Advent 2024: Tue 3 Dec
Yo Yole!
Christmas starts on Christmas day. Now find a Christmas carol service that is offered in any church actually during the Christmas season! I’ve already been out with the Hospital Band playing Christmas tunes in town. More on this another day.
The people of olden times seemed to know how to celebrate Christmas. This carol takes us through the successive days of Christmas, marking saints’ days and events in the life of Jesus. They (those who could afford to) celebrated Christmas right up to Candlemas (2 Feb), forty days of festivity and pie, or perhaps piety.
Sing we Yole
Make we mirth
For Christes birth,
And sing we Yole till Candlemess.
The first day of Yole have we in mind
How God was man born of our kind,
For he the bondes wold unbind
Of all our sinnes and wickedness.
The second day we sing of Stephen, [St Stephen’s day 26 Dec]
That stoned was, and steyed up even
To God that he saw stond in Heven,
And crowned was for his prowess.
The third day longeth to Sent John,
That was Christes darling, derer none,
Whom he betok, whan he shuld gon,
His moder der for his clenness.
The fourth day of the children yong
That Herowd to death had do with wrong.
And Christ they coud non tell with tong,
But with their blod bar him witness.
The fifth day longeth to Sent Thomas,
That as a strong piller of bras,
Held up the Chirch and slain he was,
For he stod with rightwesness.
The eighth day tok Jesu his name,
That saved mankind fro sin and shame,
And circumcised was for no blame
But for ensample of mekness.
The twelfth day offered to him kinges three
Gold, myrrh and cence, thes giftes free:
For God and man and King was he,
Thus they worshipped his worthiness.
On the fortieth day cam Mary mild
Unto the temple with her child
To shew her clen that never was filed,6
And therwith endeth Christmes.
Performances of this carol seem to be hard to find, so here is a short version that mentions saints and events.
…Wolcum be ye Stevene and Jon.
Wolcum Innocentes everyone.
Wolcum, Thomas marter one.
Wolcum, be ye, Good Newe Yere.
Wolcum, seintes lefe and dere,
Wolcum Yole! Wolcum! Candelmesse, Quene of bliss…
Do we have the stamina to be celebrating Christmas up to the twelfth night?
Paul