Thanks Janet for sending me this version by the Stamford Bridge Singers which also has a quick tutorial at the start for singing along (in case you haven’t picked up the words by now!): 6. It was written by Thomas Clark, a cobbler from from Canterbury in 1805 but became better known as the tune to Ilkely Moor Baht’at. Ilkely Moor Baht’at). The Yorkshire tune! Or – I should say – one of the Yorkshire tunes, although not originally from Yorkshire. I realise I am most likely preaching to the converted here but just in case you haven’t yet bought a copy for all of your carol-loving friends, here’s the link. Yes this is a shameless plug because it’s a brilliant book – stories and memories, historical research, scores, photos, recordings and it’s a really fascinating and engaging read. TIme for another Cornish version! Thanks to Carmen for sending me this recording of the Red River Singers bringing this tune to life at one of the launch events for Hilary and Sally’s brilliant book Hark! The Glad Sound of Cornish Carols, which lists all 34(!) Cornish tunes for While Shepherds Watched that they found on their travels. ST DAY, MOUNT ZION and, endearingly, WHAT MELODY).
This version is by Bobby Darin from his 1960 album The 25th Day of December, because I could not resist Handel in the style of an American christmas crooner: 4.
Whatever it’s called, the melody is by Handel from the opera Siroe and adapted by Samuel Arnold to fit the words. CHRISTMASĪlso known as: LUNENBURG and SIROE. Here’s a lovely version by Nancy Kerr, James Fagan and Rob Harbron – if you have time you might also enjoy the interview afterwards. In some renditions, the shepherds are told to ‘cheer up’ instead of to ‘fear not’. SWEET CHIMING BELLSĪnother favourite tune, this time with additional bells (there will be more of these later). One of my favourites and the one I heard most often in Cornwall, sung here in a hearty rendition by Canoryon Trewoon (Troon Singers – Troon, Cornwall, not Scotland obvs) in Camborne, 2009: 2. Apparently there are so many tunes for While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night that it’s impossible to count them! I may end up repeating myself occasionally with different versions of the same tune, but there are some crackers among them, including this: 1.
#While shepherds watched their flocks youtube free
However, in keeping with the interminable year that 2020 has been so far, it will be the same carol every time (feel free to put me on mute now!).
I’ll be counting down to Christmas this year by sharing a carol every day. Here’s the playlist with many different tunes: īut the main event included some versions that are not on YouTube, so here it is with everthing, including random facts and references to some of the people following along. The words are by Nahum Tate, pretty much lifted straight from the bible and adapted to common metre. There are more than 300 tunes for this carol in the UK alone, because there was a time in 17th – 18th centuries when they were the only Christmas carol lyrics permitted by the established church of the day. From 1st December 2020 I did a Christmas Countdown on Facebook, posting a different version of While Shepherds Watched each day.