In The Oxford Book of Carols there is a footnote to "Good King Wenceslas". It begins
This rather confused narrative owes its popularity to the delightful tune, which is that of a Spring carol, "Tempus adest floridum", No. 99. Unfortunately Neale in 1853 substituted for the Spring carol this 'Good King Wenceslas', one of his less happy pieces, which E. Duncan goes so far as to call 'doggerel', and Bullen condemns as 'poor and commonplace to the last degree'.
A Salt Hygrometer
19 hours ago
3 comments:
But I'd much rather have good King Wenceslas on the feast of Stephen than a Spring carol! And, anyway, what is a Spring carol?
Do you ever find yourself singing "in his master's steps he trod" when you're walking in snow with the goats?
Northrop Frye once described it as "a Victorian singing commercial."
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