Virgin Most Pure, A

DESCRIPTION: "A virgin most pure, as the prophets do tell, Hath brought forth a baby, as it hath befell." "Set sorrows aside; Christ Jesus, our Savior, was born on this tide." Jesus is born in Bethlehem, in a stable -- you know the rest
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1822 (Gilbert)
KEYWORDS: Jesus religious animal
FOUND IN: Britain(England(West)) Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Broadwood/Maitland-EnglishCountySongs, pp. 56-57, "In Bethlehem City"; pp. 78-79, "A Virgin Unspotted" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
Karpeles-TheCrystalSpring 96, "The Virgin Unspotted" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud/Bishop-NewPenguinBookOfEnglishFolkSongs #151, "A VIrgin Unspotted" (1 text, 1 tune)
Cox-FolkMusicInANewfoundlandOutport, pp. 99-100, "The Virgin Whose Purity" (1 text, 1 tune); pp. 191-192 (4 tunes)
Chappell-PopularMusicOfTheOldenTime, pp. 765-766, "A Virgin Most Pure" (1 text, 1 tune)
ADDITIONAL: Ian Bradley, _The Penguin Book of Carols_ (1999), #3, "A Virgin Most Pure" (1 text)
Roud #1378
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 25(1984), "The Virgin Unspotted" ("A Virgin unspotted the prophets foretold") , W. Armstrong (Liverpool)), 1820-1825; also Douce adds. 137(21), Douce adds. 137(67), Douce adds. 137(45), "The Virgin Unspotted"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Now let us sing, both more & lesse" (lyric on the nativity, from Richard Hill's manuscript; see Roman Dyboski, _Songs, Carols, and Other Miscellaneous Poems from the Balliol Ms. 354, Richard Hill's Commonplace Book_, #6, p. 3-4) (lyrics)
SAME TUNE:
Glad Tidings Good People (File: CoxN112)
NOTES [65 words]: The history of this song is a little murky; according to the New Oxford Book of Carols, the "rejoice and be merry" refrain and 11-syllable lines is attested as early as 1661. It then fades away for a century and a half until found in Gilbert and Sandys. Bradley cites the tune as "Admiral Benbow" as given in Chappell. Chappell, in printing the song, does not mention "Admiral Benbow." - RBW
Last updated in version 6.2
File: PBOC003

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