God Rest You Merry Gentlemen

«God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen» er en tradisjonell engelsk julesang. Den er å finne i Roxburghe-samlingen (iii. 452) og er oppført som nr. 394 i Roud Folk Song Index. Sangen blir også kalt «Tidings of comfort and joy» og «Come All You Worthy Gentlemen»^[1] «God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen», «God Rest Ye, Merry Christians»^[2] eller «God Rest You Merry People All».

En innspilling av «God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen», Edison Records, 1917.

Den er en av de eldste julesangene man kjenner til, datert til 1500-tallet eller tidligere.^[3] En av de første kjente trykte utgavene som en skillingsvise er datert til omkring 1760.^[4]

Den tradisjonelle engelske melodien går i moll. Den første trykte versjonen av melodien virker å være in parodi av Facetiae av William Hone i 1829. Melodien har tradisjonelt vært tilknyttet songen siden minst midten av 1700-tallet, da den ble nedtegnet av James Nares med tittelen «The old Christmas Carol».^[5]

Sangen er omtalt i Charles Dickens-romanen A Christmas Carol fra 1843: «...at the first sound of 'God bless you, merry gentlemen! May nothing you dismay!', Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost.»

Soagen er benyttet i andre sats av Carol Symphony av Victor Hely-Hutchinson fra 1927.

Referanser

^ Come All You Worthy Gentlemen, For Christmas, Also known as The Somerset Carol, Title: «A Christmas Carol» Words and Music: English tradisjonell from Mr. Rapsey, of Bridgwater, Somerset. Cecil J. Sharp, ed., Folk Songs From Somerset. Series V. Second Edition. (London: Simpkin & Co., Ltd., 1909), #CXXVI, A Christmas Carol, s. 68-69. "Come all you worthy gentlemen / That may be standing by. / Christ our blessed Saviour / Was born on Christmas day. / The blessed virgin Mary / Unto the Lord did say, O we wish you the comfort and tidings of joy!" (Notes on the Songs, s. 91.)
^ "God Rest Ye, Merry Christians» in Mildred Gauntlett, Fifty Christmas Carols (London, 1906), s. 39
^ Barrie Jones (ed.), The Hutchinson Concise Dictionary of Music, Routledge, 2014, s.v. «carol», «Christmas carols were common as early as the 15th century. [...] Many carols, such as 'God Rest You Merry Gentlemen' and 'The First Noel', date from the 16th Century or earlier."
^ Three new Christmas carols, [London], [1760?]. Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Gale.
^ William Chappell, Popular Music of the Olden Time vol. 2, 1859, s. 752 (hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com). http://books.google.ch/books?id=23js_KKOaskC&hl=de&pg=PR29.

[1] Come All You Worthy Gentlemen, For Christmas, Also known as The Somerset Carol, Title: «A Christmas Carol» Words and Music: English tradisjonell from Mr. Rapsey, of Bridgwater, Somerset. Cecil J. Sharp, ed., Folk Songs From Somerset. Series V. Second Edition. (London: Simpkin & Co., Ltd., 1909), #CXXVI, A Christmas Carol, s. 68-69. "Come all you worthy gentlemen / That may be standing by. / Christ our blessed Saviour / Was born on Christmas day. / The blessed virgin Mary / Unto the Lord did say, O we wish you the comfort and tidings of joy!" (Notes on the Songs, s. 91.)

[Gauntlett-2] "God Rest Ye, Merry Christians» in Mildred Gauntlett, Fifty Christmas Carols (London, 1906), s. 39

[3] Barrie Jones (ed.), The Hutchinson Concise Dictionary of Music, Routledge, 2014, s.v. «carol», «Christmas carols were common as early as the 15th century. [...] Many carols, such as 'God Rest You Merry Gentlemen' and 'The First Noel', date from the 16th Century or earlier."

[4] Three new Christmas carols, [London], [1760?]. Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Gale.

[5] William Chappell, Popular Music of the Olden Time vol. 2, 1859, s. 752 (hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com). http://books.google.ch/books?id=23js_KKOaskC&hl=de&pg=PR29.

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