2016 - The holly and the ivy Traditional English carol, arr. Parker/Shaw
from Christmas Reprise XVIII by Vancouver Cantata Singers
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The indefatigable Cecil Sharp copied this English folk song as it was sung to him by a certain Mary Clayton in Gloucestershire. Sharp then published both melody and text in his English Folk-Carols (1911). Strangely, the refrain has no connection whatsoever to any of the ideas of the verses, and may even have been tacked on by an editor in haste, but grateful choirs have been singing it this way unquestioningly for years, especially after Alice Parker and Robert Shaw published this delightful version in 1953. Holly and ivy, the ancient symbols for male and female, were Christianised in mediæval England, coming to symbolise good and evil. Ivy, which was formerly associated with druidic mistletoe, represented evil, but holly fared rather better. As the carol notes, the holly’s white blossoms were thought to symbolise Mary’s purity, its prickles foretold Christ’s crown of thorns, and its poisonous red berries reminded believers of the blood of the crucifixion and the poisonous gall offered to Jesus on the cross.
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 the lily flow’r,
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.
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 the lily flow’r,
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.
credits
from Christmas Reprise XVIII,
released November 22, 2022
license
all rights reserved
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about
Vancouver Cantata Singers Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver Cantata Singers is a multi-award-winning, semi-professional choral ensemble in Vancouver, B.C.
Canada.
Known for technical virtuosity, fine blend and exceptionally high performance standards, the choir also commissions new works from critically acclaimed composers which have led to extremely successful and innovative collaborations with regional and international artists and ensembles.
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discography
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Nov 2022 -
Feb 2016 -
Dec 2012 -
Mar 2013 -
Mar 2013 -
Mar 2013 -
Mar 2013 -
Mar 2013 -
Mar 1999
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