Chances are you may be familiar with this melody, and know it as either the Christmas Carol, "What Child is This?" or the earlier English Ballad, "Greensleeves." Perhaps you read or heard it through the grapevine that the original lyrics and melody were composed by the notorious King of England, Henry VIII as a love song to his soon to be second wife, Anne Boleyn? Well the dating of the piece has it highly unlikely that the murderous monarch composed the piece at all, since it's first registry by the London printer Richard Jones was dated to 1580, under the title, " A Newe Northern Dittye of ye Lady Greene Sleves." (Frank Kidson, "English Folksong and Dance.") As well, if he had composed the piece it's likely we would not be left guessing about it. Indeed it is however, considered a folksong, originally with several verses that express unrequited love over the lady wearing a dress with green colored sleeves.
Alas, my love, you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously,
For I have loved you for so long,
Delighting in your company.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but lady greensleeves.
And how did this traditional English 'broadside ballad,' (music set to a story or narrative, which could be sold in copies to the public,) end up a beloved Christmas Carol? The tune reappeared refurbished as a Carol in 1642 in the book, "Good and True, Fresh and New Christmas Carols."
and then again as, "What Child is This?" by English writer William Chatterton Dix (1837-1898) in 1865. (Published in 1871.) After experiencing what is now referred to as a ‘near death experience,’ in his twenties, Dix turned to his faith and spirituality and created the now famous poem which begins with the question, “What child is this?” and resolves to answer it with the repeated refrain, "This, this is Christ the King, whom Shepherds guard and Angels sing..." Dix chose to set this ‘Q&A’ dialogue to the familiar “Greensleeves” tune, which with its binary structure (A-A-B-B), perfectly allows for the questions in the first two musical (‘A-A’) phrases, and the responses within the following last two musical lines, (the ‘B-B’ refrain.)
Please enjoy playing and singing along! Lyrics with illustration are available below for classrooms, memory support and therapy care.
Additional Resources:
Chris Tomlin, What Child Is This
Celtic Women, What Child is This
Sheet music courtesy of www.gmajormusictheory.org
*Special Thanks to Ian Pittaway, www.earlymusicmuse.com for editorial assistance and permissions!