Stylised illustration of the Nativity of Jesus (1925)

"The Babe in Bethlem's Manger", also called "The Babe in Bethlehem's Manger Laid", "Old Kentish Carol"[1] and "The Saviour's Work",[2] is an anonymous English folk Christmas carol celebrating the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

History

The writer of the carol is not known. However, the lyrics are traditionally described as being a traditional folk hymn from the English county of Kent.[3] However Erik Routley noted that its composition was "very much of the 18th century".[2] It was first published in print in 1871[4] by the Church of England's Reverend Henry Ramsden Bramley and hymn writer John Stainer in Christmas Carols New and Old.[5] Bramley included the commonly used tune for the carol.[6] Christopher Chope's 1894 Carols for use in Church attributed the words as being Kentish, which was later confirmed by R R Terry in 1923 in his Old Christmas Carols anthology.[2] The carol later passed into North America and was later published in the Evangelical Lutheran Church's Wartburg Hymnal in 1918.[7] In 1960, it was published in the Church of Ireland's The Church Hymnal.[8]

A critical analysis of the hymn notes that the refrain is intended to provoke thought about the difference in people's lives without Jesus and then the later redemption through Jesus.[9]

Music

Several composers have also written music for "The Babe in Bethlem's Manger". In 1964, an optional obbligato for flute was copyrighted in the United States by Theron Kirk.[10] In 1973, in one of his last works before his death, British composer Patrick Hadley wrote a piece of music for the carol so it could be performed in his Lent cantata.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Unto us a Son is given". Adelaide: Southern Cross. 14 December 1945. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Christophers, Harry. "Song of the Nativity" (PDF). Classic FM. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  3. ↑ "The Babe in Bethlehem". Hymns and Carols of Christmas. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  4. ↑ "The Babe in Bethlehem's manger laid". Hymnary.org. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  5. ↑ "Christmas Carols New and Old: Series 1 and 2". Hymnary.org. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  6. ↑ "The Babe in Bethlem's manger laid tune". Hymnary.org. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  7. ↑ "Wartburg Hymnal: for church, school and home". Hymnary.org. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  8. ↑ "Index of The Church Hymnal (Church of Ireland), 1960". Oremus.org. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  9. ↑ "English folk-carols and the dance". McGill University. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  10. ↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. US Copyright Office. 1967. p. 1654. ISBN 1279803983.
  11. ↑ "A babe in Bethlem's manger laid: from A cantata for Lent : carol for SS and organ or piano / words traditional ; music by Patrick Hadley". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
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