For this week’s tune of the week, I have chosen a seasonal folk carol – “The Cherry Tree Carol”. I first heard this on Shirley Collins’ first album “Sweet England”, with her two-finger banjo accompaniment, but it has a long history, and many different variations of both the lyrics and the tune have been written and recorded.
The tune was collected as one of the Child Ballads (#54) in the seventeenth century, but is much older in origin. One theory is that it originates from the ninth century "Infancy Gospel of the Pseudo-Matthew”. It is also linked back to the Coventry Plays performed during the Feast of Corpus Christi, c.1400.
The lyrics tell a story in three parts that seem to mix together different bible stories. It has been suggested that the overall carol developed over time, merging together elements from three separate, preexisting carols:
• “Joseph was an Old Man”
• “As Joseph Was A-Walking” (aka “Joseph and The Angel”)
• “Mary’s Question” (which was actually originally an Easter carol)
Here are a selection of sources on the history that go into more detail:
Old Songs: The Cherry Tree Carol
The Cherry Tree Carol (abridged) - Appalachian History
The Cherry Tree Carol / As Joseph Was A-Walking (Roud 453; Child 54; G/D 2:327)
Recorded Versions
There are a huge number of recorded versions; here are a selection of some more well-known ones. These feature different tunes and different versions of the lyrics.
Shirley Collins
Jean Ritchie
Joan Baez
Judy Collins
Pentangle
Emmylou Harris
Martin Simpson
The Furrow Collective
The Wiggles (!)
The tune
Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles collected and published several versions in “English Folk Songs From The Southern Appalachians” (1916). They noted that the versions collected in Appalachia included references to a birth prophecy on “Old Christmas” (either 5th or 6th of January), whereas the English versions usually don’t include this section.
One of the versions was collected from Jane Gentry of Hot Springs, N.C.. Here are some sources about this specific version:
Bluegrass Messengers - The Cherry-Tree Carol- Gentry (NC) 1916 Sharp B
Hogfiddle: "Cherry Tree Carol" - Jane Gentry's version, collected by Cecil Sharp, 1916
As someone who shares her surname, I have tried to develop an arrangement based, as far as possible, on her version. This version sets the tune in 3/4 time: it’s a little similar to Martin Simpson’s, who recently curated the fine album “Nothing But Green Willow”, a collection of different artists’ interpretations of Jane Gentry’s tunes, so this is perhaps one of his sources. The book records it in the key of G, but I found I needed to raise the pitch to sing it, so my recording is in A.
I’d like to wish you all Happy Holidays, a Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year!
What a wonderful history lesson! Happy Holidays.
quote:
Originally posted by carlbWhat a wonderful history lesson! Happy Holidays.
Thanks Carl!
Thank you for a seasonal song, Mark. Your playing and singing warm my heart! I always like to see lyrics written to hear them better when sung, therefore found a site with Shirley Collin's lyrics and a link to her singing, too. Interestingly, Alan Lomax is named as one of the producers. Her sung melody will lead me to attempt an arrangement this week: The Cherry Tree Carol, played and sung by Shirley Collins.
quote:
Originally posted by JanetBThank you for a seasonal song, Mark. Your playing and singing warm my heart! I always like to see lyrics written to hear them better when sung, therefore found a site with Shirley Collin's lyrics and a link to her singing, too. Interestingly, Alan Lomax is named as one of the producers. Her sung melody will lead me to attempt an arrangement this week: The Cherry Tree Carol, played and sung by Shirley Collins.
Thanks Janet! Shirley Collins' version is wonderful, and quite different. Looking forward to hearing it.
Here's a go at Shirley Collins' version, focusing on her sung melody. The other examples of The Cherry Tree Carol come from some familiar folk singers. Even the Wiggles always met my approval as a wholesome group for children.
Edited by - JanetB on 12/23/2024 19:36:05
