Advent Calendar – 11th December, 2021 – Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine
Merry Christmas!
Danielle and Dave’s Advent Calendar, 2021
11th December, 2021
Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine
traditional German words translated by Percy Dearmer (1867-1936)
Music Resonent in Laudibus (Let Our Praises Resound)
– arranged specially for this Advent Calendar
This carol (subtitled Song of the Crib) originally formed part of a mystery play in Leipzig in sixteenth century Germany although the melody dates back to the fourteenth century. Because these Mystery Plays were enacted, different characters were assigned different verses of the Carol.
Mary and Joseph are portrayed speaking to each other and also ‘servants’ some of whom may have been the shepherds who came to adore the baby. The whole scene is intimate and extols the exemplary nature of the Holy Family life. The intimacy is conjured up especially as the words are heard to be delivered direct from Mary and Joseph themselves.
Such plays could enable the people more closely to understand and identify with the stories than the words of the Latin Mass and liturgy.
The lilting melody is suggestive of rocking the baby Jesus. It was quite common for a pre-existent melody to be lifted for another purpose as here. Because everyone at the play would have joined in the refrain, it drew them into the scene as participants. Mary is the focus at the end of each verse emphasising the fact that God had been born in human form.
I somewhat shocked myself by having assumed that I would play Ralph Vaughan Williams’ arrangement of this carol as in the Oxford Book of Carols; in fact I came up with my own harmonisation.
1.
“Joseph, Dearest Joseph mine,
Help me cradle the Child divine.
God reward thee and all that’s thine,
In paradise,” so prays the mother Mary.
Chorus
He came among us at Christmas time
At Christmas time in Bethlehem
Men shall bring him from far and wide,
Love’s diadem
Jesus, Jesus;
Lo, he comes and loves and saves and frees us.
[1]
2.
“Gladly dear one, Lady mine
Help I cradle this Child of thine.”
“God’s own light on us both shall shine,
In paradise,” as prays the mother Mary.
Chorus
3.
Servant 1:
Peace to all that have goodwill!
God, who heaven and earth doth fill,
Comes to turn us away from ill,
As all may see In Jesus, Son of Mary.
[2] Chorus
4.
Servant 2:
All shall come and bow the knee,
Wise and happy their souls shall be.
Loving such a divinity as all may see
In Jesus Son of Mary.
Chorus
5.
Servant 3:
Now is born Emmanuel,
Prophesied once by Ezekiel,
Promised Mary by Gabriel, Ah, who can tell
Thy praises, Son of Mary.
Chorus
6.
Servant 4:
Thou my lazy heart hast stirred,
Thou, The Father’s eternal Word,
Greater than aught that ear hath heard,
Thou tiny bird of love, Thou Son of Mary.
Chorus
7.
Servant 1:
Sweet and lovely little one,
Thou princely, beautiful, God’s own Son,
Without Thee all of us were undone;
Our love is won by Thine, O Son of Mary.
Chorus
8.
Servant 2:
Little man, and God indeed,
Little and poor, Thou art all we need;
We will follow where Thou dost lead,
And we will heed our brother, born of Mary.
Chorus
Harp – Erat Grecian 1830s
https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/joseph_dearest_joseph_mine.htm