The Wexford Carol ( ga, Carúl Loch Garman, Carúl Inis Córthaidh) is a traditional religious
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French ori ...
originating from
County Wexford
County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...
and, specifically,
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy () is the second-largest town in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. At the 2016 census, the population of the town and environs was 11,381. The town is located on the picturesque River Slaney and in close proximity to the ...
(whence its other name). The subject of the song is the
nativity of Jesus Christ
The nativity of Jesus, nativity of Christ, birth of Jesus or birth of Christ is described in the biblical gospels of Luke and Matthew. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judaea, his mother Mary was engaged to a man na ...
.
W. H. Grattan Flood transcription
![St_Aidan%27s_Cathedral,_Enniscorthy_-_geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/St_Aidan%27s_Cathedral%2C_Enniscorthy_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1543592.jpg)
"The Wexford Carol", sometimes known by its first verse "Good people all this Christmas time", is of uncertain origins, and, while it is occasionally claimed to be from the early Middle Ages, it likely was composed in the 15th or 16th century based on its musical and lyrical style. The song achieved a renewed popularity due to the work of
William Grattan Flood (1859–1928), who was organist and musical director at
St. Aidan's Cathedral in Enniscorthy. He transcribed the carol from a local singer and had it published in ''
The Oxford Book of Carols
''The Oxford Book of Carols'' is a collection of vocal scores of Christmas carols and carols of other seasons. It was first published in 1928 by Oxford University Press and was edited by Percy Dearmer, Martin Shaw and Ralph Vaughan Williams. ...
'', putting Enniscorthy into most carol books around the world.
Modern performance
Traditions abound concerning the song – for example, that only men should sing it. However, many popular female artists, such as
Julie Andrews
Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
in 1966 and
Loreena McKennitt
Loreena Isobel Irene McKennitt, (born February 17, 1957) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who writes, records, and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern influences. McKennitt is known for her r ...
in 1987, have recorded versions of it, the former including an additional verse beginning "And buckets yore did rain that night."
Yo Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma ('' Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...
and
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with ...
recorded the song for Ma's 2008 holiday album, ''
Songs of Joy and Peace''. In 2002
John Rutter
John Milford Rutter (born 24 September 1945) is an English composer, conductor, editor, arranger, and record producer, mainly of choral music.
Biography
Born on 24 September 1945 in London, the son of an industrial chemist and his wife, Rutte ...
recorded his arrangement with the
Cambridge Singers
The Cambridge Singers is an English mixed voice chamber choir formed in 1981 by their director John Rutter with the primary purpose of making recordings under their own label Collegium Records.
The group initially comprised former singers from ...
featuring baritone
Stephen Varcoe
Christopher Stephen Varcoe (born 19 May 1949 in Lostwithiel, Cornwall) is an English classical bass-baritone singer, appearing internationally in opera and concert, known for Baroque and contemporary music and a notable singer of Lieder.
Prof ...
.
Michael McDonald covered it on his 2009 album ''This Christmas'' as a duet with his wife
Amy Holland
Amy Celeste Boersma, known professionally as Amy Holland, is an American pop rock singer, songwriter, and composer.
Holland's music career spans more than 30 years. She received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1981, following h ...
, using only the first three of the traditional verses. The carol featured as title track on the 2014 collection of traditional Irish Carols ''
The Wexford Carols'' by the Irish early-music singer
Caitríona O'Leary, with
Tom Jones and
Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash (born May 24, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of country musician Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto Cash Distin, Johnny Cash's first wife. Although she is often classified as a country art ...
. Irish folksinger
Cara Dillon featured the song on her 2016 album ''
Upon a Winter's Night
''Upon a Winter's Night'' is the sixth solo album and first Christmas album by folk artist Cara Dillon. The album, produced by Dillon's musical partner and husband Sam Lakeman, features eight arrangements of traditional carols and three origina ...
.'' The Irish group
Celtic Women included the Wexford Carol on their 2006 Christmas album. The English
boy choir Libera
Libera may refer to:
* Libera (mythology), a Roman goddess of fertility
* Libera (choir), a boy vocal group from London
* ''Libera'' (film), a 1993 comedy film
* "Libera" (song), a song by Italian artist Mia Martini
* ''Libera'' (gastropod), a ...
performed an arrangement of the carol on their 2013 album, ''
Angels Sing: Christmas in Ireland'', recorded at
Armagh Cathedral. Country artist
Trace Adkins
Trace may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''Trace'' (Son Volt album), 1995
* ''Trace'' (Died Pretty album), 1993
* Trace (band), a Dutch progressive rock band
* ''The Trace'' (album)
Other uses in arts and entertainment
* ''Trace'' ...
also recorded a version of the hymn on his 2013 Christmas album
The King's Gift
''The King's Gift'' is the fifteenth studio album, and the first Christmas album released in 2013 by American country music artist Trace Adkins. It is his first album of Christmas music and an album of classic Christmas Carols performed in Celtic ...
. The
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is an American choir, acting as part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It has performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for ov ...
performed an arrangement by conductor
Mack Wilberg
Mack J. Wilberg (born February 20, 1955) is an American composer, arranger, conductor, and choral clinician who has been the music director of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (Choir) since 2008.
Early life and education
Wilberg was bo ...
on its 2016 album ''
Hallelujah!''. On November 28, 2017, it was performed by the renowned flautist Ashley Snell in Leonard Auditorium at
Wofford College
Wofford College is a private liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It was founded in 1854. The campus is a national arboretum and one of the few four-year institutions in the southeastern United States founded before the America ...
. In the Fall of 2018,
Daywind Records in Nashville, Tennessee, released "A Winter Carol" by the Gospel Music Association's legendary Hall of Fame family,
The Nelons
The Nelons are an American southern gospel group based in Atlanta, Georgia. Group members are Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark, and Kelly's daughters Amber Nelon Kistler and Autumn Nelon Clark. The Nelons were inducted into the Gospel Mu ...
. It features The Wexford Carol as the second cut on the album.
English lyrics
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 was foretold, their refuge all
Was but a humble ox's stall.
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 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
Attending on the Lord of Life
Who came on earth to end all strife.
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 lay
They humbly cast them at His feet
With gifts of gold and incense sweet.
Irish lyrics
:Ó, tagaig' uile is adhraigí
:An leanbh cneasta sa chró 'na luí
:Is cuimhnígí ar ghrá an Rí
:A thug dár saoradh anocht an Naí.
:'S a Mhuire Mháthair i bParrthas Dé,
:Ar chlann bhocht Éabha guigh 'nois go caomh,
:Is doras an chró ná dún go deo
:Go n-adhram' feasta Mac Mhuire Ógh.
:I mBeithil thoir i lár na hoích'
:Ba chlos an deascéala d'aoirí,
:Go follas don saol ón spéir go binn
:Bhí aingle 'canadh ó rinn go rinn.
:"Gluaisig' go beo," dúirt Aingeal Dé,
:"Go Beithil sall is gheobhaidh sibh É
:'Na luí go séimh i mainséar féir,
:Siúd É an Meisias a ghráigh an saol."
["Ceol na Nollag" issued in Dublin by Cló Chaisil in cooperation with Foras na Gaeilge]
See also
*
List of Christmas carols
This list of Christmas carols is organized by country, language or culture of origin. Originally, a "Christmas carol" referred to a piece of vocal music in carol form whose lyrics centre on the theme of Christmas or the Christmas season. The d ...
References
External links
The history of the entire Kilmore Carols cycle, including this songA choral arrangementat the
Choral Public Domain Library
The Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL) is a sheet music archive which focuses on choral and vocal music in the public domain or otherwise freely available for printing and performing (such as via permission from the copyright holder).
It is a ...
.
{{Authority control
Christmas carols
Irish Christian hymns
Irish Christmas songs