Ding Dong Merrily on High

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"Ding Dong Merrily on High" is a secular dance tune that evolved into a Christmas song. The tune first appeared as Bransle l'Officiale in the Orchésographie, a dance book written by Jehan Tabourot (1519-1593). The text was composed by George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848-1934), and it was first published in 1924 in his The Cambridge Carol-Book: Being Fifty-two Songs for Christmas, Easter, And Other Seasons. Woodward took an interest in church bell ringing, which no doubt aided him in writing it. Woodward was the author of several carol books, including 'Songs of Syon' and 'The Cowley carol Book'. The macaronic style is characteristic of Woodward’s delight in archaic poetry. The original tune has been harmonised originally by Charles Wood and more recently by David Willcocks.

The song is particularly noted^[1]^[2] for the line

Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

where the sung vowel sound "o" of "Gloria" is fluidly sustained through a lengthy rising and falling melismatic melodic sequence:

Glo-O-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o-O-ri-a, Ho-san-na in Ex-cel-sis!

1 Lyrics
2 Cover Versions
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Lyrics

The lyrics are as follows[1]:

Ding dong! merrily on high in heav'n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! verily the sky is riv'n with Angel singing.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

E'en so here below, below, let steeple bells be swungen,
And "Io, io, io!" by priest and people sungen.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

Pray you, dutifully prime your Matin chime, ye ringers;
May you beautifully rime your Evetime Song, ye singers.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

Note: "Swungen" and "Sungen" in the second verse, whilst correct English, are very often rendered into their more modern past-forms of "swung" and "sung" for performance today, which somewhat alters the balance of that verse.

[edit] Cover Versions

1962, 1969, 1984, 1994 - Choir of King's College, Cambridge
1974 - George Guest and the Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge - Christmas at St. John's
1985 - Jon Anderson - Three Ships
1987 - The Muppets - Muppet Family Christmas
1989 - John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers - Christmas with the Cambridge Singers
1990 - Julie Andrews - The Sounds of Christmas: From Around the World
1992 - Julie Andrews - Christmas in Washington
1992 - Rob & Gilly - A Child is Born - Classical Praise Guitar
2000 - Charlotte Church - Dream a Dream
2004 - Jon Schmidt - Winter Serenade
2006 - Celtic Woman - Celtic Woman - A Christmas Celebration
2006 - Maddy Prior - An Evening of Carols and Capers
2006 - Blackmore's Night - Winter Carols