Transcription
A CollectionofChristmas Carolsselected, transcribed, and editedbybenjamin bloomfieldSixth edition, 6 april 2020This work is free of known copyright restrictions.The latest version of this book is always available at: http://aCollectionOfChristmasCarols.comCover artwork, Song of the Angels, painted in 1881 by William-Andolphe Bouguereau; downloaded fromwikipaintings.orgInside cover artwork illustrated by Arthur Hughes, as found in Christmas Carols, New and Old;downloaded from 1 i.jpg
contentsAd cantus lætitiæ.146Adeste Fideles . 12All my heart this night rejoices.64All this night bright angels sing . 142Alma Redemptoris Mater . 196Although at Yule it Bloweth Cool.79The Angel Gabriel.49Angels from the Realms of Glory.77Angels We Have Heard on High.22Angelus ad Virginem . 50As Jacob with travel was weary one day . 167As Lately We Watched.85As With Gladness Men of Old.67Auld Lang Syne . 206Ave Jesu Deus.121Away in a Manger . 28, 29The Babe of Bethlehem.134Behould a sely tender babe.162Blessed be that Maid Marie.99The Boar’s Head Carol.76Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella!.48Carol for Christmas Day.142A Carol for Christmas Eve.58Carol for Christmas Eve.26Carol of the Bells.108Carol of the Birds . 89Carol of the Shepherds.54A Child this day is born.15Christ Was Born on Christmas Day.36Christians, Awake, Salute the Happy Morn .60Christmas Bells . 113Christmas Day.84Christmas is Coming.9, 10A Christmas Round.192Christmas Song.164Christmas Time is Come Again.147Chrystmasse of Olde.144Come All Ye Shepherds.54Come Thou Long Expected Jesus.4Come! Tune Your Heart.126Come Ye Lofty.117Conditor alme siderum.9Congaudeat turba fidelium.90Corde Natus.122The Coventry Carol.62, 63Cradle Hymn . 103A Cradle-Song of the Blessed Virgin.166Creator alme siderum.8Dashing through the snow.114A Day, a Day of Glory . 148Deck the Hall . 112Ding dong ding.33Ding Dong Merrily on High.32Earth Today Rejoices.149Es ist ein Ros entsprungen.92The first good joy that Mary had.66The First Noël.16Flos de radice Jesse . 92The Friendly Beasts.78From Church to Church.91From far away . 138From Heaven High I Come to You.76Fum, Fum, Fum.176Gaudete.194Glad Christmas Bells.104Glorious, Beauteous, Golden-Bright.194Gloucestershire Wassail.74God Loved the World.135God rest you Chrysten gentilmen.144God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen.52God’s dear Son.132The Golden Carol.105Good Christian Men, Rejoice.73Good King Wenceslas.42, 43Good people all, this Christmas time.56The Great God of Heaven is come down to earth.130Hacia Belén va una burra . 177Hail! Holy Child, Lain In An Oxen Manger.152Hark! a Herald Voice is Calling.6Hark! how the bells . 108Hark! the Herald Angels Sing.18Here we come a wassailing.75Ho! Steward, Bid My Servants.150Hodie Christus natus est.192The Holly and the Ivy.96, 97How Great Our Joy!.136Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber.103Hymn for Christmas Day .40I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.89I saw a fair Mayden syttin and sing.186I Saw Three Ships.65If angels sung a Savior’s birth.191Il est né le divin Enfant.174In Bethlehem, that noble place.141In Dulci Jubilo.70, 71, 72In natali Domini.44In Terra Pax.188In the Bleak Midwinter.180, 182The Incarnation.130Infant Holy, Infant Lowly.173Infant of days, yet Lord of Life.188It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.20
It was the very noon of night.168Jacob’s Ladder.167Jesu, hail! O God most holy.120Jesus in the Manger.136Jesus our brother kind and good.78Jesus the Light of the World.19Jingle Bells.114Jolly Old Saint Nicholas.116Joseph, O Dear Joseph Mine.38Joy to the World! . 14Kling Glöckchen . 172Lætentur Cæli.183Like silver lamps in a distant shrine.118Listen Lordings unto me.26Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.93The Lord at first had Adam made.58Lullay, Thou Little Tiny Child . 62Make we joy now in this fest.153The Manger Throne . 118Masters in This Hall . 23Methinks I see an heav’nly Host.184Milford.191The moon shines bright . 128Myn Lyking.186New Prince, New Pompe.162Noël Nouvelet.175Now the Holly bears a berry . 143O Christmas Tree.110O Come, All Ye Faithful . 13O Come, Divine Messiah.5O Come, Little Children.94O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.2O Du Fröhliche . 88O Holy Night.80O Little Town of Bethlehem.39O Magnum Mysterium.198O Tannenbaum.111Of the Father’s Love Begotten . 124Oh how lovely is the evening.113On Christmas Night all Christians Sing.98On Jordan’s Bank.6On the Birthday of the Lord.45On the first day of Christmas.24On yesternight I saw a sight.86Once again O blessed time.164Once in Royal David’s City . 46Orientis Partibus . 79Past Three a Clock.47Pat-a-Pan.68Personent Hodie.201, 202Puer Natus in Bethlehem.154Puer nobis nascitur . 158Quem Pastores.163Ring Out, Wild Bells.203, 204Rise Up, Shepherds, and Follow.100Riu Riu Chiu.178The Sans Day Carol . 143Saw ye never in the twilight.107See Amid the Winter’s Snow.40The Seven Joys of Mary.66Shepherds! Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep.21Shiloh.184Should auld acquaintance be forgot.206Silent Night . 35Sleep, Holy Babe!.101The Son of God is born for all.156Still, Still, Still.171Stille Nacht.34The Story of the Shepherd . 168The Stranger Star.107The Sussex Carol.98Sweet was the song the Virgin sung.170There’s a Song in the Air!.95There’s a star in the east . 100This Endris Night . 88To us is born a little Child.159To Us This Morn a Child is Born.160Tollite Hostias.192The Truth from Above.102’Twas in a Cave on Christmas Morn.161’Twas in the winter cold.127The Twelve Days of Christmas . 24Unto us is born a Son.158Up! Good Christen Folk and Listen . 33Veni, Veni, Emmanuel . 3The Virgin and Child.86The virgin stills the crying . 166A Virgin Unspotted.30The Waits’ Song.128Wake all music’s magic powers . 84Wake, O Wake! with Tidings Thrilling.7The Wassail Song . 75Wassail, Wassail . 74Watchman, Tell Us of the Night.69We saw a light shine out afar.105We Three Kings of Orient Are.106We Wish You a Merry Christmas.113The Wexford Carol . 56What Child is This?.41When Angelick Host Entuned.160When Christ Was Born of Mary Free! . 17Whence comes this rush of wings afar?.89While by the sheep we watched at night.136While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks.55Why Most Highest art Thou lying?.136Willie, get your little drum.68
1prefaceSeveral years ago, I found an old collection of Christmas carols on the Internet, originally published in thelate 1800s, called Christmas Carols, New and Old, the music edited by Sir John Stainer and the words byHenrey Ramsden Bramley. Just before Christmas 2010, I had this collection printed as a book throughLulu.com, and I enjoyed some of its more obscure carols enough that I thought I might combine them into asingle volume containing Christmas carols from several different sources. So in early 2011, I set aboutcreating such a book by simply taking pages from several old collections of Christmas music and combiningthem into a single volume. I thought briefly of taking the trouble of making new engravings of all the music,but it seemed an enormous task: though I had used a program called Lilypond to engrave music in the past,the amount of music I wanted to include would take many days of transcribing and proofreading, and it didnot seem necessary at the time.I had this collection ready (and in its third edition, the first edition having been merely a draft, and thesecond edition lacking Gaudete) in time for Christmas 2011, but after giving a few away as Christmas gifts, Idecided that the book in its current form was not ideal, and worthwhile improvements could be made bymaking new engravings of all the music. Thus, I have taken the trouble of transcribing everything intoLilypond for this new edition. In this way, I have also been able to add nearly 60 more songs to thecollection, including a handful of Advent hymns and two songs, Ring Out Wild Bells and Auld Lang Syne, incelebration of the new year, which always begins a week after Christmas. To make the book more affordable,I have published it through CreateSpace instead of Lulu, and in hopes that others may also find it useful, Ihave made it available for purchase on Amazon.com, where it should be easier to find.In selecting the songs, I have tried to include all the public domain carols that are well-known, as well asthose which I have found appealing. Some songs I sought out specifically, and others I had never heardbefore finding them in older collections while preparing the present volume, having looked through severalsuch books, including The Cowley Carol Book (1919), The Cambridge Carol Book (1924), the aforementionedChristmas Carols, New and Old (1871), as well as the several Christmas carols found in Favorite Songs andHymns for School and Home (1899). In a few cases I have slightly edited the music from the sourcearrangement, and in rarer cases I have slightly modified the text. In perhaps the rarest of cases, I haveanonymously arranged a handful of the songs myself.In ordering the songs, I have attempted to interleave the more well-known songs with those tending furthertoward obscurity. However, the obscure carols seemed to outnumber those I expect to be well-known, whichled to a section beginning not long after the middle of the book consisting entirely of carols of relativeobscurity. This is followed by a handful of carols of foreign origin, which are followed by a few more carolsand part songs. However, these sections are rather nebulous and songs may occasionally seem out of placewithin the book.In laying out the music, I have tried to avoid setting lyrics for additional verses too far below the music itself,because of the difficulty involved in continually glancing back and forth between the music and the words.Thus, some songs have the exact same music printed several times, sometimes with a chorus also doubled,though sometimes the chorus is given only once even when the verses are doubled.In a few cases I have included the original foreign-language words as well as an English translation, but inother cases this was impossible, for Bramley and Stainer, while noting which texts were translations, werenot so thoughtful as to include the names of the original texts, and I have only been able to find the sourcetexts for a few of them. There are also a few foreign-language carols for which I have not included anyEnglish translation.Benjamin BloomfieldCincinnati, 2012
2adventO Come, O Come, EmmanuelTranslated by John Mason Neale (1818–1866)15th Century French 1.2.3.4.OOOOcome, O come, Em mancome, Thou Wis dom fromcome, O come, Thou Lordcome, Thou Rod of Jes lone lypath oftimes didsthell Thy 21 ileledgetheple u Make safe the way that leadsDis perse the gloom y cloudsBid Thou our sad di vis Israel,mightily;nai’s height,Siran ny;tysom cap tive’rest all thingsThy tribes, onfrom Sa tan’s Un til the Son ofAnd teach us in herIn cloud, and maj esAnd give them vic t’ryShall come to thee, OGodwaystyo’er Is on high, And close the path to misof night, And death’s dark shad ows putions cease, And be Thy self our King vid, come, And o pen wide our heav’nand cheer Our spi rits by Thine adtions, bind In one the hearts of all el 5. O come, Thou Key ofDa6. O come, Thou Day Spring, come7. O come, De sire ofna hereshow,Law,save, manRe joice! Re joice! Emranordtoown exknowgivepeo That mourns inus theToInan cientFrom depths of u el, Andon high, Whoof might, Whose, free Thine 13 ap pear.to go.and awe.the grave. ra el. ly home;vent here;man kind; ery.to flight.of Peace.
3ADVENTVeni, Veni, Emmanuel 1.2.3.4. VeVeVeVeni,ni,ni,ni,veOveOni,Sani,Jesquiveledege mitni, vigem despec tuinamdístu exprutiossídénvértár Gau de!Gau de! 21 facnocut ni, Cla vis Dani, ve ni, Oni, ve ni, Rex i ter tu tumtis de pél lesal vas tu os lititita nudiritica,ens,um, pe rum,bu las,mu los pri vá tusut dó cein ma jese duc etDeastáaniettetronael, gna re clú delá re nos adni, Red émp torliririra o.æ.æ.thri. Isra cævéóm el! linini ca,ens,um, et clau de vi asdi rás que mor tispec cá ti si biel,a,ila, resove Fíglóglóbáscé tur pro te súnéfáraninagu IsómSiún mávíOGénvenisinos o,æceri Emcap tí vum solquæ hic dis póqui pó pu loex hos tis tuela,i,la, 5. Ve6. Ve7. Ve nutinágu 13 máéndovírEmpiAse íntécón fenescirum.bras.os.
4ADVENTCome Thou Long Expected Jesus Charles Wesley (1707–1788)Cross of Jesus, Sir John Stainer (1840–1901) 1. Come, Thou longex2.Israel’s strength andpeo ple3. Born Thye4. By Thine own 5 edsodenalJelalivSpisus, born totion, hope ofer, born aritrule insetallchild,allThy peo plethe earth Thouyetandaour hearts a free;art:king,lone; from our fears anddear de sire ofborn to reign inby Thy grace, help pectcontotersinsevususre’ryfortoleasenaevmerus, let ustion, joy ofer, now Thyitlife efind ourev ’rygra ciouster e. from The Church Hymnary, 1902, via HymnsAndCarolsOfChristmas.comCome Thou Long Expected JesusCharles Wesley (1707–1788)Stuttgart, Christian F. Witt (c. 1660–1716)Adapted by Henry J. Gauntlett (1805–1876) 1. Come, Thou longex2.Israel’s strength and3. Born Thypeo ple4. By Thine owne pectcontoteredsodenalJe sus, born to set Thyla tion, hope of all theliv er, born a child, andrule in all ourSpi ritfree;art:king,lone; 5 fromdearbornby peo pleearth Thouyetahearts a ourdetoThyfearssirereigngrace,andofinhelp sinsevususre lease us,’ry na tion,for ever,to mer itlet us find ourjoy of ev ’rynow Thy gra ciouslife eter nal from CyberHymnal.orgin Thee.restlong ing heart.king dom bring.atThy throne.
5ADVENTO Come, Divine MessiahAbbé Simon J. Pellegrin (1663–1745) 8616th Century French CarolTranslated by Sister Mary of St. Philip, SND (1825–1904) 1. O come,di vine Mes si2. O Christ, whom na tions sighin peace and meek3. You come 6 8 5 hope shall singbreak the capclothed in hu Dear Sav haste; waits O come, di vine Mes sigrace. tri the day When hope shall sing its the umph, And sad way.fold.see. night and show Your ah! The world in si lence ness flee come to earth, Dis pelCome, alosthead the day Whenfore told, Comedle be;All umph, And sad ness fleeters; Re deem the longness Shall we Your Godface, And bid us hail the dawn of20 ior 14 lence waitsphet longYour cra ah! The world in sifor, Whom priest and proness, And low ly will itstritive fetman weak 9 a way.
6ADVENTOn Jordan’s BankJordanis oras prævia, by Charles Coffin (1676–1749) Winchester NewTranslated by John Chandler (1806–1876) bank theev ’ryour salhand, toter nal1. OnJor dan’s2. Then cleansed be3. For Thou art4. Stretch forth ThineAll praise, e5. Bap tist’ssoul fromva tion,heal ourSon, tocrysin;Lord,sore,Thee,An noun cesMake straight theOur Ref ugeAnd make usWhose ad ventthatwayandrisedoththeforourandThyLord is nigh;God with in;great re ward.fall no more;peo ple free, Come,PreWithOnceWhom Adapted from Chorale in Musikalisches Hand-Buch, 1690then,pareoutmorewithfor he brings Gladand heark en,in our hearts a home, WhereweThy grace our souls must fade Andup on Thy peo ple shine, Anda dore, Andthe Fa ther, wetidsuchwithfillHoings from thea might yer like athe world withly Ghost, ayed.vine.more. Hark! a Herald Voice is CallingVox clara ecce intonat, 6th CenturyWilliam Henry Monk (1823–1889) Translated by Edward Caswall (1814–1878)callher ald voice is1. Hark! asol emn warn2. Star tled at thelong expec3. Lo! the Lamb, so4. So when next He comes with glovir tue, mer5. Hon or, glo ry, 5 ing: ‘Christ is nigh,’ iting, Let the earth boundted, Comes with par donry, Wrap ping all theTo the Fa therit,seemssouldownearthandtoafrominthe encothe dreams of darkall sloth dis pellwith tears of sorasour de fendeter nal Spiness,of theO ye chil drening, Shines up on the morn ingrow, One and all tobe forerOn the clouds of heav’n aprit, While un end inggesafrom The English Hymnal, 1906say;rise;heav’n;fear,Son, day!’skies.giv’n;pear.run.
7ADVENTWake, O Wake! with Tidings ThrillingWachet Auf ! by P. Nicolai (1556–1608)P. Nicolai (1556–1608)Translated by F.C.B.Very slow and solemn ( 64)Adapted and arranged by J.S. Bach (1685–1750) 1. Wake, oMid night2. Zi onSee her3. Ev ’ryNow the wake!strikes!hearsFriendsoulgatestid ingswithmore denothe watch menfrom heav’n deThee reinpearl reof The BrideNow come,Earth can fillsaydoubtendvoileave 13The watch men all the‘The hour has come!’ weHer heart leaps up withA dorned with truth andFrom men and from anThyerpre sence nevinging,ing,ing,ces;us, rise!lem,avirgins wise?eager eyes;star doth rise.Thee a lone!round Thy throne.rise,ruJeAsaall,yeWhere areyeShe stands and waits withHerlight burns clear, herry giv’n togloBeWestand with An gelsing,ing.ing,ing!cesus, RaiseLordThesight,groom comes inThou pre cious Crown,not give below high your tor ches bright!Jesu, God’s own Son!bliss Thou dost be stow. airarehear themjoyungrace ungelicmore shall thrilllayshoutscendjoiceive 5 lu ia! The wed ding song Swells loud and strong: Go forth and join thena! Let us pre pare To fol low there, Where in Thy sup perlu ia! Grant us to raise, To length of days, The tri umph cho rus from The English Hymnal, 1906lesanle AlHoAl fest al throng.we may share.of Thy praise.
8 ADVENTCreator alme siderum 1. Cre á tor al me sí de rum, Æ tér na lux cre dén ti um, Je su, Red émp tor óm ni um,2. Qui dæ mo nis ne fráu di bus Per í ret or bis, ím pe tu A mó ris ac tus, lán gui di3. Com mú ne qui mun di ne fas Ut ex pi á res, ad cru cem E Vír gi nis sa crá ri o In tén de vo tis súp pli cum. 4. Cu jus pot és tas gló ri æ, No mén que cum pri mum so nat,Mun di me dé la fac tus es. 5. Te de pre cá mur úl ti mæ Ma gnum di é i Jú di cem,In tác ta prod is víc ti ma. 6. Vir tus, ho nor, laus, gló ri a De o Pa tri cum Fí li o, Et cæ li tes et ín fe riAr mis su pér næ grá ti æSanc to si mul Pa rá cli to,Tre mén te cur ván tur ge nu.De fén de nos ab hós ti bus.In sæ cu ló rum sæ cu la. A men. Creator of the Stars of NightTranslated by John Mason Neale (1818–1866) er1. Cretor of the stars of night, Thy peo ple’s eva2. Thou, griev ing that the an cient curse Should doom to death aAs drew the world to3. Thou cam’st, the Bride groom of the bride,last ing Light;uni verse,eve ning tide; Jesu, Re deem er, save us all,And hear thy ser vants when they call.Hast found the med ’cine, full of grace, To save and heal aru in’d race.Pro ceed ing from avir gin shrine, The spot less Vic tim alldi vine.
9ADVENT 4. At Whose dread Name, ma jes tic now,is with dread5. O Thou, Whose com ing6. To GodtheFa ther, God the Son, All knees must bend, all hearts must bow;To judge and doom the quick and dead,And God the Spi rit, Three in One, And things ce les tial Thee shall own, And things ter res trial, Lord a lone.Pre serve us, while we dwell be low, From ev ’ry in sult of the foe. Ater nal ly.Laud, hon or, might, and glo ry be From age to age emen. from Peters’ Sodality Hymn Book, 1914, via books.google.comConditor alme siderumAnonymous, 7th Century Æ tér na luxluxdi tor al me sí de rum,1. Cón 2lux luxChris te, Red émp tor óm ni um, cre cre dén ti um,ti um,dén cre ti um,dén súpEx áu di pre cessúp pli cum. pli cum. um,dén tipre ces Arranged by Michael Praetorius (1571–1621)cre Christmas is Coming TraditionalI Christ mas7 old isIIcom ing! The goose is get tingIIIman’shat, fat;Please to put a Please to put aEdith Nesbitt (1858–1924) pen ny in the oldpen ny in the man’shat.
10 5 christmasChristmas is Comingf 24 1024f 2. 14 18 three, three! pp ad lib ha’ p’ny ’ll do, or four! ff two, 3 mf ( faster) old man’s hat. If you have n’t got a pen ny, a mf four! Christ mas is com ing, the geese are get ting fat, a But a pen ny’s bet ter, A pen ny or two are bet ter, orff a tempo cresc. a If you have n’t got a penny, a ha’ p’ny ’ll do, 1. fat, H. Walford Davies (1869–1941) Please to put a pen ny in the old man’s hat. ha’ p’ny ’ll do, ing, the geese are get ting fat,Christ mas is com old man’s hat. Please to put a pen ny in the fat, ha’ p’nya ’ll do, If you have n’t got a ha’ p’ny,
christmas 22 28 32 p far thing ’ll do, If you haven’t got a far thing, p bless 36 of tlechil allthe lit terthe mas Goddren f Quickly blessyou!God too, the mistress the tamf like wisethat round 68 p p6 8 this house,11Slowly Love 42 hap py new Love hap py newandsend you a1. year, And God send you af Andfjoy come to you, and to you your was sail too, And God bless you, and grow.ble year. Love and2.Year.
12christmasAdeste FidelesJohn Francis Wade (1711–1786)from Cantus Diversi, 1751 100 1. Ad2.3.4. 6 te inlæla cæbi sit Béthvílésgló nítead Ve oníteadomus,ré ffNa tum viDe umGló riPa tris æle hem;sce ra.ti um,ri a,13mf Ve Læ ti tri umlumen decho rus an gedi e ho diles,o,o,’tus déte fium de Detet nunc ‘Igo qui na níélauti ésDeCanEr ré fVe phán tes, Velúmi ne,lórum;érna. déveatérte,rum, ni tení Re gem angé ni tumin ex célVer bum cagenonsisro lófacDefacrum;tum.o!tum. oad Dó from Christmas Carols and Hymns for School and Choir, 1910 ré mi mus, mus,te, vetant putet nuncsu,níGesCanJe num.
christmas13O Come, All Ye FaithfulTranslated by Frederick Oakley (1802–1880) 100 John Francis Wade (1711–1786) 1. O come, all ye faith ful, Joy ful and tri um phant, O come ye,2.God, ofLight,LightLo, HeofGod,Sing, choirs of an gels, Sing with ex ul ta tions,3.Sing, allYea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this hap py morn ing,4.sus,Je 7 BethVirheav’nglo legin’saryhem;womb;bove;giv’n; us ff O dorea come, letusa come, let Him,fOdore BorngotGloNow the King often, not crery in thein flesh ap anathighpeargels;ed:est;ing; come, letusdoreaHim,Christ, from Christmas Carols and Hymns for School and Cho
free of on se, u t’ry es her of ty o’er ways God til teach give cloud, vic maj in Son them and us the the and to ap awe. grave. go. pear. of cient the in y didst of ly hell times path lone From In To a t depths an us mourns save, Law, show, here ple the ledge ile And In And Un peo give kn
