Seasons Greetings to you
Neutron Bytes is taking a break for the holiday period with new posts coming in early January.
In 2026 the blog will enter its 19th year of publication.
Until then be safe, be healthy, and be kind to one another.
Some Traditional Holiday Music – A Classic
Gaudete is a sacred Christmas carol, thought to have been composed in the 16th century. It was published in “Piae Cantiones”, a collection of Finnish/Swedish sacred songs published in 1581. No music is given for the verses, but the standard tune comes from older liturgical books.
The Latin text is a typical medieval song of praise, which follows the standard pattern for the time – a uniform series of four-line stanzas, each preceded by a two-line refrain (in the early English carol this was known as the burden). Carols could be on any subject, but typically they were about the Virgin Mary, the Saints or Yuletide themes.
Steeleye Span released the song on their 1972 album “Below the Salt”, and it became a hit single in 1973 (No. 14, UK singles chart). Guitarist Bob Johnson had heard the song when he attended a folk-carol service with his father-in-law in Cambridge, and brought it to the attention of the rest of the band. This performance was part of their 20th anniversary concert in 1989 at the Beck Theatre in London. There is a version already uploaded to YouTube, but this one was better quality.
Maddy Prior: vocals
Bob Johnson: vocals, electric guitar
Peter Knight: vocals, violin
Tim Harries: bass, keyboards, vocals
Liam Genockey: drums, percussion
Discover more from Neutron Bytes
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
