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Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise

In Mudcat MIDIs:
Shepherds Arise (Copper Family version: midi made from the notation in Bob Copper's A Song For Every Season (1971).)


toadfrog 07 Jul 01 - 01:20 AM
Malcolm Douglas 07 Jul 01 - 09:10 AM
toadfrog 07 Jul 01 - 08:20 PM
Malcolm Douglas 07 Jul 01 - 09:06 PM
toadfrog 08 Jul 01 - 03:16 AM
pavane 08 Jul 01 - 04:08 AM
pavane 08 Jul 01 - 04:09 AM
GUEST 08 Jul 01 - 06:00 AM
Malcolm Douglas 08 Jul 01 - 09:21 AM
Seamus Kennedy 09 Jul 01 - 01:11 AM
GeorgeH 09 Jul 01 - 07:59 AM
dick greenhaus 09 Jul 01 - 10:11 AM
GeorgeH 09 Jul 01 - 12:50 PM
Malcolm Douglas 09 Jul 01 - 12:58 PM
Garry Gillard 10 Jul 01 - 05:09 AM
Ringer 10 Jul 01 - 12:02 PM
GeorgeH 10 Jul 01 - 02:10 PM
MMario 10 Jul 01 - 02:14 PM
toadfrog 10 Jul 01 - 05:05 PM
Linda Kelly 10 Jul 01 - 05:22 PM
Hawker 10 Jul 01 - 07:54 PM
Snuffy 23 May 03 - 09:11 AM
Snuffy 23 May 03 - 09:13 AM
Snuffy 23 May 03 - 09:16 AM
Snuffy 23 May 03 - 09:19 AM
GUEST,Jon Dudley 23 May 03 - 09:56 AM
GUEST,Val 23 May 03 - 02:01 PM
GUEST,Val 23 May 03 - 02:05 PM
AllisonA(Animaterra) 23 May 03 - 03:11 PM
GUEST,Q 23 May 03 - 04:35 PM
GUEST,Sarah 13 Dec 04 - 10:32 AM
Schantieman 13 Dec 04 - 12:51 PM
Snuffy 14 Dec 04 - 09:34 AM
toadfrog 29 Jan 05 - 08:07 PM
Q (Frank Staplin) 29 Jan 05 - 10:51 PM
Q (Frank Staplin) 29 Jan 05 - 11:46 PM
Snuffy 30 Jan 05 - 08:43 AM
GUEST 30 Jan 05 - 01:40 PM
Malcolm Douglas 30 Jan 05 - 01:55 PM
GUEST,Anne Croucher 30 Jan 05 - 02:22 PM
Q (Frank Staplin) 30 Jan 05 - 02:31 PM
Q (Frank Staplin) 30 Jan 05 - 02:50 PM
Malcolm Douglas 30 Jan 05 - 04:11 PM
Janet Elizabeth 18 Dec 08 - 10:20 AM
GUEST,Jon Dudley 18 Dec 08 - 11:15 AM
Fred McCormick 18 Dec 08 - 12:19 PM
Jim Dixon 20 Dec 08 - 02:39 PM
Rumncoke 20 Dec 08 - 03:58 PM
Phil Edwards 20 Dec 08 - 04:38 PM
Artful Codger 21 Nov 09 - 07:43 AM
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Subject: Lyr Add: SHEPHERDS ARISE (from Copper Family)
From: toadfrog
Date: 07 Jul 01 - 01:20 AM

This is an exceptionally beautiful Christmas song (you can even tell that despite the lousy pressing on the disk I have). There are one or two words I am not certain of. I am sure it is in the Copper Family Songbook, and must be available on CD. I have it on a Vinyl disk, designated Leader LED 2067. Preparing a MIDI would be a challenging task; I cannot even figure out the bass line in those Copper harmonies, but I can appreciate them! But if you have not heard this song, you should.

SHEPHERDS ARISE

(Traditional)

Shepherds arise, be not afraid, with hasty steps repair,
To David's City sent [?] on earth,
(With our blessed infant) with our blessed infant there.
With our blessed infant there, with our blessed infant there.

Sing, sing all earth! Sing sing all earth, eternal praises sing!
(To our redeemer) to our redeemer and our heavenly King.


Laid in a manger, viewed a [?] Child, humility divine.
Sweet in our senses, meek and mild
(Grace in His features shines! ) Grace in his features shines!
Grace in His features shines! Grace in his features shines!

For us the Savior came on earth, for us His life he gave.
To save us from eternal death,
(And to raise us from the grave) And to raise us from the graive,
To raise us from the grave, and to raise us from the grave.

Sung by Bob, Ron, and John Copper of Rottingdean, Sussex, first released in 1971.
JWM


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 07 Jul 01 - 09:10 AM

Leader LED 2067 was a selection of songs taken from the boxed set of 4 LPs, A Song For Every Season (Leader Records LEA 4046-4049, 1971); see  The 'Celtic Music/Dave Bulmer' saga  for details of why this and a great many other important recordings from the '60s and '70s are not available on CD.

A few corrections:

Verse 1, line 1: ...city, sin on earth,

("blessed" usually given as "blest")

Verse 2, line 2: Sweet innocence sounds meek and mild

For details of Copper Family publications and the texts of many of their songs, see Garry Gillard's  The Copper Family.

A midi made from the notation in Bob Copper's book, A Song For Every Season can be heard for the time being via The South Riding Folk Network site:

Shepherds Arise

It will also to the  Mudcat Midi Pages.  Normally I wouldn't include the bass part, but in this case it's an integral part of the song.  A midi is no substitute for hearing the real thing, though, especially in a case like this.

The book was reprinted a few years ago, and is available direct from Coppersongs; contact details at Garry's website.  It is a valuable "folklife" document, as well as being beautifully written; anybody at all interested in traditional song and in pre-industrial agricultural life should own a copy.  In the USA it is probably easiest to order it, and the family's two most recent recordings, through Dick Greenhaus's Camsco Music.  A 1950s recording of Bob and his late cousin Ron may be had from Sandy Paton's Folk-Legacy Records.  There are also archive recordings available from Peter Kennedy's Folktrax, but be warned: his site appears only to work in Internet Explorer, and Mr. Kennedy belongs to the "old school" of collectors; rumour has it that his source singers don't necessarily get royalties, though I have no personal knowledge of the truth or otherwise of this.

Malcolm


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: toadfrog
Date: 07 Jul 01 - 08:20 PM

This being an American website, I think "blessed" is correct. We pronounse "blessed" exactly like "blest," so that the non-conforming spelling is unnecessary. I even suspect the English do, too.

They sure do sing "sin" on earth, but that seemed so unreasonable I thought I must be hearing wrong.

I did not mean that the song was not available on CD, only that I thought it must be but was to lazy to look. In fact, "Shepherds' Arise" is in fact available from CAMSCO. As Mr. Douglas observes, my disk was complied from a four-disk set, so I can't tell whether the problem is with the set or the compilation. One suspects that the CD's are from the same masters as the 4 disk set. If the CD is as bad, as the disk I have, I would not buy it. Perhaps Dick Greenhaus can advise on that.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 07 Jul 01 - 09:06 PM

The Mudcat is based in America, but is an international forum.  I'd hate to have to conform to American spelling conventions when dealing with English songs!  I mentioned "blest" merely because that's the way the Coppers spell it in this context, and I think there's no harm in respecting their wishes.  "Sin on earth" is probably the result of a mis-hearing somewhere along the line, but it's what they sing, and therefore I quote it as such.  The CDs available from Camsco are completely different recordings from the Leader set, which as I said is unavailable, and they are much more recent, made with the benefits of up-to-date technology, so there's no need to fear for their quality.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: toadfrog
Date: 08 Jul 01 - 03:16 AM

Mr. Douglas, I neglected to state that I much appreciate your attention to the song. As you say, it needs a bass. I would have listened to the MIDI, but unfortunately my speaker just died.

Quite right, they do sing "sin," I thought I was agreeing with you. If it is correct that the CAMSCO recording is different from mine, that is a good thing. I think I will get the CAMSCO one and pitch mine. So thanks for the advice.

Notwithstanding the above, it seems to me that "blest" is at best an unsatisfactory attemt at writing dialect, like "wuz" for was. It is things like that which make the DT hard to navigate. Like I recently tried to find "Hurrah, my Yellow Gals, Do to Let Me Go." No luck; it's "Hooraw, Me Yeller Gals, Doodle [Etc.]." What is the use of that?


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: pavane
Date: 08 Jul 01 - 04:08 AM

It has also been recorded by Peter Ballamy and Chris Birch, on the limited edition cassette Fair Annie, I believe.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: pavane
Date: 08 Jul 01 - 04:09 AM

Finger trouble - Bellamy not Ballamy! I must read more carefully before submitting.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jul 01 - 06:00 AM

A typo down to me too, pavane. I discovered when I clicked on the link kindly provided by Malcolm to my site that I had this song as "Shepherds arouse". Whoops!

Garry


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 08 Jul 01 - 09:21 AM

On a technical point, "Blest" was a standard form used in poetry and song; it isn't intended to represent dialect, but to indicate that the word is to be given one syllable rather than the two which might be inferred from "Blessed".  Of course, to confuse the issue, "Blessèd" was often used to indicate a two-syllable value; it's one of those inconsistencies which plague poetic orthography.  The whole thing is of no real consequence in the grand scheme of things.  And please, Toadfrog, do call me Malcolm; however old I get, "Mr. Douglas" will always be my father!

Malcolm


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 01:11 AM

It's also on my Christmas CD "Goodwill To Men" in 3-part harmony, as well as on one of the Voice Squad's CDs.

All the best.

Seamus


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: GeorgeH
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 07:59 AM

It's also recorded by Home Service on "The Mysteries" - see the "Sharpe's Rifles" thread (where someone asked for info. on John Tams).

In case it's not clear from Malcolm's (as ever excellent) contribution . . The Leader/Trailer A Song for Every Season is from a slightly earlier selection of the Copper Family to the Camsco CDs Malcolm referred to . . and both the 4 LP set and the one LP selection have been "Bulmered".

G.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 10:11 AM

To the best of my knowledge, Coppersongs2 and Coppersongs3 are new recordings; not copies of older releases.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: GeorgeH
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 12:50 PM

Indeed, Dick . . . sorry, I was being lazy.

The "Bulmered" A Song for every season was recorded in 1971, and a modest search of the Coppers web site linked to from Malcolm's first post doen't tell me who recorded on it . .

Coppersongs 1 (1987)
features Bob, John, Jill, Lynne & Jon, joined on one track by Ben, Lucy, Tom, with one track from the BBC archive from 1952 with Jim & John (Snr), Bob & Ron.

Coppersongs 2 (1995)
features John, Jon, Bob plus one other whom I imagine is Jill (the track listings say All so I'm going from the sleeve picture for the fourth person . .)

Coppersongs 3 (1998)
features Bob, John, Jon, Jill, Ben, Lucy, Tom, Mark, Andy, Sean; i.e three generations of the family . .

HTH (info. extracted from the site just mentioned).

G.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 12:58 PM

A Song For Every Season featured Bob, Ron, Jill and John.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Garry Gillard
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 05:09 AM

Sorry my info was a bit inadequate. My main interest is in the songs, and I should remember that other ppl have other interests as well.

I shall return to that page when time permits.

Great cover art, isn't it?

Garry


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Ringer
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 12:02 PM

Toadfrog: if you read Psalm 1 in the King James Version of the Bible, Blessed is the man that walketh not... etc, do you still pronounce it "blest"?


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: GeorgeH
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 02:10 PM

No, that's usually Bless-ed, two sylables.

Given where I've been spending too much of my Mudcat time I suppose "Bless-ed are the peacmakers" would be a more appropriate text, though . ."

Oh - has anyone any idea what Garry Gillard's post is about? Or has it fallen into the wrong thread?

G.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: MMario
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 02:14 PM

I think he was reacting to the posting of additional information following a comment that it couldn't be found on his site.

But he didn't seem upset.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: toadfrog
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 05:05 PM

Bald Eagle: The King James Version of the Bible, although published in the 16th Century, is written in 15th Century English - the language of Tyndale and Coverdale. It is no longer idiomatic. And Bless-ed is just how it is normally read in Church.

Let me ask this, Bald Eagle: If you were writing a novel, would you write "blest," or "blessed"? How about a business letter? Or a newspaper column.

I think anyone who reads the lyrics of "Shepherds Arise" can tell that it is not pronounced "bless-ed," because with that pronunciation it wouldn't scan. So the only point of writing "blest" would be to preserve the text exactly as it appears in the songbook. Well, as noted above, Stan Hugill's songbook also says, "Hooraw, me Yeller Gals, doodle let me go," and Mudcat faithfully preserves that spelling. Stuff like that makes it hard as hell to find things on Mudcat. And people's inability to find lyrics on DT (or in the forum) is a problem often subject to comment here. So I respectfully submit that this consideration should outweigh any imagined need to preserve quaint usages.

O.k.?


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 05:22 PM

I thought it was Blessed are the Cheesemakers !


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Hawker
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 07:54 PM

Regal Slip do a wonderful version of this wonderful carol
Lucy


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Subject: Lyr Add: SING, SING ALL EARTH (from Maddy Prior)
From: Snuffy
Date: 23 May 03 - 09:11 AM

A different version from here

Maddy Prior: Sing, Sing All Earth
[English trad. (Copper, 1971 / Pickard-Cambridge, 1926), arr. Watts]


Maddy Prior and the Carival Band recorded this carol on their 1997 Christmas tour for their live album Carols At Christmas. Another live recording, from the Maddy Prior, Family & Friends Christmas tour of 1999, was released on the CD Ballads And Candles.

SING, SING ALL EARTH

Chorus
Sing! Sing all earth!
Sing! Sing all earth! Eternal praises sing,
To our Redeemer
To our Redeemer and our heavenly King!
Shepherds arise, be not afraid;
With hasty steps repair
To David's city: see the maid
With her blest Infant there.

Chorus

For us the saviour came on earth,
For us his life he gave,
To save us from eternal death,
And raise us from the grave.

Chorus

To Jesus Christ, our glorious King,
Be endless praises given.
Let all on earth his mercies sing,
Who made our peace in heaven!

Chorus


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Subject: Lyr Add: SHEPHERDS ARISE (from Home Service)
From: Snuffy
Date: 23 May 03 - 09:13 AM

Home Service's lyrics are here

SHEPHERDS ARISE
(Trad. arr. Anthony Ingle/Howard Evans)

Shepherds arise be not afraid
With hasty steps repair
To David's city seen on earth
With our blessed infant there
With our blessed infant there, with our blessed infant there

Sing, sing all earth
Sing, sing all earth eternal praises sing
To our Redeemer, to our Redeemer
And our heavenly king

Laid in a manger viewed a child
Humility divine
Sweet innocence sounds meek and mild
Grace in his features shine
Grace in his features shine, grace in his features shine

For us our saviour came on earth
For us his life he gave
To save us from eternal death
To raise us from the grave
To raise us from the grave, to raise us from the grave


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Subject: Lyr Add: SHEPHERDS ARISE (from The Voice Squad)
From: Snuffy
Date: 23 May 03 - 09:16 AM

And here's what The Voice Squad make of it

9. Shepherds Arise

This is from the singing of the Copper family, of Rottingdean in Sussex, who developed a style of harmony-singing derived from village church music. Their family manuscript song-books trace this tradition back through six generations.

SHEPHERDS ARISE

Shepherds arise, be not afraid, with hasty steps repair,
To David's city, sing all earth, unto Our Blessed Infant,
To Our Blessed Infant there, to Our Blessed Infant there, to Our Blessed Infant there.

CHORUS:
Sing, sing all earth, sing sing all earth eternal praises,
Sing unto Our Redeemer, Unto Our Redeemer and Our Heavenly King.

Laid in a manger, view the Child humility divine, sweet innocence and meek and mild,
Grace in His features, in His features shines,
Grace in His features shines, grace in His features shines.

CHORUS.

For us a Saviour came on earth, for us His life he gave,
To save us from eternal death and to raise us from and to raise us from the grave,
To raise us from the grave, to raise us from the grave.

CHORUS.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Snuffy
Date: 23 May 03 - 09:19 AM

Sin on earth
See the maid
Seen on earth
Sing all earth

You pays your money and you takes your choice!


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: GUEST,Jon Dudley
Date: 23 May 03 - 09:56 AM

What a merry Mudcatting time I'm having!

A couple of points arising from this thread...yes we do sing 'sin on earth' and nice to hear from Garry Gillard, by the way Garry's fine website for The Copper Family now resides at

www.thecopperfamily.com

An interesting aside to this is Bob's story of how he was 'phoned by a German doctor shortly before one Christmas, the doctor requesting some merchandise. After polite chit chat the good doctor remarked in his perfect English, "May I thank you and your family, Mr.Copper for that fine carol Shepherds Arise"
"think nothing of it,doc" says Bob, "you gave us Silent Night so have Shepherds Arise in return!"


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: GUEST,Val
Date: 23 May 03 - 02:01 PM

The New Scorpion Band have a brilliant version of it on their 'The Carnal and the Crane' CD - five voices in harmony and more instruments than you can shake a stick at!


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: GUEST,Val
Date: 23 May 03 - 02:05 PM

I've just checked and there'a a link on their website to the recordings page, which has a soundclip of this very song. I'm not even going to attempt a link from here, but just look up New Scorpion Band and you'll get there.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 23 May 03 - 03:11 PM

New Scorpion Band recordings page (click)


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 23 May 03 - 04:35 PM

To return to Blest, bless'd.

The American Webster's Collegiate Dictionary recognizes blest (although blessed is more common and pronounced blest); it is used by many Americans. It is neither dialect nor 'quaint' nor exclusively English nor exclusively poetic. Often abbreviated in the 19th C. as bless'd.
Blessèd (sometimes blesséd) is generally considered by Americans to be poetic or biblical.

Odd how "Sing all earth" got mis-heard as sin on earth, sent on earth, etc. Or did it? "Sin on Earth" appears in versions other that those mentioned above. There are many printed copies of this carol which, as far as we know, dates to the 16th century in Sussex. It seems The Copper Family does have it both ways in different versions.
Peter Bellamy sang an excellent rendition of this song, I don't have the recording so I don't know whether he used sing or sin.

Snuffy's Home Service lyrics are as good as any. The Grand Union Folk Club of Leicestershire has it with others on their website (with 'Sin on earth'). Carols


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: GUEST,Sarah
Date: 13 Dec 04 - 10:32 AM

All this sin/sing thing is very puzzling. I learned this carol from my parents and have never seen it written down til today. I've no doubt about the line ''to David's city, since on earth lies our blest infant there.'' At least that actually makes sense as a sentence!


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Schantieman
Date: 13 Dec 04 - 12:51 PM

Perhaps David's city (Bethlehem) was considered to represent sin on Earth, hence the second phrase is explanatory of the first.

Is that what I mean?

S


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Snuffy
Date: 14 Dec 04 - 09:34 AM

See the maid is the only one that rhymes with be not afraid. That's the clincher for me.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: toadfrog
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 08:07 PM

But they do not necessarily rhyme. And a problem with "see the maid" is that it makes no more sense than "sin on earth," and also does not sound like what the Copper Family actually sings.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 10:51 PM

Odd that the lyrics as posted by the Copper Family Web Site are not here.

SHEPHERDS ARISE

Shepherds arise, be not afraid, with hasty steps *prepare
To David's city, sin on earth,
With our blest Infant- with our blest Infant there,
With our blest Infant there, with our blest Infant there.

Sing, sing, all earth, sing, sing, all earth eternal praises sing
To our Redeemer, to our Redeemer and our heavenly King.

Laid in a manger viewed a child, humility Divine,
Sweet innocence sounds meek and mild.
Grace in his features- grace in his features shine,
Grace in his features shine, grace in his features shine.
Sing, sing, all earth, sing, sing, all earth eternal praises sing
To our Redeemer, to our Redeemer and our heavenly King.

For us the Saviour came on earth, for us his life he gave,
To save us from eternal death
And to raise us from- and to raise us from the grave
To raise us from the grave and to raise us from the grave.
Sing, sing, all earth, sing, sing, all earth eternal praises sing
To our Redeemer, to our Redeemer, and our heavenly King.

Blessed, bless'd, blest. Argument is pointless, all are acceptable, in U. S. A., Canada, or UK. I would guess that, if the carol is from an old book or sheet, that bless'd was the original, which would be pronounced as blest. See Malcolm's post, above.

Sin on earth- Didn't He come as a Redeemer? This was already alluded to by Shantieman.
Prior's version- I see nothing wrong with 'maid.' Wasn't she supposed to be a virgin?
*prepare- sic


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 11:46 PM

Just checked the OED. Prepare, in the sense of repair, or to go, is old usage, but was in print in the late 18th c. and thus probably was used well into the 19th c.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Snuffy
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 08:43 AM

Toadfrog

But they do not necessarily rhyme. It rhymes at the same place in the other two verses

And a problem with "see the maid" is that it makes no more sense than "sin on earth,": "Sin on earth" is totally disconnected from anything else around it and serves what function? "See the maid and her blest infant there" is a good reason to repair/prepare to David's city

and also does not sound like what the Copper Family actually sings. I agree there - ever heard of the folk process? Many Copper songs have been handed down from father to son until the handle dropped off and the sense got lost.


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Subject: Lyr Add: SHEPHERDS REJOICE
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 01:40 PM

Here's another version, with slightly different words. The tune is "Auld Lang Syne."

SHEPHERDS REJOICE

"Shepherds, rejoice! Lift up your eyes,
And send your fears away;
News from the regions of the skies,
Salvation's born today.
Jesus, the God whom angels fear,
Comes down to dwell with you;
Today He makes His entrance here,
But not as monarchs do.

"No gold nor purple swaddling bands,
Nor royal shining things;
A manger for His cradle stands,
And holds the King of kings.
Go, shepherds, where the Infant lies,
And see His humble throne;
With tears of joy in all your eyes,
Go, shepherds, kiss the Son."

Thus Gabriel sang, and straight around
The heav'nly armies throng;
They tune their harps to lofty sound,
And thus conclude the song:
"Glory to God who reigns above!
Let peace surround the earth!
Mortals shall know their Maker's love,
At their Redeemer's birth."

Padre


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 01:55 PM

That appears to be a completely different song. I don't think there's any relation.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: GUEST,Anne Croucher
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 02:22 PM

I thought the line was 'To David's citisen on Earth'

The extension of the first part of the word would separate it into city and sen - particularly if there was a snatched breath between.

It makes slightly more sense than the 'sin on Earth' version, I supose.

Anne


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 02:31 PM

Yes, a different carol. The words to "Shepherds, Rejoice!" were written by Isaac Watts. Three versions at Hymns and Carols of Christmas: Shepherds Rejoice


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 02:50 PM

The song is one that is traditionally sung in the Copper Family, according to their website: Copper Family

Anne, You and Toadfrog could write to them and tell them that their singing doesn't make sense to you.

For those in UK, I see that there is to be a celebration of their life and music at the Cecil Sharp House, April 2, 2005, tickets available at the door.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 04:11 PM

The Copper family have already commented on the issue in this thread: see Jon Dudley's post further up the page. Jon is Jill's husband (Bob's son-in-law) and has sung with the rest of the family for many years.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Janet Elizabeth
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 10:20 AM

Apparently there is a Dorset version of Shepherds Arise which, to my mind, has much more sensible words in line 3 - and they rhyme! It goes:

Shepherds, arise, be not afraid
With hasty steps repair
To Bethlehem city - see the maid
With her blest Infant there.

This is version sung by Tim Laycock & the New Scoprion Band in The Carnal And the Crane, 2001. Lyrics written out with references,(!)at

http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/shepherds_arise_be_not_afraid.htm

This http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/ is a site I hadn't seen before yesterday. Looks jolly good!


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: GUEST,Jon Dudley
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 11:15 AM

Nevertheless, Lady E, I think we'll keep singing the same old nonsense anyway.

BTW, going right back to the beginning of this thread (some seven years ago now) and its references to the Copper Family 4 album set 'A Song for every Season' being in the possession of a Mr.Bulmer...I wouldn't be so sure of that.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 12:19 PM

I've just been through this thread and there does not seem to be any mention of the fact that Bob and Ron Copper recorded it for the BBC in 1955, and their recording subsequently appeared on volume 9 of the Caedmon/Topic Folksongs of Britain series, Songs of Christmas/Ceremony. Topic 12T 197. That particular recording has been re-released on Songs of Christmas from the Alan Lomax Collection. Rounder CD 1719.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 02:39 PM

The lyrics and tune of SHEPHERDS ARISE are printed on pages 62-63 of "A Book of Folk Carols" compiled and edited by Paul McDowell and Kenneth MacKinnon (Enstone: Writersworld, 2004). Google Book Search allows a preview of some parts of this book, but not those pages.

I hoped to find it in an older book that was in the public domain, but I didn't succeed.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Rumncoke
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 03:58 PM

Hmm - well - 'citisen' makes enough sense for me.

What a twit that Q is - I never saw his/her suggestion before or I would have commented earlier.

It can be very diffcult to decypher the words from the sounds - hence all the wonderful mondegreens which are discussed in another thread.

Anne


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 04:38 PM

references to the Copper Family 4 album set 'A Song for every Season' being in the possession of a Mr.Bulmer... I wouldn't be so sure of that.

Mmmm?

(I recently bought a copy of the one-LP selection & would love to replace it with the full Monty, as it were.)


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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Shepherds Arise
From: Artful Codger
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 07:43 AM

The New Oxford Book of Carols includes this song as no. 147, with music transcribed from a Coppers' recording but lyrics from the version published by Pickard-Cambridge; the only retained Copperism is "David's city". Apparently the editors felt the Pickard-Cambridge music was overly "corrected".

A scan of the Pickard-Cambridge sheet music, from A Collection of Dorset Carols (London: A. W. Ridley & Co., 1926), as well as a corresponding 4-part MIDI, can be found through the link Lady Elizabeth posted, clickified here for your convenience:

Hymns and Carols of Christmas: Shepherds Arise! Be Not Afraid


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