Make sure to catch Tom Service's radio essay on Benjamin Britten's Christmas works on BBC Radio 3:
"Tom Service delves into the music of Benjamin Britten and explores the unusual stories behind some of his best-loved festive works, including St Nicolas and A Ceremony of Carols."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001fwyc
Who are these names in "Watt's Cradle Hymn," "Wither's Rocking Hymn," and "Blakes Cradle Song"?
by R. Rojas
Updated, Oct. 8, 2023
Updated, Ded. 13, 2025 for broken links
There are several carols that bear the names of their owner. All of the songs are lullabies, and they are some of the prettiest lullabies in the carol literature. These are “Watt’s Cradle Hymn,” “Wither’s Rocking Hymn,” and “Blake’s Cradle Song.”
Both Blake’s and Wither’s were arranged by Ralph Vaughn Williams ("RVW"). George Wither was a 17th Century poet and prose writer who fought in the English Civil War, on both sides.
He was captured by the Royalist and saved
from execution by fellow poet Sir John Denham. The editors of the New Oxford Book of Carols state that
Denham “pleaded that so long as Wither lived, he (Denham) would not be
accounted the worst poet in England.” In a 1642 publication Haleluiah, Wither published his “Rocking
Hymn,” however, it is actually one of two ‘rocking hymns’ included in his 1642
work.
It was included in The
Hymnes and Song of the Church (1623), but the text stated that it could be
sung to “easie tunes.” (sic.). Orlando Gibbons would apply 17 tunes. Wither and Gibbons collaborated in
the 1623 book mentioned above. Not only
was the “Rocking Hymn” included, but also another carol: “Thus Angels Sung” (The
Angel Song), also with music by Gibbons. Vaughn Williams would include his
setting of the “Rocking Hymn” in the 1928 The
Oxford Book of Carols.
Isaac Watts needs no introduction to the hymn lover. Watts is the writer of “Joy to the World” and “When I survey the Wondrous Cross.” “Cradle Hymn” is the less popular Christmas sibling to “Joy to the world.” Watts included it in his Moral Songs (1706) whose songs were intended for children.
The editors of the New Oxford Book of Carols omit verse 8, which has been called anti-Semitic, as well as verse 12 for the somewhat gruesomeness of its text. Nevertheless, the tune was not blessed by the likes of Gibbons as in Wither’s or the likes of Handel (misattributed) as in Watt’s “Joy to the World.” The editors state it suffered from lack of a good tune for more than 250 years. We assume the editors were even critical of Sumsion's and Stanford's versions.
According to the editors, it was not set to a good tune until Elizabeth Poston set it to a tune in her The Second Penguin Book of Christmas Carols (1970). This tune is a popular shape-note melody, thus the editors attributing the tune to “American traditional” although they say the tune probably has European folk roots.
“Blake’s Cradle Song” survives as a popular poem of Mary cradling the baby Jesus. Of course, Blake refers to the poet William Blake.
The 1789 poem was included in Songs of Innocence by William Blake. The poem has been set to song by the likes of Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Bono, and Led Zepplin. As titled, “Blake’s Cradle Song” usually refers to the version by Ralph Vaugh Williams.
However, the poem is used also by Benjamin Britten in “Cradle Song,” from A Charm of Lullabies, Op. 41, which is a song-cycle for mezzo-soprano. This song cycle includes lullabies not only by Blake, but also by Robert Burns, Robert Greene, Thomas Randolph, and John Phillip. Britten’s version was premiered in 1948.
In "A New Catalogue of Works of Charles Villiers Stanford 1852-1924" list that Standford composed a piece to Blake's "Cradle Song" but we've been unalbe to find a video performance of it.
RVW’s song comes from 1928, subtitled “Sweet dreams, form a
shade" and included in The Oxford
Book of Carols of the same year. Critic David Vernier, who reviewed the
recording A Ralph Vaughn Williams
Christmas by the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, says “Blake’s
Cradle Song,” outside of Ralph Vaughn Williams more popular, is his best tune.
Sources:
Parrot, Andrew. Oxford Book of Carols. Oxford University Press.
Poston, Elizabeth. The Second Penguin Book of Christmas Carols.
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Leighton Jones reviews Saint Nicolas, A Ceremony of Carols – BBC Concert Orchestra, Crouch End Festival ChorusMake sure to check out Leighton Jones' review of Saint Nicolas, Ceremony of Carols by the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Crouch End Festival Chorus on The Classic Review. Click Here for the review.
Who Was Christina Rossetti and What Carols did She Write?
Writer of the Text of Two Classic Carols and some new ones
by Ray Rojas
Updated: November 30, 2024.
Editor's Notes: I had been wanting to update this post for quite a sometime because I kept coming across more of Rossetti's Christmas poems that had been set to music. I continue to edit it as I come across more musical settings.
______
Of
the other composers who have used the text, Benjamin Britten used the text
combined with aspects of the medieval “Corpus Christi Carol,” in his work A Boy Was Born.
Other composers who have taken on the text are Robert C. L. Watson, Bob Chilcott, Michael John Trotta, Robert Walker, Eric Thiman among others (some listed below).
"In the Bleak Midwinter" by Robert Walker
"In the Bleak Midwinter" by Eric Thiman
An interesting note is that the editors of the New Oxford Book of Carols[3] state, “The free rhythm does not easily lend itself to a single-verse setting such as Holst’s, but the problem is effortlessly solved in Harold Darke’s through-composed setting, an object-lesson in multum in parvo.”[4]
"Christmastide" ("Love Came Down at Christmas")
Rossetti’s poem "Christmastide" from 1885, has also been widely used as a carol mostly under the title "Love Came Down at Christmas.”
In 1885, the poem was published in Time Files: A Reading Diary. In 1893, it was included in a collection called Verses, but under the title “Christmastide.”
R. O. Morris was the first to put a tune to the poem and it was first seen in the English Presbyterian Church Praise (1907) and then later in Songs of Praise (1925).
According to the editors of the New Oxford Book of Carols, “Market research by the 1925 editors (Songs of Praise) had revealed ‘a strongly felt need for short hymns’, and this was one of the many that were introduced.”[5] Morris used the tune “Hermitage,” also known as ‘Gartan’[6] in Irish circles.
Some of the composers who have set the text include R.O. Morris, Harold Darke, Leo Sowerby, Richard Lloyd, Howard Helvey, John Rutter, and Jennifer Higdon who set the text for solo soprano, harp, and four-part chorus. Below are some compositions:
Other Rossetti Christmas Texts (*)
"Holy Innocents"
Rossetti has two poems that she titled "holy Innocents." The most used by composers is the one that begins with "Sleep little baby sleep." Judith Weir used this poem in her 2016 composition. Here is a recording by Vox Feminina:
"Sleep Little Baby, Sleep"
"Commissioned through the generosity of the St Albans Ex-Choristers Association to mark the 20th Anniversary of St Albans Abbey Girls Choir. First performance given by the choir at Evensong on 25th June 2016, conducted by Tom Winpenny. Christina Rossetti (1830-94)"
Original text from poem:
Holy Innocents
Sleep, little Baby, sleep;
"Leaf from Leaf Christ Knows"
There is also a piece by Wier on Rossetti's "Leaf from Leaf Christ Knows." It was first performed by the Choir of Well Cathedra in 2016:
Leaf from leaf Christ knows;Himself the Lily and the Rose:Sheep from sheep Christ tells;Himself the Shepherd, no one else:
Joel Martinson and William Hawley have also composed music to this poem.
"Christmas Eve"
Rossetti's "Christmas Eve" ("Christmas hath a darkness") has been put to music many times. Here is The Sixteen's recording of Kim Porter's musical setting:I have yet to see another composer set this text, but I am still searching.
"They have brought us gold and spices to my King:
They have brought gold and spices to my King,Incense and precious stuffs and ivory;O holy Mother mine, what can I bringThat so my Lord may deign to look on me?They sing a sweeter song than I can sing,All crowned and glorified exceedingly:I, bound on earth, weep for my trespassing,–They sing the song of love in heaven, set free.Then answered me my Mother, and her voiceSpake to my heart, yea answered in my heart:'Sing, saith He to the heavens, to earth, Rejoice:Thou also lift thy heart to Him above:He seeks not thine, but thee such as thou art,For lo His banner over thee is Love.
"Before the paling of the stars"
Amont those who have put Rossetti's poems to music is Derek Healy. He composed "Two Christina Rosetti Carols: 1. Before the paling of the stars," originally titled "A Christmas Carol" by Rosetti.
Before the paling of the stars
Before the winter morn,
Before the earliest cock crow,
Jesus Christ was born:
Born in a stable,
Cradled in a manger,
In the world his hands had made
Born a stranger.
Priest and king lay fast asleep
In Jerusalem;
Young and old lay fast asleep
In crowded Bethlehem;
Saint and angel, ox and ass,
Kept a watch together
Before the Christmas daybreak
In the winter weather.
Jesus on his mother's breast
In the stable cold,
Spotless lamb of God was he,
Shepherd of the fold:
Let us kneel with Mary maid,
With Joseph bent and hoary,
With saint and angel, ox and ass,
To hail the King of Glory.
Before the winter morn,
Before the earliest cock crow,
Jesus Christ was born:
Born in a stable,
Cradled in a manger,
In the world his hands had made
Born a stranger.
Priest and king lay fast asleep
In Jerusalem;
Young and old lay fast asleep
In crowded Bethlehem;
Saint and angel, ox and ass,
Kept a watch together
Before the Christmas daybreak
In the winter weather.
Jesus on his mother's breast
In the stable cold,
Spotless lamb of God was he,
Shepherd of the fold:
Let us kneel with Mary maid,
With Joseph bent and hoary,
With saint and angel, ox and ass,
To hail the King of Glory.
Other settings of this poem include:
Rossetti's poem "A Christmas Carol For My Godchildren"" ("The Shepherds had an angel") has also been put to musical notes.
One of them is by Maurice Beasley (1888- d. 1945):
Rossetti's poem "This Advent Moon Shines Cold and Clear" (see original text below) has also been set to music by Ellen Gilson Voth.
I am always glad to see modern Christmas texts used for Christmas carols by composers. In the early 1900s, Rossetti’s texts were “modern.”
This shows the need not only for composers to continue new carol writing, but for poets to also continue writing Christmas poems as those poems may be later put music, hopefully of the good kind.
[1] "Bleak
Midwinter named best carol". BBC News. 27 November 2008. Retrieved 26
November 2014.
[2]
The editors of the New Oxford Book of Carols date it at 1911.
[3]
Hugh Keyte and Andrew Parrot, ed. The New
Oxford Book of Carols. Oxford University Press, 1992. Entry 111.
[4] much in a little, Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multum%20in%20parvo.
Accessed November 24, 2020.
[5] Ibid. See entry 110.
[6]
Lough Gartan, Co. Donegal. See entry in New
Oxford Book of Carols.
