Every year, as December comes yiiljjld, church choirsali over the Wilriii begin to practise the Christ- -,..i(.s liyniiis. In villages and towns :1--.e' olli words are sung in the old 'llnPS in church and chapel, as the mt preparations for the festival ,-he being made in the homes ;r.u;li:l about, as the holly is being cut in the woods, the iattened , is plucked, the cake is ;.-ed. and the gifts are wrapped ;n lliCll.' brightly coloured paper.

and every Christmas listeners all miiliri the' globe - I to the carol

':i.pi -il'Vit'il imatlcnst from thp Chapel of, Kilipls College. f'amiJi'l(iEC, and l..-tell with us in I Britiilil to the old hymns which llOiOil;.'. to all the Christmases of our childhood as they swell out across the world. telling once iigciin of the Babe Who was born ill Bcllilcliem.

vrhn gave us these hymns and l.li'Dih'.i We know and love them ;i.- pal-t of our common heritage. lrilil ii the people who wrote them l-oulri come (looking back to King's rolicgc Chapel this Christmas, as he ciioristers' voices rise pure and loci, we should think them a wry strange company indeed. Men

,.p.c1 noincii of all ages, in queer, iiiiolcilt costumes, from all over Iiritnin-aiid some from beyond lll0. 5021. '

. . .

Cliristmas is the children's feat- zval. and so it is rather fitting 'ha! children should have had a hand in the making of some of iiur Christmlis hymns. There were the two small boys who lived in Londonderry, in the middle of the last century, and like so many rlilicii-en found it difficult to un- riorsliind the Creed when it was -I-lid in church. Their godmother. Mrs C. F. Alexander. hit upon the ii .1 of writing a hymn to give a ;i.rt.ure in words of what was mrant by each difficult part. Most of the 400 hymns that she wrote during her lifetime have been for- gloilcli. but the one that she wrote in rxplaill 'He suffered under Pon- :.I's Pilat.c'-"There is a Green Hill Vrtll Away"-is sung during almost every Good Fri- day service for children, while the charming simplicity of "Once in Royal Davidis City" we owe to her efforts to explain to small boys what is

mu: ,,,c,,,

in inn mini

'llO”vC mcrliit by tWlio was born of the l'.r:lii Mary".

Tlirn there is the young Amari- "cll tiny. lsdivaidnlimilton Sears. iwimc parents were descended from I grim Fathers and who at the

1 W0

are of ten was working in the lipids near his home at Sandisfleld, M-'5-Wfhllsctls. and as he worked t'.IlllDOSE'd two verses of poetry. He "lid 110 Paper or pencil with him, sn he searched for a piece of chalk

bacalwaaa 20, 1952 '.-.1-o------

The ,Songs of

Christmas

(London Calling)

....... in the soil and wrote some

t the words on his hat. so th t he should remember them. From that day he went on -making poetry. and a few years later he gave us that lovely Christmas hymn, "It Came. Upon the Midnighrciear”. .. . .

It is a small girl. for a change. to whom we owe "Christians Awake". that fine. stirring carol of morning. Its original title (believe it or not) was "Christmas Day for Do1lyi" Writ- ten in the days It by the son of A linen-draper for his young daugh- ter tas her very own',,you can still see the original words on the Cheetham Hospital Library of Manchester Just as John Byrom wrote them down on that Christ- mas Eve 200 years ago. This is Lancashii'e's contribution to the Christmas hymns, for Byrom lived at Kersall Cell, Keraall. Just out- side Manchester, and you can still go into the fine old gabled family home, with its oak panelling, six- teenth-century plaster-work, and Jacobean staircase, and find the upper room which was the study where this hymn was written to put on Dorothy's plate on the breakfast table. Five years after- wards, in 1150. the choir of Ker- sall church came to the door of Kersall Cell on Christmas Eve and sang her hymn to Dorothy. set to music by their leader, John Waln- wright. Wainwright was a Stock- port man, and that is why his fine old tune is called "Btooltport".

Besides giving us a lovely carol, John Byrom ine vented a syste If shorthand in those far-off days, and among his pupils were Horace Walpole - and John and Charles Wesley Charles Wesley indeed used By- rom's shorthand when writing his hymns, which may account for the fact that he actually produced over 8,500 in his long lifetime, fill- ing fifty volumes with them.

. . .

It is Charles Wesley, oi course.'

who gave us that glorious old Christmas hymn, "Hark the Her- ald Angels Singl"-and this ranks as a contribution from the West Country to our Christmas festi- val. For Charles lived or twenty years in a. house in B tol which he rented for 5:11 a year. and which was so full of peace and contentment that among his fam- ily it was known as 'the Convent'.

Not that Charles Wesley's life was particularly peaceful in itself. To start with, when he was born around 1707 he arrived as the eighteenth child of a poor parson's household. Then he began his early career by preaching at New- gate. spending the condemned pris- oners' last night locked in the cells with them. and finally sharing their last journey on the cart to the gallows Itrryburn.

All his life seems to have been punctuated by having sticks and stones hurled at him, or being

preserved from death at the hands of murderous mobs, as he cries- crossed England and Wales on horseback during his preach- ing-wanderings 200 years ago: But it is all the joy that he always felt in living that he has put into this Christmas carol, which he first wrote as "Hark how the wel- kin ringsi and afterwards altered to the opening words we know so well 0 I 0

A carol has really a dancing ori- gin, and right in the beginning it was meant for people who wanted to dance and sing in a ring, like the children sing "Here we go round the Mui- berry Bush". There is "The Holly and the Ivy", for in- stance, a song which began, in is thought, far back in the pagan days, as a singing dance for lads and lassies, the masculine holly and the feminine ivy. A song probably already popular during the great pagan midwinter festi- val, before Christianity came to alter many of the words and give it new life, to be handed on by word of mouth from generation to generation until (we can claim that this is a Gloucestershlre con- tribution to our Christmas) a Mrs. Clayton of Chipping Camden gave Cecil Sharp the woyis and melody that we shall sing this Christmas.

Another carol. of which a rather beautiful story is told, is In Dulcl "Jubilo-Now let us sing with mirth and Joy". This is an old German carol translated liito English i:i the year that Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves. The story goes that in the Christmas of 1366 an- gels appeared to Henry Ducc, a mystic of those times. They were dancing and singing this carol, and the bemused man, drawn into the Joyous throng, danced with them. and in the morning, remembering the words they had sung,lic wrote them down.

In after years they were set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach,

;;ra'a GUARDIAN. CHARLOTTETOWN

andtit is to hlsltune that we hear this legendary song of the angels as it swells out from King's Col- lege Chapel at Christmas.

"God Rest You Merry. Gentle- men", With its magnificent tune. is another one of those numerous carols which have been -passed down from generation to genera- tion by word ofimouth, and this one is pal-ticularlyza London song, a carol sung in the old London streets as the holly went up.

But it is l'rom the little town of East Grimstead in Sussex with its tree-bordered main street and an- cicnt, square-towered church that what is probably our oldest carol oi all has come.

certainly weren't in a festive mood.

he stared gloomilf at the shiny tracks and the motionless cars of a. new electric train.

.PA'cj-E rarer,

F' Th' g U .irliccls'began'7o7move, and little puffer-billy whizzed

Ralph

chiefs that match! What does he; know about motors?" 1 3

ih and

By Dorothy Boys Kilian

...,,, . .... W'-( -1!

It was Christmas Eve but the "Rick!" Mom removed. 1 . ltlmtkod around the Curve- group of people sitting on the "oh. I know you all think of I 7; . p kpmscs be: Dad heaved a loud floor in the Reedy living-room him as an outsider," Wilma said. ' e ' liiilil of relief. .

, Ralph quietly got up from floor l'.ll(i turned to Wilma. "May- ibe we'd lletier go now if we want to ' ,catch the italic."

- i "All right, Rrilpll,"

”lf you only really knew him bet- tei-l.Mom, I do wish you'd let me ask him to breakfast tomorrow." I

"I'm sorry dear. but I just don't think he'd fit in." l

”Doggonit,” Dad exclaimed as

"what: Wilma said.

wrong with chi; thing gny-way?" The docrben ,a,,g. wnma mp. lHcl' eyes lurncri pleadiiigly to Mrs. "We've put it together exactly awered it and she and Ralph ex-: 5R""d- ”M'""-", . l according to directions, I'm sure changed happy hellcs. ” t "Oh. W5. Wilma." M-om inter-

rupted. Turning to Ralph she said

For "Good King , we have." fifteen-year-old Rick Rick immediately threw out the h 1 H ) W wence51,,5-- was named, h "e t th 1 11. b1 dv , Hg. , cart ly, ”In a lie excl ment we even than 1,000 owe". Somehhmys got to be fkgsserageyoxng engnl 3&9 gaenml ';almo.-.t lorgot to risk you to be sure

ilri chine (JVCF for late breakfast

years old when

done," said Mom. looking in from

make this train go. ,Can you tell i

with us tnmoi-row. It's just a simple

Jam” M559" the kitchen where she was stuii- what's Wrong with N7" - i

Ne” ”"”51md ing the turkey "Little Jackie's "Maybe" Ralph said quietly "l fmliilv all”. but be SW91! would ”' nmm the A been praying for that train for used to have a train something like W mic W” WW1 "5"

Greek when he i months and how'li he feel to- like this." i - i "YW D93" DM13 9395 Winkiedv was Warden of Sackville College morwwt morning it the thing lilpok out that com," bamng, He picked up me ,-n.,,., l,l,..k ”Solnetli;ii;: nilchi :0 wrong with mzl.eLu:,ece3fLu;yhftgohazuLgglayit :3 wont run?" . stuff will stick to your if0U6ers,"lCll(lllE carefully and turned it it iillliill and wc'ii fcsl safer with Easter carol "Maybe Ralph can help. lle's Dad warned. WV" W1 0V"- "6 but It up to one roll nrnumi to fix it.

i I t ' coming by for me in a few min- "That's snow, and the snow '"”l and 99""! ""0 "3 W0'”k'"E5- C C '”' ' So the stories come thick and utcs you know." said Wilma. the around here is clean." -.---....-a. WW4. ..A I - - -I -

last with almost every Christmas pretty big sister of the family. Dad looked slightly startled. I,” see .1 I R , 1 L, Chnsikmdll '5 Swiss

ljlymn yin: lean menittlgm. In tile "on, him!” Rick was acornful. Wilma smiled. she remembeledj "H1 Eta ygu”a 3fag' R”;',I)eh hm 1 counterpart of Santa

eel) In W11 61. W1” 9" Y 9 That guy from the big city with how impressed Ralph had been,mmum., wnma am up and Sim?

strange. melancholy Christina Ros- setti, who, though she was a Lon- don girl, wrote into these verses the love and knowledge of the country she had learned during childhood visits to Little Missen- deli in Buckinghamshire. "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night", one of the six hymns first to, be admitted into the per- manent use of the Church of Eng- land, and composed partly by Nahum Tatc, the Poet Laureate, who died in a dcbtol"s prison, and partly by Nicholas Brady. Royal Chaplain to William and Mary. whose serniolis on occasions of na- tional grief or rejoicing were thundered out from the pulpit of his church in the ancient, historic, jumbled town oi Richmond. "Past Three O'clock and a cold frosty morning!"-the old English watch- man'a carol, beloved of the Lon-

(D4: with gfdnztr mm ofold

Did the guiding rldr lubold;

A: will: joy they hailed the light, . Leading annrtl, beaming bright,-

So, M01! gracious Lard, may we

Em-rum be led to Tim.

('14: die; afoul 7:: mph me

A! that manger m e and bare.

So may Us with holy jay,

Fun, and free final u'n': alloy,

All our mllim mcmm bring,

anin, to Tim, our bcumlly King. A

C A (iiilriatmaa lirayrr it This 94;! of joy

1 CA; with joyous mp: tiley xpel

To that lowly man er lad,

Time to bend the int: me

Him ivlmn Imm ml mzbmlore; So may we with willing fee!

Ever ml: tjry mqcy mt.

his socks and ties and handker-

don waits in the days

of the year, when the story of the birth of the Babe oi Bethlehem was told once more.

acszrzvz-oz"; '

r !E!z!&!zes!&!rE&5!&tz&s!-:2-sagsestsasrzzstsrst-5.-'?.9:?r5.

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led ?1:';::: .".i;f:-1 ;:...;;:”-:.::::S' H '. , ,, U ' i '1 v. in .. . .- NF”! "””d' Um”, (mi Biili)ii.tion ni Cliristiiia:-, observed mostly 8""'ered' punmil hi5 pellet”) Dll Decclilllsw 24. it is Chrlstklndll,

by the whiteness oi the drifts even on Main street last night.

"The flakes are practically sooty before they even reach the ground

of stage

coaches acnd sedan cahalrs... U m Chicago,-v he had mid, fcknllded wine1;i-oioui-ed lianrikel-- me Chm, Cmldn Wm, makps me Yes it. oes us soc :2 smz rem -wpmckg 3..., 0, R,),,h'c let out of is jackcl pt('kE'.. . , ,, , 5,,” ,, mm on C, ,

once isgain, these old scfmgsm 05 slraiglltened up. Then he picked He worked tlllitilv for a mom- (1-min S 0 i "H Ch'1"m”- 50 mm”. 0 9'" ih shi V hi i- "n . - ei t, entlv elm lh - 1”" i .. . . . .. . up or we rs... 2.2. .::5'.:. .::.: ...,,:,::-.,.l,-,;;;-;;:;-r-,;,rg,,r.:::s:.:;.:r.;.': Elzaglkclngoulgggggse"5013:; "gray He put it up to eye level and peer-iof the engine. Then lie sci the cii-J, ;,.;,-:,.1,l-,.- i5lrr;i'.:li iiiillcii by gm”- People. who believed in dancing ednimo itf w”r,k""'75' W . ,E1:; ;3aai1t'1i9I”1.1,-)'Igui:f;ll'l'0li;'l (loci-. llllilil lil tlivv fashimi of our and singing and feasting, and The DIDWESIOHE1 i0HCh- Rlcklwm mu -Rick?" it-C ipsniiizi Y , .1l(iii ili'lll;;S good really making merry at the turn niilttcred. I - ,- y - ;bwl:s i ii. i i)f"ll illl free, iiiid old, old "There may be all in the com- Rick meekly niuved iHl'lHil'(i the in.-lily I kc Sci .1. he stresses

muiator," Ralph said. ”Ilhat some- black lever at lilo iransluriiier. nhctizcii - nllilllwmilllfiiliilltts naughty

times happens with a new engine. There was a whirl-iiig sound, llie-rrllirlrlsi

'twi-is the night before Washdcly When spirits are low

Just thinking of Mondov

And work we hate sow

The clothes were all sorted And put in to soak

But the scrubbing tomorrow- The thought was no ioke!

Then thinking of Christmas I cheered up cl bit.

An idea struck me-r

I cried "This is iii".-

So clipping this od' From the paper, with not. I placed it at once Where he'd see it the best.

Now I know by his eyes And a slight hidden grin. He's taken the hint

And our order is in!

And so for the New Year I'll do as they say,

"Make Washdoy a pleasure The New Connor way"!

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