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= God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen =
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Introduction
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"God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen," also known as "God Rest Ye Merry,
Gentlemen," is an English traditional Christmas carol. It is in the
Roxburghe Collection (iii. 452), and is listed as no. 394 in the Roud
Folk Song Index. It is also known as "Tidings of Comfort and Joy," and
by other variant incipits.
History
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An early version of this carol is found in an anonymous manuscript,
dating from the 1650s. It contains a slightly different version of the
first line from that found in later texts, with the first line "Sit
yow merry gentlemen" (also transcribed "Sit you merry gentlemen" and
"Sit you merry gentlemen").
The earliest known printed edition of the carol is in a broadsheet
dated to c. 1760. A precisely datable reference to the carol is found
in the November 1764 edition of the 'Monthly Review'.
Some sources claim that the carol dates as far back as the 16th
century. Others date it later, to the 18th or early 19th centuries.
Although there is a second tune known as 'Cornish', in print by 1833
and referred to as "the usual version" in the 1928 'Oxford Book of
Carols', this version is seldom heard today. The better-known
traditional English melody is in the minor mode; the earliest printed
edition of the melody appears to be in a rondo arrangement for
fortepiano by Samuel Wesley, which was already reviewed in 1815. Soon
after, it appeared in a parody published in 1820 by William Hone. It
had been associated with the carol since at least the mid-18th
century, when it was recorded by James Nares in a hand-written
manuscript under the title "The old Christmas Carol". Hone's version
of the tune differs from the present melody in the third line. The
full current melody was published by Chappell in 1855.
An article in the March 1824 issue of 'The Gentleman's Magazine'
complains that, in London, no Christmas carols are heard "excepting
some croaking ballad-singer bawling out 'God rest you, merry
gentlemen', or a like doggerel".
The carol is referred to in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella 'A Christmas
Carol'. It is also quoted in George Eliot's 1861 novel 'Silas Marner'.
Lyrics
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The following version of the first verse is found in a manuscript
dating from the early 1650s:
A later version is found in 'Three New Christmas Carols', dated c.
1760. Its first verse reads:
The historic meaning of the phrase "God rest you merry" is 'may God
grant you peace and happiness'; the Oxford English Dictionary records
uses of this phrase from 1534 onwards. It appears in Shakespeare's
play 'As You Like It' and the phrase "rest you merry" appears in
'Romeo and Juliet;' both plays date from the 1590s. The ditransitive
use of the verb 'rest' in the sense "to keep, cause to continue, to
remain" is typical of 16th- to 17th-century language. However, in the
present day, 'merry' is often misinterpreted as an adjective modifying
'gentlemen'. Etymonline.com notes that the first line "often is
mispunctuated" as "God rest you, merry gentlemen" because in
contemporary language, 'rest' has lost its use "with a predicate
adjective following and qualifying the object" ('Century Dictionary').
This is the case already in the 1775 variant, and is also reflected by
Dickens' replacement of the verb 'rest' by 'bless' in 'A Christmas
Carol'.
Some variants give the pronoun in the first line as 'ye' instead of
'you',"God Rest Ye, Merry Christians" in Mildred Gauntlett, 'Fifty
Christmas Carols' (London, 1906),
[https://books.google.com/books?id=VStYAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA67 p. 39]
The use of 'ye' may go back to alternative words written by Dinah
Craik (1826-1887) given in Charles Lewis Hutchins, 'Carols Old and
Carols New' (Boston: Parish Choir, 1916) with the title 'God Rest Ye
Merry, Gentlemen'. This particular version has the incipit 'God rest
you merry, gentlemen', but verses 2 and 3 begin 'God rest ye little
children' and 'God rest ye all good Christians', respectively. in a
pseudo-archaism.'ye' is in origin the nominative of the second person
plural pronoun
see also Early Modern English pronouns. In fact, 'ye' would never have
been correct, because 'ye' is a subjective (nominative) pronoun only,
never an objective (accusative) pronoun.
A variant text was printed in 1775 in 'The Beauties of the Magazines,
and Other Periodical Works, Selected for a Series of Years'. This text
was reproduced from a song-sheet bought from a caroler in the
street."On Christmas Carrols" in 'The Beauties of the Magazines, and
Other Periodical Works, Selected for a Series of Years' (Vol. 2 of 2;
1775), printed for Gottlob Emanuel Richter,
[https://books.google.com/books?id=RyAVAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA87 87f.];
"Beauties" in the series title is intended to denote works of literary
merit. The author, identified as "C." (likely George Colman the
Elder), rejects non-liturgical Christmas music by expounding the carol
as an example of how " an ignorant zeal in religion has occasioned
many shocking sentiments to be broached that the greatest scoffers of
Christianity would not dare to have uttered" He complains of " having
my ears pestered in every street this last week, by numberless women
and children singing what they called Christmas carrols, but what, if
I had heard them in an alehouse, or if they had been sung by drunken
people in a night-cellar, I should have thought the most bare-faced
reflections and the grossest buffoonry upon the most sacred subject
that could be devised by the devil himself." C. says he bought the
song-sheets of a woman singer - "[a] poor woman with two children
bundled at her back and one in her arms, and who, I am persuaded, was
very far from knowning what she said" to prevent her from continuing
in her - "profane treatment of sacred subjects" and sends the text he
found on the sheets to the magazine as an illustration of "the same
carrols I have heard sung about the streets in this season for above
these thirty years" ('viz.', since the 1740s). This version is shown
here alongside the version reported by W. B. Sandys (1833) and the
version adopted by 'Carols for Choirs' (OUP, 1961), which has become
the 'de facto' baseline reference in the UK.
'The Beauties of the Magazines' (1775) 'Christmas Carols Ancient and
Modern', W. B. Sandys (1833) 'Carols for Choirs' (1961)
1. God rest you, merry gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, Remember
Christ our Saviour Was born on Christmas-day To save poor souls from
Satan's power, Which long time had gone astray. And it is tidings of
comfort and joy. 1. God rest you merry, gentlemen Let nothing you
dismay For Jesus Christ, our Saviour Was born upon this day, To save
us all from Satan's power When we were gone astray. O tidings of
comfort and joy, For Jesus Christ, our Saviour was born on Christmas
day. 1. God rest you merry, gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, For
Jesus Christ our Saviour Was born upon this day, To save us all from
Satan's power When we were gone astray: O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy.
2. From God that is our Father The blessed angels came Unto some
certain shepherds, With tidings of the same; That he was born in
Bethlehem The Son of God by name. And it is, etc. 2. In Bethlehem, in
Jewry This blessed babe was born And laid within a manger Upon this
blessed morn The which his mother Mary Nothing did take in scorn. O
tidings, &c. 2. From God our heavenly Father A blessed angel came,
And unto certain shepherds Brought tidings of the same, How that in
Bethlehem was born The Son of God by name: O tidings ...
3. Now when they came to Bethlehem, Where our sweet Saviour lay, They
found him in a manger Where oxen feed on hay. The blessed Virgin
kneeling down Unto the Lord did pray. And it is, etc. 3. From God our
Heavenly Father A blessed Angel came, And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same, How that in Bethlehem was born The Son of
God by name. O tidings, &c. 3. The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind, And left their flocks a-feeding In tempest,
storm and wind, And went to Bethlehem straightway, This blessed Babe
to find: O tidings ...
4. With sudden joy and gladness, The shepherds were beguil'd, To see
the Babe of Israel Before his mother mild. O then with joy and
cheerfulness Rejoice each mother's child. And it is, etc. 4. Fear not,
then said the Angel, Let nothing you affright, This day is born a
Saviour Of virtue, power and might; So frequently to vanquish all The
friends of Satan quite. O tidings, &c. 4. But when to Bethlehem
they came, Whereat this Infant lay, They found Him in a manger, Where
oxen feed on hay; His mother Mary kneeling, Unto the Lord did pray: O
tidings ...
5. Now to the Lord sing praises, All you within this place Like we
true loving brethren, Each other to embrace, For the merry time of
Christmas Is coming on a-pace. And it is, etc. 5. The Shepherds at
those tidings Rejoiced much in mind, And left their flocks a feeding
In tempest, storm and wind, And went to Bethlehem straightway, This
blessed babe to find. O tidings, &c. 5. Now to the Lord sing
praises, All you within this place, And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace; This holy tide of Christmas All other doth
deface: O tidings ...
6. But when to Bethlehem they came, Whereas this infant lay, They
found him in a manger, Where oxen feed on hay, His mother Mary
kneeling Unto the Lord did pray. O tidings, &c. 7. Now to the Lord
sing praises, All you within this place, And with true love and
brotherhood Each other now embrace; This holy tide of Christmas All
other doth deface. O tidings, &c.
Melody
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global = {
\key e \minor
\time 4/4
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\repeat volta 2 { e4 | e b' b a | g fis e
d | e fis g a | b2. }
b4 | c a b c | d e b
a | g e fis g a2 \bar "||"
g4 (a) | b2 c4 b | b (a) g fis | e2 g8 fis e4 | a2
g4 (a) | b (c) d e | b (a) g fis | e2. \bar "|."
}
alto = \relative c' {
\global
\repeat volta 2 { e4 | e g fis dis | e d! c
b | e dis e e | dis2. }
e4 | e d d g | f e d
dis | e cis d g | fis2 \bar "||"
g4 (d) | d2 e4 d | g (fis) e dis | e2 b8 b cis4 | d2
e4 (fis) g2 g4 g | g (fis) e dis | e2. \bar "|."
}
tenor = \relative c {
\global
\repeat volta 2 { e4 | g e fis b | b b g
g | g b b e, | fis2. }
gis4 | a a g g | g g g
fis | g g a d | d (c) \bar "||"
b4 (a) | g2 g4 g | d' (c) b b | g2 g8 g g4 | fis (a)
d c | b (g) d' c | d (c) b b | g2. \bar "|."
}
bass = \relative c {
\global
\repeat volta 2 { e4 | e e dis b | e b c
g | c b e c | b2. }
e4 | a fis g c, | b c g
b | e e d b | d2 \bar "||"
e4 (fis) | g2 c,4 g' | g, (a) b b | e2 e8 e e4 | d (c)
b a | g (e') b c | g (a) b b | e2. \bar "|."
}
verse = \lyricmode {
<< { God rest you mer -- ry, gen -- tle -- men,
Let noth -- ing you dis -- may, }
\new Lyrics { For Je -- sus Christ our Sa -- vi -- our
Was born up -- on this day, } >>
To save us all from Sa -- tan's power
When we were gone a -- stray:
O tid -- ings of com -- fort and joy,
com -- fort and joy,
O tid -- ings of com -- fort and joy.
}
\score {
\new ChoirStaff <<
\new Staff
<<
\new Voice = "soprano" { \voiceOne \soprano }
\new Voice = "alto" { \voiceTwo \alto }
>>
\new Lyrics \lyricsto "soprano" \verse
\new Staff
<<
\clef bass
\new Voice = "tenor" { \voiceOne \tenor }
\new Voice = "bass" { \voiceTwo \bass }
>>
>>
\layout { }
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\score { \unfoldRepeats { << \soprano \\ \alto \\ \tenor \\
\bass >> }
\midi { \tempo 4=160 }
}
Musical settings
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*Gustav Holst includes the carol in his 1910 choral fantasy 'Christmas
Day'.
*The third movement of Victor Hely-Hutchinson's 'Carol Symphony'
(1927) is a scherzo on the tune of 'God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen'.
Versions by popular music artists
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* American singer Bing Crosby (1945) Merry Christmas (Bing Crosby
album)
* American rock band Steve Miller Band plays a snippet on the song
"Good Morning" from the album Number 5 (1970)
* A remix of the song composed by Lee Jackson, titled "God Rest Ye,
Deadly Gentlemen" appears in the 1995 video game 'Rise of the Triad'.
The song was later remade by Andrew Hulshult for the 2013 remaster.
* American country singer Garth Brooks (2000)
* American rock band Boston (2002), as "God Rest Ye Metal Gentlemen",
released online and on a special tour edition of the album 'Life, Love
& Hope'.
* The Canadian band Barenaked Ladies and singer-songwriter Sarah
McLachlan, on the 2004 album 'Barenaked for the Holidays'
* American contemporary Christian band MercyMe (2006)
* American smooth jazz gospel singer Tim Bowman (2010)
* The cast of 'Glee' (2010)
* Grammy and Oscar winning singer Annie Lennox on the 2010 album A
Christmas Cornucopia
* American metalcore band August Burns Red (2011)
* Irish singer Hozier performed a cover on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge
in 2015.
* American a-capella band Pentatonix, on the 2016 album 'A Pentatonix
Christmas', and on the soundtrack of the 2018 animated film
adaptation of 'The Grinch'
* Christian band Tenth Avenue North with Sarah Reeves (2016)
* American violinist Lindsey Stirling, on the 2022 album 'Snow Waltz'
* American singer Debbie Gibson on her 2022 album Winterlicious
See also
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* List of Christmas carols
Further reading
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*'The New Oxford Book of Carols', ed. Hugh Keyte and Andrew Parrott
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992), p. 527
License
=========
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Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Rest_Ye_Merry,_Gentlemen