Cambridge Carol Book

The Cambridge Carol-Book was published in 1924 by SPCK (reprinted 1951). It was the work of George Ratcliffe Woodward* (words) and Charles Wood* (most of the music; occasional items were harmonized by GRW and one by George Herbert Palmer*). Its full title was The Cambridge Carol-Book, being fifty-two songs for Christmas, Easter, and other seasons. In fact it contained 53 songs, of which 34 were for Christmas-tide, including ‘Ding! dong! merrily on high’* and ‘Past three a clock, and a cold frosty morning’. It is an eclectic and unusual collection. The words are taken from many different sources, including Romanos the Melodist* (‘ Engizei ho Christos’, translated as ‘Christ is at thy...