Text: probably a 19th century broadside source, not found elsewhere in Somerset. Tune: unidentified

10 Awake And Sing For Now Is Born

Text: probably a 19th century broadside source, not found elsewhere in Somerset. Tune: unidentified, Benjamin Hiscott's title for it was Chapel Hill.

9 Awake, Awake Ye Mortals All

Text: the language and grammar indicate an 18th century broadside source. The words are also found at High Ham and Sampford Brett in Somerset. Tune: unidentified, Benjamin Hiscott's name for it was Cherry Lane. The same tune is used at High Ham.

8 Hark A Glad Voice

Text: Bishop Reginald Heber, 1811, not printed in hymnals until after his death in 1826. Tune: composed by Samuel S Wesley and published in 1864. It was a late addition to the Odcombe repertoire.

7 Brightest And Best

Text: probably a 19th century broadside source, also found at Exford and Cheddar in Somerset, and in Dorset and Cornwall. Tune: unidentified, the same tune is used at Exford. Benjamin Hiscott called it Pye Corner.

6 Awake, Awake, Rejoice And Sing

Text: probably a 19th century broadside source, not found elsewhere in Somerset, but is in Mayo's collection from Long Burton, Dorset as Behold What Glorious News Arrives. Tune: Cranbrook, by Thomas Clark, published in 1805, a widespread and popular tune. It was parodied as Ilkley Moor Ba' T'at. Benjamin Hiscott called it Donne Lane.

5 Behold What Glorious News Arise

Text: probably an early 19th century broadside source, not found elsewhere in Somerset but printed in Cornwall and still sung in Yorkshire. Tune: Lyngham aka Nativity, by Thomas Jarman, first published in 1803. The tune is widespread and popular and in Somerset, has been noted seven times to carol settings, usually to While Shepherds Watched. At Dunster this setting is known as The Roller.

4 Mortals Awake

Text: probably from an 18th century broadside source, this is a popular and widespread carol, and is recorded many times throughout the south-west as well as in Yorkshire. In Somerset the text is also found at Babcary, Exford and Hawkridge. Tune: probably an 18th century psalm tune. It was used for Psalm 95 at Exford and Psalm 106 at Hawkridge. It is related to Davies Gilbert's Cornish tune printed in 1823. Benjamin Hiscott named it Oakham.

3 Hark! Hear What News

Text: probably from an 18th century broadside, not found elsewhere in Somerset, occurs in the MS of Thomas Hardy I, dated 1799. Tune: probably an 18th century psalm tune.

2 Come Ye Redeemed

Text: Nahum Tate, 1696, published continually since then in carol books, hymn books and on broadside ballad sheets. Tune: Christchurch, attributed to Rev D E Ford, by Benjamin Hiscott in 1924 who renamed it Wilchant. The same tune can be found in a MS dated c.1870 from Lake Road Chapel, Portsmouth.

Odcombe Carols

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