G’day all you Aussie carollers,

My records would suggest that I have already posted (17 September 1998?) the words and ABC of Sally Sloane’s Australian-collected version of the carol Christ was Born in Bethlehem, but it hasn’t made it to the DT, so here it is again.

CHRIST WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM

Folk Songs of Australia and the men & women who sang them, J Meredith & H Anderson, Ure Smith, North Sydney, 1967, vol 1, p189.
Source : Sally Sloane (1894 - 1982)

Christ was born in Bethlehem, Christ was born in Bethlehem,
Christ was born in Bethlehem and in a manger lay.
And in a manger lay, and in a manger lay,
Christ was born in Bethlehem and in a manger lay.

The Jews they crucified him, the Jews they crucified him,
The Jews they crucified him and nailed him to a tree.
And nailed him to a tree, and nailed him to a tree,
The jews they crucified him and nailed him to a tree.

Mary she came weeping, Mary she came weeping,
Mary she came weeping and stole away my Lord.
And stole away my Lord, and stole away my Lord,
Mary she came weeping and stole away my Lord.

MIDI file: christwb.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0000 1 67 080 0288 0 67 064 0072 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0288 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0288 1 71 080 0288 0 71 064 0072 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0384 0 67 064 0336 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 74 080 0384 0 74 064 0096 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 74 080 0384 0 74 064 0096 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0288 1 71 080 0288 0 71 064 0072 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0384 0 67 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:4/4
Q:1/4=100
K:C
G3GG2A2|B2G2A4|A3AA2B2|c2A2B4|B3AB2d2|d2B2c2B2|
A2G2B2A2|G6B2|d2d2e2e2|d4B2c2|d2d2e2e2|d4B4|
B3AB2d2|d2B2c2B2|A2G2B2A2|G13/4||

Notes:
1/ Pitch has been lowered by one tone from collected version, to suit a general range of voices and simplify accompaniment.
2/ The leading note to the first phrase in line three has been lowered from D to B and, to the second phrase, from D to C (possibly more reflecting my personal style of singing than the inherent nature of the tune).
Bob Bolton

In their book, Meredith & Anderson note that:

"Other versions have appeared in print in the United States of America, first in Botsford’s Folk Songs of Many Peoples, where it is simply noted as a ‘Kentucky song’, and more recently in E.K. Wells’s book, The Ballad Tree. Miss Wells collected her version in the Kentucky mountains and includes the lines sung by Sally Sloane in a slightly different form to a somewhat different tune."

Wheeler & James Carols:

I have the three books "Five Australian Carols; First (Second and Third) Set" by John Wheeler and William G. James. The carols are printed with the four choir parts plus piano accompaniment. The books contain, respectively:

FIRST SET: (1948) The Three Drovers (D) The Silver Stars are in the Sky (Eb) Christmas Day (C) Carol of the Birds (Eb) Christmas Bush for His Adorning (D)

SECOND SET: (1954) The Day that Christ was Born on (Ab) Christmas Night (G) The Little Town where Christ was Born(Eb) Sing Gloria (Ab) Noel-Time (G)

THIRD SET: (1961) The Christmas Tree (A) Our Lady of December (Ab) Golden Day (Eb) Country Carol (The Oxen) (Ab) MerryChristmas (F)

Of these, I have MusicTime files (with the words) for:

The Three Drovers (D) The Silver Stars are in the Sky (D) Christmas Day (C) Carol of the Birds (D) Christmas Bush for His Adorning (D) Sing Gloria (G - Am) MerryChristmas (D)

These are the carols that have proved the most popular. I notice that this includes all five of the first set and only one each from the second and third sets.

I have tended to place them in more proletarian and/or singable keys.

Regards,

Bob Bolton