- Ding Dong Merrily on High
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"Ding Dong Merrily on High" is a Christmas carol. The tune first appeared as a secular dance tune known as "le branle de l'Official" in Orchésographie, a dance book written by Jehan Tabourot (1519–1593). The lyrics are from English composer George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848–1934), and it was first published in 1924 in his The Cambridge Carol-Book: Being Fifty-two Songs for Christmas, Easter, And Other Seasons. Woodward took an interest in church bell ringing, which no doubt aided him in writing it. Woodward was the author of several carol books, including Songs of Syon and The Cowley Carol Book. The macaronic style is characteristic of Woodward’s delight in archaic poetry. Charles Wood harmonised the tune when it was published with Woodward's text in The Cambridge Carol Book. More recently, Sir David Willcocks made an arrangement for the second book of Carols for Choirs.
The song is particularly noted[1][2] for the Latin refrain:
- Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
- [Glory! Hosanna in the highest!]
where the sung vowel sound "o" of "Gloria" is fluidly sustained through a lengthy rising and falling melismatic melodic sequence.
Contents
Words
The words of the carol are:[3]
Ding dong! merrily on high
In heav'n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! verily the sky
Is riv'n with Angel singing.REFRAIN
Gloria,
Hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria,
Hosanna in excelsis!E'en so here below, below,
Let steeple bells be swungen,
And "Io, io, io!"
By priest and people sungen.REFRAIN
Pray you, dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers;
May you beautifully rime
Your evetime song, ye singers.REFRAIN
Note: "Swungen" and "Sungen" in the second verse are archaic English verb forms.
Selected recordings
- 1962, 1969, 1984, 1994 - Choir of King's College, Cambridge
- 1970 - Monty Python - singing it as part of the sketch 'The Visitors'.
- 1974 - George Guest and the Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge - Christmas at St. John's
- 1976 - John Rutter and the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge - Carols from Clare
- 1985 - Jon Anderson - Three Ships
- 1985 - The Canadian Brass - A Canadian Brass Christmas
- 1987 - The Muppets - Muppet Family Christmas
- 1989 - John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers - Christmas with the Cambridge Singers
- 1990 - Julie Andrews - The Sounds of Christmas: From Around the World
- 1991 - The Chieftains - The Bells of Dublin
- 1992 - Julie Andrews - Christmas in Washington
- 1992 - Rob & Gilly - A Child is Born - Classical Praise Guitar
- 1994 - John Scott and the Choir of St Paul's Cathedral - Christmas Carols from St Paul's Cathedral
- 1996 - The Wiggles (instrumental) - Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas
- 1998 - David Hill and the Choir of Winchester Cathedral - O Come Let Us Adore Him: Christmas Music from Winchester Cathedral
- 2000 - Charlotte Church - Dream a Dream
- 2002 - Canadian Brass (instrumental) - Sweet Songs of Christmas
- 2004 - Jon Schmidt - Winter Serenade
- 2006 - Celtic Woman - Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration
- 2006 - Maddy Prior - An Evening of Carols and Capers
- 2006 - Blackmore's Night - Winter Carols
- 2007 - Chanticleer - Let It Snow
- 2007 - Chris Squire - Chris Squire's Swiss Choir
- 2008 - Anúna - Christmas Memories
- 2010 - The Priests - Christmas Album Noel
- 2011 - Jackie Evancho - Heavenly Christmas
References
External links
- Free sheet music from the Choral Public Domain Library
- The Cambridge Carol-Book: Being Fifty-Two Songs For Easter, Christmas, And Other Seasons (with scans of original)
- Free sheet music of Ding Dong Merrily on High for SATB from Cantorion.org
Categories:- Christmas carols
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