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= I Saw Three Ships =
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Introduction
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"I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)" is an English Christmas carol,
listed as number 700 in the Roud Folk Song Index. The earliest printed
version of "I Saw Three Ships" is from the 17th century, possibly
Derbyshire, and was also published by William Sandys in 1833. The song
was probably traditionally known as "As I Sat On a Sunny Bank", and
was particularly popular in Cornwall.
Lyrics
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The modern lyrics are from an 1833 version by the English lawyer and
antiquarian William Sandys, and consist of nine verses.
The lyrics mention the ships sailing into Bethlehem, but the nearest
body of water is the Dead Sea about 20 mile away. The reference to
three ships is thought to originate in the three ships that bore the
purported relics of the Biblical magi to Cologne Cathedral in the 12th
century. Another possible reference is to Wenceslaus II, King of
Bohemia, who bore a coat of arms "Azure three galleys argent". Another
suggestion is that the ships are actually the camels used by the Magi,
as camels are frequently referred to as "ships of the desert".
Traditional recordings and collected versions
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Countless traditional versions of the song have been collected. Many
different melodies were used, as is typical of traditional folk songs
including Christmas carols. In the 1910s, the English folklorists
Cecil Sharp and Janet Blunt noted the tunes and lyrics of dozens of
versions, primarily in the south of England.
Several traditional recordings have been made of the song. The
American folk song collector James Madison Carpenter recorded several
slightly different English versions in the early 1930s, all of which
can be heard online via the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, several
recorded in Cornwall and one in Gloucestershire. In 1956, Peter
Kennedy recorded a man named John Thomas singing the song in Camborne,
Cornwall.
Jean Ritchie, a musician from the Appalachian Mountains, was recorded
by Alan Lomax in 1949 singing a traditional version learnt from her
Kentucky family (whose ancestors seemingly brought the song from
England), which can be heard courtesy of the Alan Lomax archive.
Ritchie later recorded the song on her album 'Carols of All Seasons'
(1959). Whilst Jean Ritchie's family version is the only traditional
American version to be recorded, the song was known to be present in
the United States in previous decades, particularly in the south.
Whilst collecting folk songs in the British Isles in 1952, Jean
Ritchie and her husband George Pickow encountered the Irish
traditional singer Elizabeth Cronin in Macroom, County Cork, who sang
a version called "The Bells of Heaven".
Arrangements
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An arrangement by Martin Shaw appears in the 'Oxford Book of Carols'.
The 'Carols for Choirs' series of carol books features arrangements of
the carol by both Sir David Willcocks and John Rutter. Organist Simon
Preston and former conductor of the Choir of King's College,
Cambridge, Sir Philip Ledger, have also written arrangements that the
choir have performed at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in
recent years. There is also a more recent choral arrangement by
British composer Richard Fox. This carol is also featured in the
musical 'Caroline, or Change', but as a counterpoint. Adapted by Jon
Schmidt on 'Jon Schmidt Christmas' album. John Renbourn has arranged
it (in a rather free adaptation) for guitar. The song appears on Nat
King Cole's 1960 album 'The Magic of Christmas' (l/k/a "The Christmas
Song"), arranged by Ralph Carmichael.
Other versions
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* "I saw three ships come sailing by on New Year's Day" is a
19th-century version, which mentions three pretty girls in the ship
entertaining at a wedding held on New Year's Day.
Other recordings
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* English musician Sting recorded a version for the compilation album
'A Very Special Christmas 3' in 1997.
* Progressive rock singer Jon Anderson released a version as the title
track of his album '3 Ships' in 1985.
* Keyboardist Keith Emerson recorded an instrumental rock adaptation
on his 'The Christmas Album' (1988).
* In 1995, Glen Campbell recorded the song on his Christmas album
'Christmas with Glen Campbell'.
* Barenaked Ladies recorded the song on their 2004 Christmas album
Barenaked for the Holidays
* Sufjan Stevens recorded the song on his 2006 Christmas album Songs
for Christmas
* Blackmore's Night recorded the song on their 2006 Christmas-themed
album 'Winter Carols'.
* Lindsey Stirling released her version on her holiday album 'Warmer
in the Winter'.
* Celtic Woman released their version on Christmas Cards From Ireland
in 2022.
*Nat King Cole released a version for the album 'The Christmas Song'.
See also
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* List of Christmas carols
External links
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*
*
[http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/i_saw_three_ships.htm
History, lyrics and sheet music at The Hymns and Carols of Christmas]
* Free sheet music for
[http://cantorion.org/music/144/I%20Saw%20Three%20Ships piano],
[http://cantorion.org/music/146/I%20Saw%20Three%20Ships voice] and
[http://cantorion.org/music/145/I%20Saw%20Three%20Ships SATB] from
'Cantorion.org'
* [http://www.carols.org.uk/i_saw_three_ships.htm Full lyrics]
License
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Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Saw_Three_Ships