Lyr Add: ding dong merrily revisited

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ding dong merrily revisited
From: leeneia
Date: 28 Dec 17 - 10:06 PM

Jack old son, I believe somebody's been pulling your leg.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ding dong merrily revisited
From: meself
Date: 28 Dec 17 - 01:37 PM

Wow - that's pretty celebratory for a death sentence! I mean, I know public executions are a lot of fun and everything, but really ......!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ding dong merrily revisited
From: Jack Campin
Date: 27 Dec 17 - 05:35 PM

I think Arbeau is the earliest source - "Bransle l'Official".

It got a very un-Christmassy use in Scotland, as "The Celebrated Trumpet Tune", the fanfare played by two trumpeters when a circuit judge pronounced a death sentence. Yes judges really did travel round the country from trial to trial with a retinue including two trumpeters.

Subject: ADD: Ding Dong Merrily on High (Woodward)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Dec 17 - 04:07 PM

For the sake of completeness, here is the original, from http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com

DING DONG MERRILY ON HIGH
Words: George Ratcliffe Woodward, 1848-1934
Tune: Brane de l'Official, from Thoinot Arbeau's Orchesographie, (1588)

1. Ding Dong! merrily on high
In heav'n the bells are ringing
Ding, dong! verily the sky
Is riv'n with angel singing
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis

2. E'en so here below, below
Let steeple bells be swungen
And i-o, i-o, i-o
By priest and people be sungen
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis

3. Pray ye dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers
May ye beautifully rime
Your evetime song, ye singers
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ding dong merrily revisited
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 26 Dec 17 - 04:19 AM

leeneia said
> Yes, it's a bransle published by Susato (I think.)

However the tune started, one of its uses was for a Welsh dance. I remember being taught the dance many years ago, but I don't remember any more than that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ding ding merrily revisited
From: leeneia
Date: 25 Dec 17 - 12:23 PM

Could an Elf change my title from ding ding to ding dong?

{{done - mud-elf}

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ding ding merrily revisited
From: leeneia
Date: 24 Dec 17 - 02:31 PM

Yes, it's a bransle published by Susato (I think.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ding ding merrily revisited
From: MMario
Date: 24 Dec 17 - 09:58 AM

The tune *is* from the 1500's; even if the lyrics didn't show up until 1924.

Subject: Lyr Add: ding ding merrily revisited
From: leeneia
Date: 21 Dec 17 - 12:12 PM

It's been such fun to play "Ding dong merrily on high," with it's running eighth notes, but I hate the fake medieval words. So I spent 20 minutes modifying them. (I have little talent with rhymes, so I stole them whenever I could.) If you like them, sing them. I renounce all copyright.

Sorry about the dashes, but they make the syllables fit the melody.

John wrote: mer-ri-ly on high
in hea-ven bells are ring-ing.
John wrote: ver-i-ly the sky
is filled with an-gel sing-ing.
Glo-o-o-o-o-o, o-o-o-o-o-o, o-o-o-o-o-o, o-o-o-o-o-o, o-o-o-o-o-o-o,
ri-a, Ho-san-na in ex-cels-is.

Like-wise, here the mu-sic swells,
while steep-le bells are swing-ing.
Hear "No-el, no-el, no-el"
with priest and peo-ple sing-ing.

May you du-ti-ful-ly prime
your morn-ing chime, oh ring-ers.
May you beau-ti-ful-ly rhyme
your ev-'ning song, oh sing-ers.

===============
I sang this with a church choir once, and it was so complicated (what with four parts warbling the five measures of "Gloria" in counterpoint) that I never noticed that the lyrics are trying to have Heaven in the first verse and earth in the second.

The John in the first verse is the John of Revelations, not the Gospel.   

I hope you have fun with it.