The Cherry Tree Carol arr. David Willcocks (Kings' College Choir)

Disclaimer: I do not own this!

The ballad relates an apocryphal story of the Virgin Mary, presumably while traveling to Bethlehem with Joseph for the census. In the most popular version, the two stop in a cherry orchard, and Mary asks her husband to pick cherries for her, citing her child. Joseph spitefully tells Mary to let the child's father pick her cherries.
At this point in most versions, the infant Jesus, from the womb, speaks to the tree and commands it to lower a branch down to Mary, which it does. Joseph, witnessing this miracle, immediately repents his harsh words. The more contemporary versions sometimes end here, while others often include an angel appearing to Joseph and telling him of the circumstances of Jesus's birth. Other versions then jump ahead several years, where the next verse picks up with Jesus on his mother's lap, telling her of his eventual death and resurrection.

Joseph was an old man and an old man was he
When he married Mary in the land of Galilee.

And as they were walking through an orchard so good,
There were cherries and berries as red as any blood.

O, then bespoke Mary with words so meek and mild,
"Pluck me one cherry, Joseph, for that I am with child."

"Go to the tree, then, Mary, and it shall bow to thee
And you shall gather cherries, by one, by two, by three."

Then bowed down the highest tree unto our lady's hand.
"See!" Mary cried, "see, Joseph! I have cherries at command!"

"Go eat your cherries, Mary, go eat your cherries now.
Go eat your cherries, Mary, that grow upon the bough."

Then Mary plucked a cherry as red as any blood.
Then Mary went she homewards all with her heavy load.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• the
• cherry
• tree
• carol
• jesus
• christmas
• nativity
• story

[benoitmaur]

thanks