Past Talks
Christmas Music & Song Through the Ages
Date: 16th December 2024
Speaker: Ian Giles
Ian Giles, an eminent and influential performer on the Oxford folk music scene, and beyond, brought his hurdy-gurdy, melodeon and drum (a copy of a 17th century war drum) to enhance his presentation about Christmas music and song from the past. He also sang a number of popular and less well-known songs and explained their history and relevance to the festive season.
The celebration started as a mid-winter gathering of farm workers and their families at a time of year when there was little work available. A pig would be slaughtered and shared among villagers. It eventually amalgamated with the nativity story.
A flavour of a pre-Victorian Christmas can be gained from George Wither’s (1588-1667) 17th century carol, A Christmas Carol. It tells us about the decoration of houses; the food available; music-making and dancing, and wassailing and mumming. The line, The wild mare in is bringing is thought to be a reference to the new year chasing out the old year.
Drive the Cold Winter Away is another 17th century carol which includes the line, To mask and to mum kind neighbours will come. Mummers’ plays are ancient in origin and are probably based on the concept of Islam vs Christianity, including, as they do, the characters of St George and the Turkish Knight.
‘Waits’ existed in most principal towns and cities in Britain from the mediaeval period. They acted as night watchmen and called the hours. They played a variety of instruments and were often accomplished musicians. Ian Giles is a member of the Oxford Waits, who take their name from a real-life band of city musicians who flourished in Oxford during the 17th century.
A General History of the Science and Practice of Music published in 1776 in five volumes was written by Sir John Hawkins and contains valuable information about early 18th century musical society in London.
Morris dancing was a popular activity which dates back to the 15th century. Participants often ‘blacked up’ as a form of disguise. Residents felt compelled to perform the dances in order to shake the devil out of the village.
Carol singers begged for money in exchange for their singing and a sight of ‘the king’, which was a small animal or wren in a box. This is recalled in The Wren Boys’ Song’, a Victorian song.
To bring his talk up to the present day, Ian remarked on the secular carols commonly sung in Yorkshire pubs. Participants can expect to encounter a wide variety of tunes to largely familiar words!