A Virgin Most Pure

For Christmas

Words & Music: English Traditional

Source: Davies Gilbert, Some Ancient Christmas Carols. London: John Nichols And Son, Second Edition, 1823, Carol #3, pp. 10-12.
Also compared to Davies Gilbert, "Some Ancient Christmas Carols."
London: Nichols and Sons, 1822, reprinted Boston: Elibron Classics, 2007.

Compare:
A Virgin Unspotted
A Virgin Most Blessed
See also: In Bethlehem City

1. A virgin most pure, as the Prophets do tell,
Hath brought forth a baby¹, as it hath befell,
To be our Redeemer from death, hell and sin,
Which Adam’s transgression had wrapped² us in.

Refrain
Aye, and therefore be you merry,
Rejoice and be merry,
Set sorrow aside;
Christ Jesus our Savior was born on this tide.³

2. At Bethlehem city in Jewry⁴ a City there was⁵
Where Joseph and Mary together did pass,
And there to be taxed, with many one more,
For Cæsar commanded the same should be so. Refrain

3. But, when they had entered the city so fair^5a
A number of people so mighty was there,
That Joseph and Mary, whose substance was small,
Could get in the Inn there⁶ no lodging at all. Refrain

4. Then were they constrained in a stable to lye,
Where horses and asses^6a they us'd for to tie;
Their lodging so simple they held it no scorn,
But against the next morning our Saviour was born. Refrain

5. The King of all kings⁷ to this world being brought,
Small store of fine linen to wrap him was sought,
And when she⁸ had swaddled her young son so sweet,
Within an ox manger she laid him to sleep. Refrain

6. Then God sent an Angel from Heaven so high,
To certain poor Shepherds in fields where they lye,
And bade⁹ them no longer in sorrow to stay,
Because that our Saviour was born on this day. Refrain

7. Then presently after the Shepherds did spy
A number of Angels that stood¹⁰ in the sky;
Who joyfully talked and sweetly did sing,
To God be all glory our Heavenly King. Refrain

Sandys added this verse, which was not found in Gilbert, 1822 or 1823.

8. Three certain Wise Princes, they thought it most meet
To lay their rich offerings at our Saviour’s feet;
Then the Shepherds consented, and to Bethlehem did go,
And when they came thither, they found it was so. Refrain

Notes:

1. Or: Savior or Babe Return

2. Or: has brought forth a baby, or had wrapt us all in. Return

3. Or:

Rejoice and be merry, set sorrow aside;
Christ Jesus our Savior was born on this tide. Return

4. Or: Judah OR Jury Return

5. Or: In Bethlehem in Jewry, it was Return

5a. Or: far Return

6. Or: Could get in the City there OR Could procure in the inn Return

6a. Or: Where oxen and asses ... Return

7. Or: Kings, or The King of all glory. Return

8. Or But when Mary … Return

9. Or: charged OR bid Return

10. Or. appear Return

Sheet Music from Richard R. Terry, Gilbert and Sandys' Christmas Carols (London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne, Ltd., 1931)

"Traditional words and melody (in the Seventh Mode) from 'Some Ancient Christmas Carols,' by Davies Gilbert, 1822."
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML

"Words and Melody from Sandys, 'Christmas Carols,' 1833"

Sheet Music from "The West of England' from Rev. Richard R. Chope, Carols For Use In Church (London: William Clowes & Sons, 1894), Carol #21
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML

Sheet Music from Rev. George Ratcliffe Woodward, The Cowley Carol Book, Second Series (London: A. R. Mowbray & Co., Ltd., ca. 1919), Carol #66
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML

Sheet Music from William Henry Husk, Songs of the Nativity (London: John Camden Hotten, 1868); text at pp. 30-32 (eight verses), music at p. 192.
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML

Sheet Music: Martin Shaw and Percy Dearmer, The English Carol Book, First Series (London: A. R. Mowbray & Co., Ltd., 1913), Carol #2

Tune 1 is the same as Hutchins, above
Tune 2: MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML

Alternate Chorus:

Aye and therefore be merry, set sorrows aside;
Christ Jesus our Saviour was born on this tide.

Sheet Music "Carol," An Old Christmas Carol, from O. Hardwig, ed., The Wartburg Hymnal (Chicago: Wartburg Publishing House, 1918), #127

Sheet music from W. A. Pickard-Cambridge, A Collection of Dorset Carols (London: A. W. Ridley & Co., 1926), giving his source as "West of England Generally." He omits the eighth verse, above.
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML

Notes:

Joshua Sylvester, A Garland of Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern (London: John Camden Hotten, 1861):

This carol exhibits traces of antiquity, but nothing certain regarding its history can be learned. It has enjoyed great popularity for many years, being found on nearly all single collections of carols. Throughout the West it is a great favorite. A different version from that given below occurs on an old broadside printed at Birmingham in my possession. The first verse begins:

"A virgin unspotted the prophets foretold,
Should bring forth a Saviour, which now we behold,
To be our Redeemer from death, hell, and sin,
Which Adam's transgression involved us in."

    Note that Hugh Keyte, an editor of The New Oxford Book of Carols (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992) believes that "Joshua Sylvester" is a pseudonym for a collaboration between William Sandys (1792-1874) and William Henry Husk (1814-1887). See Appendix 4. The carol which Sylvester is referring to is A Virgin Unspotted, which is found in Bramley & Stainer.

William Henry Husk, Songs of the Nativity. London: John Camden Hotten, 1868:

This carol has enjoyed great popularity, particularly in the West of England. There are other versions commencing --

"A Virgin unspotted the prophets did tell
Should bring forth a Saviour, as now it befell," &c

And --

"A Virgin unspotted, as Prophets foretold
Hath brought forth a young Son, which now we behold," &c

And there is yet another variation commending with the burthen "Rejoice and be merry," and otherwise differing from the present. Hone has entered this latter and the version now given in his list as distinct carols [See: Christmas Carols now annually Printed]. There are certain expressions in the present carol which convey the idea of its possessing some claim to be called ancient. The first of the versions commencing "A Virgin Unspotted," was printed by the Rev. Arthur Bedford (the author of several curious works on music and the stage) about the year 1734. Mr. Bedford, in the title of the carol, has given us a singular etymological derivation of the word carol from Carolus; viz. "A Christmas carol, so called because such were in use in K. Charles I. Reign."! The reader of the present volume will not, it is feared, entertain a very high opinion of Mr. Bedford's antiquarian learning, at least on the subject of Christmas carols.

Ralph Dunstan, The Cornish Song Book (London: Reid Bros., Ltd., 1929), p. 88.

The melody of this version is from "Some Ancient Christmas Carols, with the tunes to which they were formerly sung in the West of England. Collected by Davies Gilbert, F.R.S, F.A.S., etc., 1822."

The Rev. G. H. Doble, M.A., Vicar of Wendron, writes that "this form of the melody of A Virgin most Pure is far the best, richest, and most correct. I do not believe it has been reprinted in the correct form since Davies Gilbert's time."

The tune is in the 7th (Mixo-Lydian) Mode, and is probably the finest Carol-Melody ever written in that Mode.

Editor's Note:

Gilbert's Melody (From Terry): MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF

Also found in A. H. Bullen, A Christmas Garland (London: John C. Nimmo, 1885), pp. 61-3, and W. Chappell The Ballad Literature and Popular Music of the Olden Time Vol. 2, pp. 755-56. (London: Chappell & Co., 1859).

Editor's Note:

This carol is unique in that it shows an evolution. The earliest incarnation was the carol In Bethlehem City, which, according to Ian Bradley, emerged shortly after the English Civil War in the 17th century. It contained thirteen 11-syllable verses; a single copy is held in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. In the 18th century, a new first verse was added, which began "A Virgin Unspotted." Finally, in the 19th century, the carol became (somewhat) fixed in its present form (always subject to the whims of each new editor and his or her editorial, poetic, and religious dictates). As seen above, there is a large number of arrangements, many of which are based on a similar melody.

As pointed out by the editors of The Oxford Book of Carols, Husk's edition of 1868 included three carols which contained parts of this carol. In addition to the version found at page 30 (noted above), some portions of this carol are included in In The Reign Of Great Caesar (pp. 56-58) and Come Rejoice, All Good Christians (pp. 65-67).

Interestingly, although this carol is frequently found in carol collections, it is almost never found in hymnals.

I would recommend the historical backgrounds contained in both The Penguin Book of Carols and The New Oxford Book of Carols.

Concerning the issue of the oxen and the asses, see the note by R. Martin Pope following Hymn For Christmas Day - Prudentius.

Sources:

All of the above, plus:

• Ian Bradley, The Penguin Book of Carols. London: Penguin, 1999.

• William Chappell, The Ballad Literature and Popular Music of the Olden Time. London: Chappell & Co., 1859.

• Percy Dearmer, R. Vaughan Williams, Martin Shaw, eds., The Oxford Book of Carols. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1928.

• Hugh Keyte, and Andrew Parrott, eds., The New Oxford Book of Carols. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992.