The Seven Joys of Mary (carol)
"The Seven Joys of Mary" (
devotional literature and art of Medieval Europe. Though not traditionally associated with Christmas
, it has become so in the modern era.
Versions
The song has English and American versions referring to different acts by Jesus that gave joy to Mary:[1][2]
| English version | American version | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sucking at her breast | Being born |
| 2 | Curing the lame | Curing the lame |
| 3 | Curing the blind | Curing the blind |
| 4 | Raising the dead | Reading the Old Testament in the Temple |
| 5 | Bearing the cross | Raising the dead |
| 6 | Wearing the crown of Heaven | Rising from the dead |
| 7 | Writing with a golden pen | Wearing the crown of Heaven |
Tune
The common music is sung thus:[3]
Recordings
- The Weavers – We Wish You A Merry Christmas (1951)
- Burl Ives – Christmas Day in the Morning (1952)
- Maddy Prior and June Tabor – Silly Sisters (1976)
- Stephen Cleobury and the King's College Choir (1984, 1999)
- Kate & Anna McGarrigle – The McGarrigle Christmas Hour (2005)
- John Jacob Niles – An Evening with (remastered 2006)
- Great Big Sea – RedEye Holiday Sampler 2008'
- Kate Rusby (under the title 'Seven Good Joys') – While Mortals Sleep (2011)
- Loreena McKennitt – A Midwinter Night's Dream
See also
References
Further reading
- Hugh Keyte and Andrew Parrott. The New Oxford Book of Carols. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992.
- Ian Bradley. The Penguin Book of Carols. London: Penguin, 1999.
External links
- An Online Christmas Songbook: The Seven Joys of Mary: link
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