There are some nice, less-heard carols on the CD Carols Around the World by the Quink Vocal Ensemble. For example:

Canción de Navidad, by the 20th c. Argentinian composer Carlos Guastavino. Thankfully, this isn't one of the gratuitously dissonant modern carols.

I Saw a Maiden. It's in the New Oxford Book of Carols, 109:II, setting by Edgar Pettman (1866-1943). It's a variant of "Lullay, my liking" (Myn Lyking); adapted from a 15th c. text.

Komt verwondert u hier, menschen and Herders, Hij is geboren, by Julius Röntgen (1855-1932). Maybe these songs are over-sung by the Dutch, but I'd not heard them before.


Lute-Book Lullaby:

SWEET WAS THE SONG THE VIRGIN SANG
(Lute-Book Lullaby)
anon., from the William Ballet Lute Book (17th c.)

Sweet was the song the Virgin sang,
When she to Bethlem Juda came
And was delivered of a son,
That blessèd Jesus hath to name:
Lulla, lulla, lulla lullaby,
Lulla, lulla, lulla lullaby.
"Sweet babe," sang she, "my son,
And eke a saviour born,
Who hast vouchsafed from on high
To visit us that were forlorn."
Lulla, lulla, lullaby,        [RVW: Lalula, lalula, lalulaby]
"Sweet babe," sang she,
And rocked him sweetly on her knee.

Ralph Vaughan Williams set this text in his cantata Hodie (1953-54, XI. Lullaby). Benjamin Britten also did an arrangement.


Barbara: As for "The Bitter Withy" not being a Christmas song, you'll find it at the Hymns and Carols of Christmas site, where their sources are Edith Rickert, Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400-1700 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1914, reprint of the edition of 1910) and Cecil J. Sharp, English Folk-Carols (London: Novello & Co., Ltd., 1911). Sharp also references a version quoted by Mr. Frank Sidgwick (More Ancient Carols, Stratford-on-Avon, 1906).

Perhaps the "bright holiday" on which it occurred was Hannukah. ;-}