Cherry Tree Carol | Lisa Knapp

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Cherry Tree Carol

by Lisa Knapp

supported by

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plaatshouder ...while Joseph stood round

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jonwilksmusics Production-wise, it shares a lot with Till April Is Dead ≈ A Garland of May, replete with whispering found-sound that chills your inner ear, archaic drones, distant waif harmonies, vibrant fiddle and Pete Flood painting a biblical backdrop with cinematic percussion. In such a manner, it takes a fairly obscure carol, learned from the singing of Shirley Collins, and delicately sprinkles it across a darkening winter sky, flickering and emerging like the Northern Lights in musical form.

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about

The Cherry Tree Carol is a traditional Christmas carol that I developed and Gerry and I performed for BBC4's TV Christmas Session broadcast way back in 2009.

The story is first found in 9th century apocryphal manuscript, Pseudo Matthew, where Mary asks Joseph to pick her some dates as she is tired. In years of telling the story has been modified and changed and was then found in a nativity mystery play in 15th century England, (called the N-Town plays) the fruit changing from Mediterranean dates to the more Northern European cherry.
The ballad was first collected in England in the 17th century with the added drama of Mary being pregnant and Jesus commanding the trees from within.

This particular text is Appalachian and the music is from a version of 'Mistress' Health' which I heard Shirley Collins sing.
What I love about the story is its humanity, and that it is both earthly and celestial, magical, supernatural, cosmic and yet human: Joseph with his jealousy, his temper and still-in-the-womb baby Jesus precociously commanding the cherry trees to bend so that his mother, weary from travel and heavily pregnant (in the song though not in the original tale) may quench her thirst.

lyrics

When Joseph was an old man an old man was he
He married Virgin Mary the Queen of Gallilee
And as they were walking and talking one day
To an orchard of Cherry Trees they happened to stray

Said Mary to Joseph so meek and so mild
Pick me some cherries Joseph for I am with child
But Joseph flew angry so angry flew he
Let the father of your baby pluck cherries for thee

Then up spoke Lord Jesus from in his mothers' womb
Bow low down cherry trees bow low down to the ground
And the cherry trees bowed low bowed low down to the ground
And Mary plucked the cherries while Joseph stood round

credits

released December 9, 2021
Vocals, violins, bells, drones, Lisa Knapp
Percussion Pete Flood
Arrangement L Knapp
Produced & mixed & mastered by Gerry Diver

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Lisa Knapp image

Lisa Knapp UK

singerfolksinger musicker
songwriter
londoner
bbc radio 2 folk award winner

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