Lyr Add: A Wreath for Christmas (Agatha Christie)

Subject: Lyr Add: A WREATH FOR CHRISTMAS (Agatha Christie)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 23 Dec 10 - 04:57 PM

A WREATH FOR CHRISTMAS
(Agatha Christie Mallowan)

When Mary made a Holly wreath
The blood ran red- ran red.
Another Mary wove the Thorns
That crowned her Master's head.
But the Mistletoe was far away
Across a Western sea,
And the Mistletoe was wreathed around
A Pagan Apple Tree

In Glastonbury grew a Thorn,
When Joseph came to trade.
And the Holly Bush was common growth
In every wooded glade.
But the Mistletoe was sacred where
The Sun arose each morn,
And the Mistletoe knew nothing of
The Babe in Bethlehem born.

Saint Patrick sailed the stormy seas
To preach the Cross- and so
He found Eve's Tree- with a serpent coiled-
And hung with Mistletoe.
'I bid thee, Serpent, leave this Land,
And open, Plant, thine ears.'
He preached the Tale of Christ- and Lo!
The Mistletoe wept tears...

The Holly bush has berries red,
Blood-red upon each bough.
The Thorn it blooms with golden flowers,
And Kissing's fashion now.
What will you give to Christ the Lord?'
O! Pagan Bough so green?
The tears that I have shed for One
Whom I have never seen...'

Let Man then give his life for Man,
The blood-red berries say,
And Men have love for fellow men,
Where Gorse flowers bloom so gay.
And the Tears of Man be shed for Man
Where Mistletoe gleams white.
Come, pity, love and sacrifice...
God bless us all this night!

Agatha Christie Mallowan, 1965, Star Over Bethlehem, Christmas Stories and Poems, Dodd, Mead; reprints by Fount.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Wreath for Christmas
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 Dec 10 - 09:42 PM

That's Agatha Christie, the mystery writer, who was married to archaeologist Max Mallowan from 1930 until her death in 1976.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Wreath for Christmas
From: open mike
Date: 28 Dec 10 - 10:35 PM

Speaking of the "Glastonbury....Thorn" how is this special tree doing since vandals whacked at it? hope it will sprout again...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Wreath for Christmas
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 Dec 10 - 10:47 PM

There have been many offshoots taken from the Glastonbury thorn, and successfully planted elsewhere. As I understand it from articles found online, the Glastonbury thorn itself was not the original of the legend.
The articles said that one of these scions will replace the vandalized thorn.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Wreath for Christmas
From: Haruo
Date: 29 Dec 10 - 01:17 AM

Is there a suggested tune for the poem?

Haruo

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Wreath for Christmas
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Dec 10 - 02:48 PM

No tune found.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Wreath for Christmas
From: Haruo
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 12:18 AM

Well, I'm certainly going to try to remedy that by next Advent, and put it up alongside the Carol of the Fir Tree by Alfred Noyes.

Haruo

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Wreath for Christmas (Agatha Christie)
From: Haruo
Date: 22 Jan 13 - 12:48 PM

It goes pretty well to Kingsfold, but it would be nice to have a new or at least less overused tune for it. 8.6.8.6.D... I'm going to incorporate it one way or another, to one tune or another, into Evergreen Sings, the music resource I'm working up over the next year for the Evergreen Association of American Baptist Churches. Feel free to PM me if you have tune nominations.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Wreath for Christmas (Agatha Christie)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 22 Jan 13 - 06:16 PM

"Another Mary wove the Thorns
That crowned her Master's head."

Good grief, what's that supposed to mean? The crown of thorns was put on Jesus' head by Roman soldiers doing Pontius Pilate's dirty work for him.

However, that can be folk-processed away. I think it's basically a fun poem, and I've jotted down a tune which came into my head for it. I'll send it to Joe for posting, and if you like it Haruo, you may have it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Wreath for Christmas (Agatha Christie)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Jan 13 - 06:30 PM

Here's the tune.
Thanks, leeneia.

---

Click to play (joeweb)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Wreath for Christmas (Agatha Christie)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 23 Jan 13 - 11:49 AM

Thank you, Joe.

Some info for anybody who wants to play the tune:

   It is in the key of Em, a variant of G. The 'funny note' is a D#.

   I used the second verse to guide me in composing, since it is more regular in meter. You will have to do a little tweaking to make the other verses fit.

   You have to alter 'Bethlehem' to 'Bethl'em.'

Here are the chords. 'n.c.' means no chord. (Let guitar die away.)

n.c. (pick up note) In
Em - Glastonbury grew a Thorn, When Joseph
B - came to
Em - trade. And the Holly Bush was common growth In ev'ry
B - wooded
Em - glade. But the Mistletoe was
D - sacred where
n.c. the
Am - Sun a-
G - rose each
D -morn,
n.c. (pick up notes ) And the
Em - Mistletoe knew nothing of the Babe in
D - Bethl'em
Em - born.