Tag: Carol

The Twelve Days of Christmas

From George O Howell (ed.), The Kentish Note Book Vol. 1, 1891, pp238-240.
Reprinted from Gravesend and Dartford Reporter, 18th January 1890.

Contributed by “TYPO”, Gravesend, Kent.

Roud 68

KNB1 The Twelve Days of ChristmasDownload

The Twelve Days of Christmas, extending from Christmas to Epiphany, were usually in olden times, the days of the old year wherein to mako merry, and to fraternize in mirth and good fellowship. Songs relating to festivals and customs possess a special interest not adequately measured by their poetical pretensions. The “Twelve Days of Christmas,” an old-fashioned carol, was formerly played as a forfeit game, each player in turn having to repeat the gifts of a day, incurring a forfeit tor every mistake. It will be observed in the appended carol, that each verse not only celebrates the gifts of each day, which are accumulative, but requires a good memory on the part of those who make their first attempt in it as a forfeit game. Several batches of Gravesend youngsters were heard singing this peculiar Yule-tide ditty, and as I am told it is known in various parts of our county, I should like to know whether the effusion is Kentish or otherwise.

Here is a correct copy of the words of the carol, which may interest the readers of the “K.N.B.”

Gravesend                                                                                               TYPO.

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The Seven Joys

From George O Howell (ed.), The Kentish Note Book Vol. 1, 1891, pp29-31.
Reprinted from Gravesend and Dartford Reporter, 12th January 1889.

Contributed by “GRAVESENDER”.

Roud 278

In addition to the ancient Christmas carol (“The Sunny Bank”) quoted by “Geo.,” the following is a favourite with the Gravesend juveniles just before and at Christmas, when it may be repeatedly heard in the town and suburbs. It is entitled
THE SEVEN JOYS

KNB1 The Seven JoysDownload

The words “good man” at the end of each fifth line in the above verses, are printed “God-man” in some versions.

GRAVESENDER

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As I sat on a sunny bank

Shooter’s Hill version

From George O Howell (ed.), The Kentish Note Book Vol. 1, 1891, pp26-27.
Reprinted from Gravesend and Dartford Reporter, 29th December 1888.

Contributed by “GEO.” (George Owen Howell), Shooter’s Hill, Kent.

Roud 700

Christmas Carol.—The other evening, I heard a Christmas carol, under my window, sung by some children. The words, as nearly as I can remember, are as follow :-

  1. As I sat on a sunny bank,
    On Christmas Day in the morning,
  2. I saw a ship come sailing by,
    On Christmas day in the morning ;
  3. And who d’ye think was in the ship,
    On Christmas day in the morning ?
  4. Joseph and his lady fair,
    On Christmas day in the morning.
  5. He did whistle and she did sing,
    And all the bells on the earth did ring,
    On Christmas day in the morning.

Some years ago, I heard a similar carol at Gravesend, but cannot say for certain whether the above is the correct version. Perhaps some reader will be able to enlighten me. I should imagine the verses in question have reference to the flight of the “Holy family into Egypt.” In Hone’s “Every Day Book,” there is an engraving from a curious painting by an Italian—” Lucca Giordano” – of the Holy Family in a boat with the ass, whereon the Virgin had rode, held by an angel, while cherubs company them in the sky.”

Shooters’ Hill                                                                                                GEO.

Gravesend version

From George O Howell (ed.), The Kentish Note Book Vol. 1, 1891, pp31.
Reprinted from Gravesend and Dartford Reporter, 12th January 1889.

Contributed by C. Knight.

Christmas Carol (December 29th, 1888).—The quaint Christmas Carol mentioned by “Geo,” is still sung in Gravesend at Yule-tide. The following is the Gravesend version, which, however, differs but slightly from that given by your correspondent for Shooters’ Hill : –

THE SUNNY BANK

  1. As I sat on a sunny bank,
    A sunny bank, a sunny bank,
    As I sat on a sunny bank,
    On Christmas day in the morning.
  2. I spied three ships come sailing by,
    Come sailing by, come sailing by,
    I spied three ships come sailing by,
    On Christmas day ill the morning.
  3. And who should be with these three ships,
    With these three ships, with these three ships,
    And who should be with these three ships,
    But Joseph and his fair lady.
  4. Oh, he did whistle, she did sing,
    And all the bells on earth did ring,
    For joy that our Saviour was born,
    On Christmas day in the morning.

C. KNIGHT.

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