While Shepherds Watched
Dec 18th, 2008 by oldfogey
This is an example of ‘West Gallery Music’, the choral music sung in country churches up to the middle of the 19th century. It is ‘west gallery’ because that was where it was sung, at the west end of the church accompanied by a local band of mixed instruments - in the place later occupied by an organ, whose introduction, and new Anglican Liturgy, pushed it out for good. It was also much looked down upon by the more sophisticated and conventionally ‘musical’ as common, peasant music. But it had a liveliness of its own, and I am glad to say, has been revived in England by amateur choirs over the last twenty years.
Here’s a west gallery version of ‘While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night’. If you think you know the tune, you do - it later became the famous Yorkshire song, ‘On Ilkley Moor baht’ at’. It is perhaps rendered with rather more sophistication here than it would have been by a rural choir of farmers, labourers and village women, but it has great vigour.
Of course, in whatever version this is sung, no schoolboy worth his salt would sing the first line straight, as written. So join in with me and schoolboys everywhere and sing ‘While shepherds washed their socks by night’.
It is sung by the English Choir, Psalmody.
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