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(Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander/Henry John Gautlett)
This Christmas carol was written in the 1840s as a
poem for children about Bethlehem, possibly
during Cecil Alexander's travels throughout Ireland
with her husband who was an Anglican bishop. It was published in her 1848
publication Hymns for Little Children
and discovered in there by Henry Gauntlett who
set the words to music. The
profits made from this book would later be given by her to help support handicapped
children in Northern Ireland. The carol is played during the
procession in the Festival of Nine
Lessons and Carols that is held every Christmas Eve at King's
College, Cambridge, England, and shares the honour of being the only other carol to be performed
there annually alongside "Hark The Herald Angels Sing". In this festival it is sung with the
first verse being performed by a soloist, the second by the choir and the
third by the congregations.
Recordings
The Bach Choir and members
of The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
London
417 898-2 (CD: O Come All Ye Faithful)
Organ - John
Scott
Conductor -
Sir David Willcocks
Choir of Keble College
Priory PRCD 708 (CD: The Complete New English
Hymnal, Vol. 8) ymna
Conductor - Gavin Plumley
Organ - Mark Laflin
Choir of King's College, Cambridge
EMI 66241 (CD: Christmas Carols from
Kings College, Cambridge)
Conductor -
Sir David Willcocks
Choir of St.
Thomas Church
Pro Organo 7200 (CD: Christmas on Fifth
Avenue)
Clare College
Singers and Orchestra
EMI 69950 (CD:
Carols from Clare)
Conductor
- John Rutter
Arturo Delmoni
and Nina Bodnar
JMR 18 (CD: A
String Quartet Christmas, Volume 2)
Violin
- Arturo Delmoni
Violin Nine Bodnar
Musicians of The Museum
of Fine
Arts, Boston
North Star NS0035 (CD:
And The Angels Sing)
Sources:
- http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/once_in_royal_davids_city.htm
- http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4061
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