Sussex Carol/New Christmas

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Note from the arranger

The words of the “Sussex Carol” (also known as “On Christmas Night All Christians Sing”) are attributed to the 17th century bishop Luke Wadding. The composer of the tune is unknown, but we have Ralph Vaughan Williams to thank for collecting it from Mrs. Verrall on May 24th, 1904 in Sussex.

New Christmas (or sometimes called New Christmass or the Bass Reel) is a fiddle tune written by the famous Scottish fiddler Niel Gow in the 18th century. It may commemorate the first Christmas which the British Isles celebrated on the same date as the rest of Europe in 1752.