Have you ever heard a version of the carol “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” as it might have been sung in Shakespeare’s time? The boisterous melody is in a major key, and the men I heard singing it belted it out as if they were in a public square, with wassail going all round:
O tidings, O tidings Of comfort and joy! For Jesus Christ our Savior Was born u…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Word & Song by Anthony Esolen to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.