An early Christmas present

[Pabmusic]

This is a version of On Christmas Night (or The Sussex Carol, as Vaughan Williams called it) collected by George Butterworth from the singing of George Knight at Horsham, possibly in April 1907. The tune is both similar to Vaughan Williams’ version of The Sussex Carol and attractively different, in the nature of folk song variants. Both songs deserve to be regular fare for choirs. If anyone would like a .pdf of the score, please PM me.

On Christmas night all Christians sing,
To hear what news the angels bring;
News of great joy, and news of mirth,
News of, News of, News of our merciful Saviour’s birth.

For why should men on earth be sad?
Redeemer comes to make us glad;
Pris’ners in their chains rejoice
To hear, To hear, To hear the echo of His voice.

The King of Kings of earth and heaven,
The King of angels and of men.
Angels and men with joy may sing
Glory, Glory. Glory to our newborn King.

https://soundcloud.com/pabmusic-445605675/on-xmas-night-arr-george-butterworth

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This is really interesting. I presume it remains unpublished?



Incidentally, there's a "nightmare" version of this carol in Carols for Choir 5, arranged/recomposed by Bob Chilcott. It's the same tune, but in 7/8 time.

Actually, apart from being rather tricky to sing (if you know the traditional version) Mr Ch's version has much to recommend it.

[BBMmk2]

Yes please Pabs!

and the Hymn tune Monk's Gate, is taken from a village near Horsham, not far from me, about 1/2 hr drive

[Pabmusic]

Here’s Butterworth’s other choral folk song (he only did two). A harvest song, collected in December 1911 from the singing of Jack Dade at Pulham, Norfolk. It seems to be more about drinking than anything.

Ursula Vaughan Williams told one of her husband’s memories of this occasion, and a particular danger inherent in folk song collecting. In December 1911, Ralph and Adeline visited Cambridge, from where Ralph took the opportunity to collect songs among the Norfolk Broads in the company of George Butterworth:

One night, in a pub where they had found several singers, one of [the singers] suggested it would be much quicker if they rowed across the water than that they should bicycle round the Broad by road. It was a brilliantly starry night, frosty and still. They piled their bicycles into the boat and started. Their ferryman rowed with uncertain strokes, raising his oar now and then to point at distant lights, saying “Lowestoft” or “Southwold”. Before long they realised they were always the same lights and that he was taking them round in circles. The night air after the frowsty bar parlour and the beer had been fatal, and he was thoroughly drunk.

(George took over the rowing and they reached a small jetty):

By this time their singer was sound asleep and did not wake even when they extricated their bicycles from under him. So they tied the boat up and left him there while they bicycled down an unknown track and found their way back to Southwold. The singer survived and was found in the same pub the next evening. But this time they did not accept his offer of a short cut by water.



We get up in the morn,
And we sound our harvest horn,
Our master his orders to mind;
Each man shall take his part
And work both hand and heart,
While the glorious sun do shine.

Our master brings the can,
He’s a jolly-hearted man,
“Come my lads, take a glass of the best:
And do not stand and prattle
When you hear the waggons rattle,
For bright Phoebus draws to the west”.

There’s our mistress standing near,
Draws us plenty of strong beer,
Which is good for to cheer up the soul:
Each man shall drink and say,
“Heaven bless this happy day!”
Crown our harvest with a full flowing bowl(flowing bowl),
Crown our harvest with a full flowing bowl

https://soundcloud.com/pabmusic-445605675/we-get-up-in-the-morn

[Pabmusic]

Here's a little thing I've just finished:

https://soundcloud.com/pabmusic-445605675/time-passes-bagatelle-for-clarinet-and-piano-2016

[BBMmk2]

Here's a little thing I've just finished:

https://soundcloud.com/pabmusic-4456...and-piano-2016

Thanks Pabs. Very good work that. A good driving bass from the piano.

[cloughie]

Here’s Butterworth’s other choral folk song (he only did two). A harvest song, collected in December 1911 from the singing of Jack Dade at Pulham, Norfolk. It seems to be more about drinking than anything.

Ursula Vaughan Williams told one of her husband’s memories of this occasion, and a particular danger inherent in folk song collecting. In December 1911, Ralph and Adeline visited Cambridge, from where Ralph took the opportunity to collect songs among the Norfolk Broads in the company of George Butterworth:

One night, in a pub where they had found several singers, one of [the singers] suggested it would be much quicker if they rowed across the water than that they should bicycle round the Broad by road. It was a brilliantly starry night, frosty and still. They piled their bicycles into the boat and started. Their ferryman rowed with uncertain strokes, raising his oar now and then to point at distant lights, saying “Lowestoft” or “Southwold”. Before long they realised they were always the same lights and that he was taking them round in circles. The night air after the frowsty bar parlour and the beer had been fatal, and he was thoroughly drunk.

(George took over the rowing and they reached a small jetty):

By this time their singer was sound asleep and did not wake even when they extricated their bicycles from under him. So they tied the boat up and left him there while they bicycled down an unknown track and found their way back to Southwold. The singer survived and was found in the same pub the next evening. But this time they did not accept his offer of a short cut by water.



We get up in the morn,
And we sound our harvest horn,
Our master his orders to mind;
Each man shall take his part
And work both hand and heart,
While the glorious sun do shine.

Our master brings the can,
He’s a jolly-hearted man,
“Come my lads, take a glass of the best:
And do not stand and prattle
When you hear the waggons rattle,
For bright Phoebus draws to the west”.

There’s our mistress standing near,
Draws us plenty of strong beer,
Which is good for to cheer up the soul:
Each man shall drink and say,
“Heaven bless this happy day!”
Crown our harvest with a full flowing bowl(flowing bowl),
Crown our harvest with a full flowing bowl


https://soundcloud.com/pabmusic-4456...up-in-the-morn

I like that one Pab, maybe I'll revisit it late Summer if our group get asked to do any Harvest Suppers.

[Pabmusic]

I like that one Pab, maybe I'll revisit it late Summer if our group get asked to do any Harvest Suppers.

Let me know if you'd like the music. PM me an email address.

[cloughie]

Let me know if you'd like the music. PM me an email address.

Thanks