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Lyr ADD: Wexford Carol

06 Dec 96 - 01:24 AM (#661)
Subject: wexford carol lyrics
From: Lisa Moscatiello

Hi there. I'm looking for lyrics to "the wexford carol" Thanks! Lisa

06 Dec 96 - 11:25 PM (#670)
Subject: RE: wexford carol lyrics
From: dick greenhaus

Hi- Do you remember any of the words?

09 Dec 96 - 05:46 AM (#692)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE WEXFORD CAROL
From: Colm Doyle

Hello Lisa, here are the lyrics for you. Does anybody know the history of the song? I remember hearing once that it was collected from a traditional singer in Wexford.

Colm

THE WEXFORD CAROL

Good people all, this Christmas-time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our Lord for us has done
In sending his beloved Son.
With Mary holy we should pray
To God with love this Christmas day;
In Bethlehem upon that morn
There was a blessed Messiah born.

The night before that happy tide
The noble Virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town.
But mark now well what came to pass;
From every door repelled alas!
As long foretold, their refuge all
Was but an humble ox's stall.

There were three wise men from afar
Directed by a glorious star,
And on they wandered night and day
Until they came where Jesus lay,
And when they came unto that place
Where our beloved Messiah was,
They humbly cast them at his feet,
With gifts of gold and incense sweet.

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep;
To whom God's angels did appear,
Which put the shepherds in great fear.
'Prepare and go', the angles said.
'To Bethlehem, be not afraid:
For there you'll find, this happy morn,
A princely babe, sweet Jesus born.

With thankful heart and joyful mind,
The shepherds went the babe to find,
And as God's angel had foretold,
They did our saviour Christ behold.
Within a manger he was laid,
And by his side the virgin maid,
Attending on the Lord of life,
Who came on earth to end all strife.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 9-Feb-02.

09 Dec 96 - 06:53 AM (#693)
Subject: RE: wexford carol lyrics
From: Martin Ryan

There are several "Wexford Carols". the one listed by Colm is usually called the "Enniscorthy Carol". It was collected by a man clled Grattan Flood a the turn of the century. Details are in the Oxford Book of Carols - at least in the 1920's edition I have!

Thaere is a peculiar tradition of carol-singing in a Wexford village called Kilmnore Quay - but this is not one of theirs.

See the Voice Squad albums for this and others. Best Wishes

Martin Ryan

09 Dec 96 - 09:21 PM (#708)
Subject: RE: wexford carol lyrics
From: dick greenhaus

Hi- thanx.

10 Jun 99 - 12:14 PM (#85546)
Subject: RE: wexford carol lyrics
From: Ciaran

HELP!! I was watching Sibin on TnaG a couple of weeks ago and I heard a beautiful song by Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill and The Voice Squad. The researcher at TnaG tells me the song was The Wexford Carol but the song I heard was nothing like the one mentioned in this thread. Some of the lyrics sounded like..."Lulee lulay, my darling child....flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone....etc" Does anybody have the words to this version, or can you point me to a CD with it on ???

10 Jun 99 - 12:36 PM (#85554)
Subject: RE: wexford carol lyrics
From: Alice

Ciaran, we had quite a discussion on this before Christmas last year, when I was looking for versions and translations for a friend's choir. Some of the discussion went on by email, but the results were posted. Look at Christ Child Lullaby -alice

10 Jun 99 - 02:32 PM (#85596)
Subject: RE: wexford carol lyrics
From: Philippa

The mystery deepens. The Lullay, lullay bit immediately leads me to think of the Coventry Carol which indeed the Voice Squad have recorded (The Voice Squad "Good People All" Shanachie track 6 The Coventry Carol). But the lyrics given on the DT COVENTRY CAROL don't have any 'bone of my bone' type lines. Well, perhaps there's a Wexford version with more lines, or maybe you heard a composite song. The standard Coventry Carol lyrics appear on many websites. Alison provided midi and ABC on a Mudcat thread
There's audial at this carol site
and sheet music at a href=http://www.rememberjosie.org/xmas/s7272a.html
Your best bet is probably the Voice Squad recording of Coventry Carol. Let us know how you get on.
Alice, I enjoyed your link too.

15 Jun 99 - 03:43 AM (#86778)
Subject: RE: wexford carol lyrics
From: Ciaran

Oh my! Now things are really getting confusing - I've read all your suggestions and had a look around and it looks as though I heard a composite song. I did tape the show, but unfortunately my darling child (lul-ly, lul-lay)has taped Kids TV over the top of it! I have a request in with TnaG to try and get another copy, so if it arrives I'll let you know! Thanks a million, to you all.

15 Jun 99 - 06:01 AM (#86795)
Subject: RE: wexford carol lyrics
From: Ciaran

GOT IT !!!! The song was 'Wexford Lullaby' and was recorded by John Renbourn (of Pentangle fame) on his 'Traveller's Prayer' album. The Voice Squad and Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill appear on this track and the title track. Do please try and listen to this beautiful song - it will absolutely knock your socks off! Thanks again for all the help. Ciaran.

15 Jun 99 - 08:15 AM (#86809)
Subject: RE: wexford carol lyrics
From: Philippa

a Chiaráin, Tá sonas orm le cluinnstin gur eirigh leat an t-amhrán a fháil. An bhfuil sé cosúl leis an "Coventry Carol" no nach bhfuil?
It's good of Ciarán to return and tell us his good news.

07 Jul 99 - 09:11 AM (#93057)
Subject: RE: Wexford carol lyrics
From: Philippa

Today in the library, I came across a book of Wexford carols. D O Muirithe, ed. (music transcribed by Seoirse Bodley) (both men of repute in their respective fields)"The Wexford Carols". Dolmen Press, Portlaoise, Ireland, 1982. Some of the carols in the book come from a book published in 1684 by the Bishops of Ferns, Luke Waddinge, "A Smale Garland of Pious and Godley Song" and some from the 18th century Father Deveraux' "A New Garland ..." - which may give us some idea of how so many carols are associated with Wexford.

28 Nov 01 - 11:07 PM (#599898)
Subject: RE: wexford carol lyrics
From: Alice

Click Here for a sound file of "Good People All", otherwise known as the Enniscorthy Carol or the Wexford Carol. I learned the verses in a different order than the way Colm posted, with the verse of the Wise Men last.

Alice Flynn

30 Nov 01 - 08:30 PM (#601326)
Subject: RE: wexford carol lyrics
From: Alice

Good old threads (all the way from Christmas 1996) never die!

Alice

03 Mar 03 - 10:52 AM (#902364)
Subject: RE: wexford carol lyrics
From: GUEST,Philippa

The lyrics that Colm submitted are known as the Enniscorthy Carol. someverses translated to Irish, and abc for tune, are in the Irish Language Wexford Carol page; click the link ner the top of the page (before the messages)

08 Dec 18 - 01:24 AM (#3965381)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wexford Carol
From: Joe Offer

I came across a performance by Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss that I really enjoyed:

08 Dec 18 - 04:26 AM (#3965401)
Subject: RE: ADD: Wexford Carol
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan

A great favourite of mine. It always seems to me like a a set of postcards neatly capturing the essentials. A corner of my brain says that it’s originally Welsh, despite Grattan Flood having collected it in Enniscorthy. Must check ...

Regards

16 Dec 23 - 04:28 PM (#4193707)
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Wexford Carol
From: GUEST,IS

Does anyone have any recommendations for field recordings of the full cycle of Kilmore Carols (Wexford Carols)? Otherwise of revivalist recordings which are close enough to the tradition for enjoyment?

16 Dec 23 - 05:39 PM (#4193712)
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Wexford Carol
From: Joe Offer

Hi, IS - the Wikipedia article has a nice list of recordings, but maybe not field recordings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilmore_Carols

16 Dec 23 - 06:39 PM (#4193715)
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Wexford Carol
From: Matthew Edwards

The Kilmore Carol Singers sang at the Festival of Village Carols at Grenoside, near Sheffield, in 2006 where they performed a selection from the cycle. It was a wonderful experience to listen to them. Garland Films made a DVD recording of the Festival, Garland Films GAR019, but I don't think copies are still on sale.
The DVD includes seven of the carols:-
The Darkest Midnight
Christmas Day is Come
St Stephen's Day Carol
The Enniscorthy Carol
Song for New Year's Day
Jerusalem
Carol for the Twelfth Day

I know that RTÉ have some recordings, and it may be worth searching their site to see if any are still available online.

Good luck with your search.

16 Dec 23 - 06:53 PM (#4193717)
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Wexford Carol
From: Matthew Edwards

Here is a link to an archived RTÉ programme broadcast on 25 December 1981 about the history of the Kilmore carols Darkest Midnight in December
I haven't yet had time to listen to the programme fully, and I am not sure whether the link will work for everyone.

17 Dec 23 - 04:25 PM (#4193771)
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Wexford Carol
From: GUEST,IS

Thanks Joe and Matthew! These insights are much appreciated. I'll try to track down that DVD and I look forward to listening to that documentary.