Advent Calendar – 21st December, 2020
Merry Christmas!
Danielle and Dave’s Advent Calendar
21st December, 2020
Past Three O’Clock (London Waits)
harmonisation by Charles Wood arr for harp by Danielle Perrett
Well, I certainly didn’t know that as many as eight verses of this carol existed! They were written in the last century by George Ratcliffe Woodward and published in The Cambridge Carol-Book, Being Fifty-Two Songs For Christmas, Easter, And Other Seasons 1924.
The refrain of this harks back to the time when cities were patrolled by Waites who were kind of night watchmen combined with twitter posts and clocks. They told the time and the news as they walked around, monitoring that all was well.
Originally, the spelling included an e but later versions have dropped it.
Past three o’clock,
And a cold frosty morning,
Past three a clock;
Good morrow, masters all!
1. Born is a Baby,
Gentle as may be,
Son of the eternal
Father supernal.
Past three o’clock,
And a cold frosty morning,
Past three a clock;
Good morrow, masters all!
2. Seraph quire singeth,
Angel bell ringeth;
Hark how they rime it,
Time it and chime it.
3. Mid earth rejoices
Hearing such voices
e’ertofore so well
Carolling Nowell.
4. Hinds o’er the pearly,
Dewy lawn early
Seek the high Stranger
Laid in the manger.
5. Cheese from the dairy
Bring they for Mary
And, not for money,
Butter and honey.
6. Light out of star-land
Leadeth from far land
Princes, to meet him,
Worship and greet him.
7. Myrrh from full coffer,
Incense they offer;
Nor is the golden
Nugget withholden.
8. Thus they: I pray you,
Up, sirs, nor stay you
Till ye confess him
Likewise and bless him
Our intrigued neighbour Terry joined us as the Waite for this before the second lockdown. (No relation to the other Terry Waite!)
I’ve given the game away that we have been working on this Advent Calendar for a long time!
Thanks to both him and Anne for supplying us with bells, and thank you Terry for telling us the time in traditional town crier fashion!
Recorded on David Concert Harp 2000
Source: Carol #734,
Rev. Charles Lewis Hutchins, Carols Old and Carols New (Boston: Parish Choir, 1916)
https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/
Hymns_and_Carols/
blessed_be_that_maid_marie.htm