Clerestory Notes

Commentary -

Many musicologists consider Wexford Carol to be one of the oldest extant Christmas carols of the European tradition. It has its origins in County Wexford, Ireland – hence its title – and numerous priests, pastors, and lay people have tried their hand at translating, interpreting, and (sometimes) updating the text. Because of its Medieval provenance, the tune is often rendered in a lilting, dancelike character with a more or less busy harmonic structure. But this setting takes advantage of the modal quality of early music for a more contemplative sense, and allows the interest to come from the musical interplay the solo or unison melody line and other instruments.

Performance recommendation: I’ve used this setting of Wexford Carol as a call to worship at our Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols services. It can be done just with solo voice and keyboard (or organ), with the accompaniment chords simple in the first verse, then adding range, fills and dynamics. Alternatively (and this is how we perform this piece), other instruments can be layered in, beginning either half way through the first verse or approaching the second verse. Strings, woodwinds, guitar, bass, piano, drum (bodhran or djembe are nice), harmonica, and bells are good choices – but don’t use too many, so the beauty of the line and simple harmonies is retained. (We add light piano, guitar, a bit of bass, flute, djembe, and harmonica.)

Key: E

Wexford Carol is available as a lead sheet and as an mp3 (coming soon).

Additional verses, if desired:

The night before that happy tide
The noble virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town.
But mark how all things came to pass:
From every door repelled, alas!
As long foretold, their refuge all
Was but a humble oxen stall.

There were three wise men from afar
Directed by a glorious star,
And on thy wandered night and day
Until they came where Jesus lay.
And when they came unto that place
Where our beloved Messiah lay,
They humbly cast them at His feet
With gifts of gold and incense sweet.