR

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: maeve
Date: 01 Nov 08 - 06:14 PM

Thank you for that addition, Jean. I do so love this song! This is my year to learn to sing it, and I want to learn it as you wrote it and sing it.

maeve, in Maine

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 01 Nov 08 - 05:59 PM

Here- two years later, and I've just been referred to this thread from one of Nov. 08... I note another small lyric change in that one printed by friend Joe Offer: The third line in the second verse is,   "And man and beast, and bird and tree" (not, "bird IN tree). Not a bad mistake; it's just so that the plant world gets its proper place in the scheme of things!    Love, Jean

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: Maid in Cyberspace
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 08:08 AM

Well, Aubrey Atwater sure deserves that recognition! I'm happy for her.
MIC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: BanjoRay
Date: 16 Apr 06 - 10:46 AM

Jean - last weekend here in England the excellent Riley Baugus, our old time banjo instructor, did a superb version of your song The Cool Of The Day at our Sore Fingers Summer School in the beautiful Cotswolds. There was hardly an unshed tear in the hall.
Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 15 Apr 06 - 08:56 PM

Oscar Brand called me and it came up...and now I remember what it is- Aubrey's rendition of Wintergrace is the second track on the most recent Oasis Sampler. She's tickled about it. So'm I!   JR

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: Maid in Cyberspace
Date: 15 Apr 06 - 05:20 AM

No...where did you hear this?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 14 Apr 06 - 09:25 PM

You're forgiven I'm sure (for what?). Anyway, I heard today that Aubrey has just received some sort of recognition (favorable) of her performance of, "Wintergrace" on her most recent CD. Anyone know what that's about?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: Maid in Cyberspace
Date: 14 Apr 06 - 06:32 AM

Sorry about that. I didn't mean it like that!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 08:33 PM

My apologies to Aubrey for assuming that she was a man. I know better, now; thanks for that, and for the extra contextual information.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 08:26 PM

Aubrey Atwater is a lovely woman, married to one Elwood Donnelly and they live in New England. She's a good friend of mine, and sings many of my songs both in performance and on her fine CDs, is a marvellous clogger- what else can I say? They perform as a duet team, Atwater/Donnelly.

Singers always change a word or two- maybe their own choice "wraps round the tongue" better, or something. I don't mind, as long as the DT prints my original words!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 07:37 PM

Maybe Aubrey Atwater (who is he?) doesn't sing "doth", but Jean (Kytrad) wrote the song; you can safely take her word for it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: Maid in Cyberspace
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 01:17 AM

Aubrey Atwater does this song and there's no "doth" in the last line.

I know the words and can follow along much better now.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: Maid in Cyberspace
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 01:09 AM

Yeah, I think "Babe" should be capatilized, too. Anything that refers to Him.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: MMario
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 04:17 PM

Another one I need to learn.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 04:13 PM

"The old cow's breath's a frosty wine" is correct.

The first verse begins, "This is the time so well we love" (not "It is the time...")

The refrain (or chorus) should be printed thus:

For the time...(tune pauses a bit here)
   When the corn is all into the barn,
   The old cow's breath's a frosty wine
   And the morn along the fallow field (not "When the morn"' here)
   Doth silver shine.

In the second verse, I think the word, "Babe" should be capitalized.

Jean R.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: GUEST,me
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 03:31 AM

The old cow's breath's a frosty white.
same me

Subject: ADD: Wintergrace (Jean Ritchie)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 12:20 AM

Hmmmm. I can't find this in any of my Jean Ritchie songbooks or recordings, so I transcribed what I hear on the Voices of Winter CD, by Priscilla Herdman, Anne Hills, and Cindy Mangsen.

Wintergrace
^^ (Jean Ritchie)

It is the time so well we love,
The time of all the year;
When winter calls with chilling breath,
For fireside and good cheer.

A time for man and beast to stand
And feel the season turn;
To watch the stars for secret signs,
And God's true lessons learn.

*For the time when the corn is all into the barn,
The old cow's breath's a frosty wine,
When the morn along the fallow field
Doth silver shine.

And when cold morning's radiant star
Shines over hill and plain;
We know anew that little babe
Is born to us again.

And man and beast and bird in tree,
Each one in his own place;
We bow our hearts and thank our God
For winter rest and grace.

*For the time when the corn is all into the barn,
The old cow's breath's a frosty wine,
When the morn along the fallow field
Doth silver shine.

*I'm not sure of this part

I'll ask Jean to drop by and proof my transcription and maybe comment on the song. If she's free, she will. Watch this space...

Beautiful song, isn't it? This Herdman/Hills/Mangsen CD may be my very favorite CD.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Req: Wintergrace
From: GUEST,me
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 10:50 PM

Hi! I am in a position right now where I can't really buy or borrow CDs to find lyrics--and I want to know if anyone can find me or give me the lyrics to "Wintergrace", as sung by Jean Ritchie. Yes, I know it's after Christmas--but I like to sing Christmas songs all the year 'round, just for myself.
Me