Advent Calendar – 9th December, 2020
Merry Christmas!
Danielle and Dave’s Advent Calendar
9th December, 2020
What Child is This?
Lyrics – William Chatterton Dix 1837 – 1898
Melody – traditional English (Greensleeves)
Dix wrote several well known hymns and carols such as ‘Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!’ and ‘As with Gladness, Men of Old’ as well as ‘What Child is This?’ because he had nearly died from an illness but had a renewal of his religious belief as a result of his recovery.
The words of this carol are as if the shepherds visiting the nativity are incredulously asking each other abut what they are seeing. One can almost hear their stuttered amazement in the repeated words.
Fitted to a pre-existing melody, however, this is not really reflected in the music, but it is a beautiful piece and this carol is extremely popular in the US. It was written in 1865 but first published in Bramley and Stainer’s Christmas Carols Old and New in 1871.
The version here is a new recording and shortened version of a carol which I play on ‘The Cradle in Bethlehem ‘ CD (formerly called Christmas Lullabies)
https://www.wyastone.co.uk/christmas-lullabies.html
(The CD with Charlotte de Rothschild, soprano has some utterly lovely Christmas songs with a few harp solos.)
More commonly the following words of this carol are sung but they were taken from a longer poem by Dix called ‘The Manger Throne’:
What child is this who’s laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is Sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherd’s watch are keeping
This this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste! haste! To bring him, Lord!
The babe, the son of Mary
Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through
The cross be borne for me, for you
Hail, hail the Word made flesh
The Babe, the Son of Mary
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh
Come peasant, king to own Him
The King of kings salvation brings
Let loving heart enthrone Him
Raise, raise a song on high
The virgin sings her lullaby
Joy, joy for Christ is born
The Babe, the Son of Mary
Performed on David Concert Harp (2000)