Wexford Carol

The Wexford Carol or the Enniscorthy Carol () is a traditional Irish Christmas carol originating from Enniscorthy in County Wexford. The subject of the song is the nativity of Jesus Christ.

Grattan Flood transcription

"The Wexford Carol", sometimes known by its first verse "Good people all this Christmas time", is of uncertain origins, and, while it is occasionally claimed to be from the early Middle Ages, it likely was composed in the 15th or 16th century based on its musical and lyrical style. The song achieved a renewed popularity due to the work of William Grattan Flood (1859–1928), who was organist and musical director at St. Aidan's Cathedral in Enniscorthy. He transcribed the carol from the performance of a local singer and had it published in The Oxford Book of Carols, after which it was included in other carol books as well.

English lyrics

Irish lyrics

Melody

Source

Modern performance

Traditions abound concerning the song Ã¢Â€Â“ for example, that only men should sing it. However, many popular female artists, such as Julie Andrews in 1966 and Loreena McKennitt in 1987, have recorded versions of it, the former including an additional verse beginning "And buckets yore did rain that night."

• Nanci Griffith recorded the song for The Chieftains' 1989 album A Chieftains Celebration. The recording also appears on their 1991 holiday album The Bells of Dublin.
• The Irish Tenors performed their version as the third track on their 1999 Christmas album Home For Christmas.
• In 2002 John Rutter recorded his arrangement with the Cambridge Singers featuring baritone Stephen Varcoe.
• The Irish singing group Celtic Woman included the Wexford Carol on their 2006 Christmas album A Christmas Celebration and 2019 album The Magic of Christmas.
• Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss recorded the song for Ma's 2008 holiday album, Songs of Joy & Peace.
• Anthony Kearns (The Irish Tenors) performs it annually and has featured on TV across the USA at Christmas.

• Michael McDonald covered it on his 2009 album This Christmas as a duet with his wife Amy Holland, using only the first three of the traditional verses.
• The English boys' choir Libera performed an arrangement of the carol on their 2013 album, ', recorded at Armagh Cathedral.
• Country artist Trace Adkins recorded a version of the hymn on his 2013 Christmas album The King's Gift.
• The carol featured as title track on the 2014 collection of traditional Irish Carols The Wexford Carols by the Irish early-music singer Caitríona O'Leary, with Tom Jones and Rosanne Cash.
• Irish folksinger Cara Dillon featured the song on her 2016 album Upon a Winter's Night.
• The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed an arrangement by conductor Mack Wilberg on its 2016 album Hallelujah!.
• On 28 November 2017, it was performed by flautist Ashley Snell in Leonard Auditorium at Wofford College.
• In the fall of 2018, Daywind Records in Nashville, Tennessee, released A Winter Carol by the Gospel Music Association's Hall of Fame family, The Nelons. It features The Wexford Carol as the second track on the album.
• A duet cover of the song is featured in the international/US version of Murdoch Mysteries season 18 episode 7, "The Measure of My Dreams".