The Moon Shines Bright is a carol much in use in the midland and western counties of England. A shorter version was issued by the Seven Dials printers and likewise on west-country broadsides under the title of The Bellman. In the Seven Dials copy the fourth line of the first verse runs, "And hark! the bellman of the night." The functionary known in bygone times as the Bellman was a kind of night watchman, who, in addition to his staff and lantern, carried a bell, and at a certain period of the year was wont to arouse the slumbering inhabitants of the town to listen to some such effusion as that which is given below. For this service (?!) he looked for some gratuity at Christmas. (from the Hymns and Carols of Christmas)
1. The moon shines bright and the stars give light
A little before the day
Our Lord, Our God, he called on us
[And hark! the bellman of the night]
And bid us awake and pray!
2. Awake, Awake! good people all
Awake and you shall hear
The Lord our God, died on the cross
For us he loved so dear
3. O fair, O fair Jerusalem,
When shall I come to thee?
When shall my sorrows have an end,
Thy joy that I may see?
4. The fields were green as green could be,
When from His glorious seat,
Our Lord, our God, he watered us,
With His heavenly dew so sweet.
5. And for the saving of our souls
Christ died upon the cross,
We ne'er shall do for Jesus Christ
As he has done for us.
6. For the life of a man is but a span,
And cut down in its flower,
We are here to-day, and to-morrow gone,
We are all dead in an hour. [a creature of an hour]
7. O pray teach your children, man
The while that you are here;
It will be better for your souls,
When your corpse lies on the bier.
8. To-day you may be alive, dear man
Worth many a thousand pound;
To-morrow may be dead, dear man,
And your body be laid under ground.
9. With one turf at your head, O man,
And another at your feet;
Thy good deeds and thy bad, O man,
Will all together meet.
10. My song is done, I must be gone,
I can stay no longer here;
God bless you all, both great and small,
And send you a happy (joyful) New Year!
First, a very classic rendition . . .
The Moon Shines Bright - Magdalen College Choir
[verses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10]
. . . next, a much more folk-like performance . . .
The Moon Shines Bright - Coope, Boyes, Simpson
[verses 1, 2, 5, 6, 10]
. . . and a solo version with all ten verses . . .
The Bellman's Carol (The Moon Shines Bright) - Baltimore Consort
. . . an organ prelude reflection on the tune . . .
Prelude on The Moon Shines Bright - Robin Milford, composer; Andrew Seivewright, organ
. . . and lastly, as is often the case, a modern version inspired by the ancient words . . .
The Bellman's Song - Malcolm Archer, composer
[verses 1, 2, 3, 5, 6]
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