Page:English folk-carols.djvu/16

 rustic pre-eminently fitted to translate into music and poetry the dramatic incidents of the Christ story. His simplicity disarms criticism; just as his pious, intense, child-like belief in every detail of the Gospel narrative banishes scepticism. Nor did he trouble himself about the place of performance; village Church or village inn—it mattered not. A tune, so long as it expressed his feeling, harmonized with the sense and fitted the metre of the words, served his purpose wherever and whenever it was destined to be sung.

Even when, in later days, his carols suffered from the intrusion of theological doctrine, he somehow managed to avoid the religious emotionalism of the revivalist. Take, for instance, the tune of "The Little Room" given in this collection; note the noble sweep, the severe grandeur of its phrases and compare it with the air to which those words would be set in a mission hymn-book.

The folk-carol defies imitation. A skilled musician, saturated in the literature of his country's folk-music might, conceivably, make a folk-song without betraying himself; but it seems impossible that he could imitate a popular carol and escape detection.

There is, then, every reason why we should do all that is possible, while there is yet time, to collect and publish our traditional carols; for in them we have a unique possession, a national heritage of inestimable worth.

C.J.S.

Dragonfield, Uxbridge,

November, 1911. Rh