The Wexford Carol

Saint Aidan’s Cathedral, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford ... where the Musical Director and organist, Dr William Henry Grattan Flood (1857-1928), claimed to have discovered ‘The Wexford Carol’ (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2011)

Although it is an old song, it was only a few years ago when I first heard The Wexford Carol.  I've been making up for lost time ever since.  In five verses it tells the familiar story of Christ's birth.  It is a sweet, gentle song, but the melody is rare and haunting (the good kind of haunting).

Although there are many excellent recordings including an Alison Kraus and Yo-Yo Ma collaboration, one by Julie Andrews, and an abundance of female vocalists accompanied by harp or dulcimer, for my money the definitive rendition is by famed Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan (a close runner up is  last year's recording by Mary Fahl).  His voice is as rich as it is ethereal.  The orchestrations, while understated, beautifully service the melody.  The intriguing mix of low woodwinds and flute, with the occasional chime of a bell, create an atmosphere that feels like a long December night many centuries old. 

To that point, no one knows exactly how old this song is. Some historians postulate it is a product of the 12th century, but the editors of The Oxford Book of Carols note that carols, Christmas or otherwise, are a product of the 15th century. "Therefore the carol made its appearance late in Christian history--not, indeed, until the modern spirit of humanism had dawned upon the middle Ages.  It was a creation of the fifteenth century. . .it was not until the fourteenth century that English poetry developed from the homiletic verse, the metrical chronicle, and the melancholy elegiac poetry of the preceding two hundred years into the metrical romance, and Chaucer arrived with his Italian humanism and his new demonstration of the possibilities of verse." (The Oxford Book of Carols p.vii) 

This tradition would eventually spawn Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.  But I digress.

Patrick Comerford  has a fine blog about Anglican culture where he chronicles the song's history.  Comerford writes that a  Dr. William Henry Grattan Flood (there's a name and a half for you), the musical director at St. Aidan's Cathedral Enniscorthy, County Wexford in Ireland, discovers the song from "a local singer."  Dr. Flood put the words and music to paper and submits it to the editors of The Oxford Book of Carols (Percy Dearmer, Ralph Vaughn Williams and Martin Shaw).  It was published in 1928 as Number 14 and named by the editors, Wexford Carol. 

Comerford also writes, "The Wexford Carol is often associated with the Kilmore Carols from Kilmore, Co Wexford, an it is often attributed too to Bishop Luke Wadding of Ferns and his collection of carols, first published in Ghent in 1684. Luke Wadding's little book had a far-reaching influence on the spiritual lives of the people of his diocese in Co Wexford.  The book had the lengthy title: A Small garland of pious and godly songs composed by a devout man, for the solace of his friends and neighbours in their afflcitions.  The Sweet and the Sower, the nettle and the flower, the Thorne and the Rose, this Garland Compose [sic]."

Comeford continues, "A similar carol is found in the Revd William Devereux's A New Garland Containing Songs for Christmas (1728).  William Devereux. . .was Parish Priest of Drinagh, near Wexford, from 1730 to 1771, and wrote several carols.  he called his collection A New Garland to distinguish it from Bishop Luke Wadding's earlier Pious Garland. The carols were first sung in a little chapel at Killiane."

So maybe Bishop Wadding composed it. Maybe William Devereux composed it. Maybe they both accessed music from an earlier tradition.  Let it suffice to say the song is old  and exemplifies the best traditions of European holiday music.

The Wexford Carol

Good people all, this Christmas-time
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God 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 how all things 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 off lambs and feeding sheep;
To whom God's angels did appear,
Which put the shepherds in great fear.
"Prepare and go," the angels 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,
As long foretold, there was a blessed Messiah born.

I could not find a link to Ronan Tynan's recording, but I'm confident it is available for purchase somewhere on the internet and well worth your time and money.  The following is a link to an excellent rendition by the Clare College Choir that I plan on purchasing later today.  On last note:  midway through this post, something went amiss with the font and text color.   I regret that I can't figure out the problem.  Thank you for your indulgence. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeZifgblGSs


The following sources were referenced in writing this piece:

The Oxford Book of Carols by Percy Dearmer, R. Vaughn Williams & Martin Shaw, Oxford University Press, London, 1928, thirteenth impression 1944

http://www.patrickcomerford.com/2011/12/christmas-poems-1-wexford-carol.html

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

I hope Patrick Comerford does not mind my use of his excellent work, for which I am grateful. 

Thank you for reading and I hope to see this through with with another Christmas Carol for tomorrow.

c. December 1o, 2015 Martin Blanco