The holly and the ivy - Walford Davies (arr.), John Rutter, Cambridge Singers
1. 'The holly and the ivy' - arr. by H. Walford Davies
From ‘The Cambridge Singers Christmas Album’
Composer H. Walford Davies (arr.)
Conductor John Rutter
Choir The Cambridge Singers
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The holly and the ivy
This folk carol, probably of eighteenth-century origin, was published in the form it is known today in 1911 by Cecil Sharp in his collection English Folk Carols. The following year Walford Davies, then organist of the Temple Church in London, made the present setting which has remained perhaps the simplest and best.
LYRICS:
The holly and the ivy
When they are both full grown;
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a blossom
As white as any flower;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour.
The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good.
The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.
The holly bears a bark
As bitt’r as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
English traditional carol
arranged by H. Walford Davies (1869–1941)
The Cambridge Singers Christmas Album
John Rutter selects some of his favourite Christmas carols, old and new, from classic Cambridge Singers recordings, including several of his own arrangements, closing with Vaughan Williams' majestic 'Fantasia on Christmas Carols'.
John Rutter, English composer and conductor, is associated with choral music throughout the world. His recordings with the Cambridge Singers (the professional chamber choir he set up in 1983) have reached a wide global audience, many of them featuring his own music in definitive versions. Among John’s best-known choral works are Gloria, Requiem, Magnificat, Mass of the Children, and Visions, together with many church anthems, choral songs and Christmas carols.
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