Yule... ...a New Carol by john f weldon

Subject: Yule... ...a New Carol b john f weldon
From: john f weldon
Date: 21 Dec 14 - 09:56 AM

I wrote this many years ago, riding on the bus to a Christmas party, a kinda non-denominational Northern Seasonal Carol...
...never managed to set it to music, though, but I think it would make a pretty good carol, if anyone wants to try...

Yule
by John F. Weldon

When human hopes had just begun
In distant prehistoric times
We feared the fading of the sun
Especially in these Northern climes
For with the dark would come the chill
Frost and snow replacing rain
And we were left to wonder: Will
That sun e'er rise so high again?

And so we cut the deathless Pine
And hauled it to our cabins rude
And lit it up, that it would shine
Upon our gifts, and wine, and food.
The other Beasts looked on with scorn
That Man alone was such a fool
To celebrate the darkest morn
To dance and sing and call it Yule.

Yet all around the blazing Tree
Through chilly nights and shortened days
Mankind with cheerful revelry
Implored the sun to spread its Rays
And once a year, that darkest time
Mankind would thus enchant the sun
Which then would start its upward climb
Back when our dreams had just begun.

Now men have science and predict
The solstice and the equinox
To one ten-thousandth of a tick
With lasers and atomic clocks
Yet every year we quell our fears
With food and drink and song and dance
It works! The sun soon re-appears
So why then should we take a chance?

We'll toast with Mead, and Beer, and Stout
Wine and Whiskey, Rum and Gin!
For though the Winter howls without...
We'll keep the hope of spring within
So Bar the Door against the chill
Prepare that fine and mighty feast
For we were once and we are still
That puny, naked, frightened Beast

Subject: RE: Yule... ...a New Carol b john f weldon
From: GUEST,#
Date: 21 Dec 14 - 02:47 PM

Good poem and a melody is no problem. Next time you're in O'town come over, John.

Subject: RE: Yule... ...a New Carol by john f weldon
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Dec 14 - 12:00 PM

John, I barely had time to register what I was hearing, let alone get the product name, but a few days ago I heard a commercial on television with a voice singing in the background that sounded just like you. Have you done any voice work this year?

SRS

Subject: RE: Yule... ...a New Carol by john f weldon
From: john f weldon
Date: 22 Dec 14 - 03:59 PM

I don't think it was me, unless my memory is going truly wonky!!

What's amazing is that someone must have hired someone who sounds like me!!! Maybe I should be out hustling an audition!!

Subject: RE: Yule... ...a New Carol by john f weldon
From: ketchdana
Date: 11 Nov 20 - 04:05 PM

"... never managed to set it to music, though, ..."

However, referenced from an old mudcat thread post of 23 Dec '07 by jfw himself:

www.weldonalley.ca/songs/yule.mp3

The song isn't referenced from the main site, but the link is still good. It brings up some kind of local player to play it. (guess it's actually my browser that's providing the player.)
I really like John's tune, and the way he sings it. Don't see the need for another now.
I'll try to make I've made an abc of what I hear.

Link found by chance recently while looking for Anne Lister's Dance With The Dragon on a mudcat thread which doesn't seem to exist anymore. Wrote down the link, but not the thread ID. (maybe some range of posts were lost around 2007?)

    I had originally tried the Yule words with tunes like "Greensleeves" and various Corries songs, and eventually settled on a modified version of Galaxy by Eric Idle and John DuPrez (from Monty Python). But John's tune has become an ear-worm now.

--Bob

Subject: RE: Yule... ...a New Carol by john f weldon
From: ketchdana
Date: 11 Nov 20 - 04:26 PM

Darn, the link above automatically added "mudcat..." to the front of the address!
Just cut and paste:

www.weldonalley.ca/songs/yule.mp3

to the browser search bar.
Maybe it needs the full
http://www.weldonalley.ca/songs/yule.mp3

--Bob

Subject: RE: Yule... ...a New Carol by john f weldon
From: leeneia
Date: 13 Nov 20 - 01:53 PM

Thanks, ketchdana. This is a thought-provoking song.

Subject: RE: Yule... ...a New Carol by john f weldon
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Sep 21 - 05:20 AM

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