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Shepherds, Arise!

[ Roud 1207 ; Ballad Index CopSe212 ; Folkinfo 421 ; Mudcat 36310 ; trad. (Copper, 1971 / Pickard-Cambridge, 1926)]

Bob Copper: A Song for Every Season Copper Family: The Copper Family Song Book

Shepherds, Arise! Be not Afraid is printed in the anthology by Worcester College, Oxford’s classis don W.A. Pickard-Cambridge, A Collection of Dorset Carols, It was published in London 1926 by A.W. Ridley & Co. and is based on a number of manuscripts collected by his father, who had been a minister at a Dorset parish.

This is one of the best-known songs from the Copper Family. Words and music for Shepherds Arise are both in The Copper Family Song Book and in Bob Copper’s book A Song for Every Season. Bob and Ron Copper sang Shepherds Arise to Peter Kennedy in 1955 for the BBC recording 21544. It was included in 2012 on the Topic anthology of songs by Southern English traditional singers, You Never Heard So Sweet (The Voice of the People Volume 21) on which Shirley Collins noted:

Here is the quintessential sound of a Sussex Christmas, this lovely but robust carol from Bob and Ron Copper. In his book, A Song for Every Season, Bob wrote:

After tea and after the beer jugs had been passed round to ‘wet their whistles’, Grand-dad seated in his armchair on one side of the fire would nod gravely to Uncle Tom on the other, and with no more ado would launch into the first carol… and the natural, unsophisticated voices raised in simple worship expressed the pleasure and gratitude of everyone for being all together on yet another Christmas night.

Another Bob and Ron Copper recording made by Peter Kennedy in 1957 was released on the anthology Songs of Christmas / Songs of Ceremony (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 9; Caedmon 1961; Topic 1970). This recording is also on the Free Reed 4 CD anthology Midwinter. The Copper Family also sang this live in Will Noble’s barn in Denby Dale, Yorkshire in September 1986, together with Martin Carthy, Norma Waterson and maybe a very young Eliza Carthy. This recording was included on the Holme Valley Tradition’s cassette Will’s Barn. Bob, John and Jill Copper and Jon Dudley sang it on their 1998 CD Coppersongs 3: The Legacy Continues. And John and Jill Copper, Jon Dudley and the Young Coppers, Mark, Andy and Sean Barratt and Ben, Lucy and Tom Copper sang it on their 2007 CD Coppers at Christmas.

In 1969, The Young Tradition split up while recording their album of Christmas songs with Shirley and Dolly Collins, The Holly Bears the Crown; and it was only in 1995 that the album was finally released. But two songs from it, The Boar’s Head Carol and Shepherds Arise (here called The Shepherd’s Hymn) were published by Argo on a single in 1974. Shepherds Arise was also included in 2001 on the Fellside anthology of English traditional songs, Voices in Harmony. A decade later, Peter Bellamy recorded Shepherds Arise in 1980 or 1981 solo for his 1983 cassette of English, Irish, Australian and American traditional songs, Fair Annie. Another recording of him with Louis Killen live at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, Santa Monica, California in 1982 was included on his Free Reed anthology Wake the Vaulted Echoes.

Oak sang Shepherds, Arise! in 1971 on their Topic album Welcome to the Fair; this track was also included in 1996 on the Topic anthology The Season Round. They and A.L. Lloyd noted:

This handsome carol is also from the repertory of the Copper Family, who call it their “curly tune”. Clearly it is of literary origin, probably eighteenth century, but extensive searches through old hymnbooks have failed to cast light on its origins. Listening to it reminds us what musical riches have dropped out of church use, due to the flannel ears of nineteenth century hymnbook compilers.

White Hart sang Shepherds, Arise! in 1979 on their Traditional Sound album In Search of Reward. This track was also included in 2002 on the Fellside anthology Seasons, Ceremonies & Rituals on which Paul Adams noted:

Shepherds Arise comes from the repertoire of The Copper Family of Rottingdean in Sussex. Its origins are unknown, but it is a real gem, which was overlooked by the 19^th Century hymnbook compilers.

Regal Slip sang Shepherds Arise in 1981 on their Dingle’s album Bandstand. They noted:

This rousing Copper family Christmas carol once provided the group with a seasonal sherry or two.

The Albion Band sang Shepherds Arise in 1985 on their album A Christmas Present From The Albion Band.

Home Service sang Shepherds Arise in 1985 on their album of music from the National Theatre Production of The Nativity, The Passion, and Doomsday, The Mysteries.

The Voice Squad sang Shepherds Arise on their 1987 album Many’s the Foolish Youth. Seán Corcoran noted:

This is from the singing of the Copper family, of Rottingdean in Sussex, who developed a style of harmony-singing derived from village church music. Their family manuscript song-books trace this tradition back through six generations.

Nowell Sing We Clear sang Shepherds, Arise! in 1995 on their Golden Hind CD Hail Smiling Morn!. They noted:

Shepherds, Arise! is from the repertoire of the Copper family of Rottingdean in Sussex. The setting we think is by Alan Whear in the shape-note style.

Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band recorded this carol as Sing, Sing All Earth on their 1997 Christmas tour for their live album Carols at Christmas and in 2005 on their DVD An Evening of Carols and Capers Another live recording, from the Maddy Prior, Family & Friends Christmas tour of 1999, was released on the CD Ballads and Candles.

Coope Boyes & Simpson sang Shepherds, Arise! in 1998 on their No Masters CD A Garland of Carols and together with Fi Fraser, Jo Freya and Georgina Boyes on a bonus track of the 2011 reissue of their 2003 No Masters CD Fire and Sleet and Candlelight. They noted on the first album:

From the singing of the Copper family who have lived in the Rottingdean area of Sussex since at least the sixteenth century. In A Song for Every Season, his book about his family and their songs. Bob Copper describes how sisters and brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins would shake the walls of the cottage with their harmonies as they sang this carol on the evening of Christmas Day.

BACCApella, the singers of the BACCApipes Folk Club in Keighley including Maggie Boyle, Jim Ellison, Lynda Hardcastle, Fay Hield, and Mike and Helen Hockenhull, sang Shepherds, Arise! in 1999 on their privately issued CD The Haworth Set.

The New Scorpion Band sang Shepherds, Arise! in 2001 on their CD The Carnal and the Crane. They noted:

This rousing West Gallery carol comes from the Quire Book in the church at Winterborne Zelston, near Blandford Forum in Dorset. It was published in W.A.Pickard’s Collection of Dorset Carols’in 1926. The final chorus, “Sing, sing all earth” does not occur in the Dorset version; we have taken it from the performance by the famous Copper family of Rottingdean, Sussex.

Waterson:Carthy sang Shepherds, Arise! in 2002 on their fourth album, A Dark Light. Eliza Carthy plays the violin prelude and accompanies the first three verses. Martin Carthy and Eliza Carthy finish on guitar and violin. Martin Carthy noted:

A lot of nonsense is talked in some quarters, when referring to us, about “The First Family of Folk” or even (God help us) “The Royal Family of Folk”. People who do that, in my view, want their backsides kicking—hard. If there is one family in this country who deserve such a title—and I must confess to the severest of collywobbles at the idea of anyone being saddled with such a miserable title—then that family is surely The Copper Family of Sussex. Shepherds, Arise! is a salute to them and gives us a chance to pay tribute to real nobility. Thanks very much.

Finest Kind sang John Barleycorn on their 2003 album Silks & Spices and on their 2004 Christmas album Feasts & Spirits. They noted:

A vigorous and singable carol from the Copper family, many of whose songs are associated with events in the agricultural or religious calendar. England abounds with lesser-known Christmas carols, many confined to particular regions or communities, and perhaps sung more often in the pub than in church. No doubt generations of stern clergy found them far too much fun to sing. Our thanks to Jeff Davis for insisting that we add this to our repertoire.

Jon Boden, Jess and Richard Arrowsmith, Gavin Davenport, Fay Hield and Sam Sweeney sang Shepherds Arise at the Royal Hotel in Dungworth as the 24 December 2010 entry of Jon’s project A Folk Song a Day.

Kate Rusby sang Shepherds Arise on her 2011 Christmas album, While Mortals Sleep.

Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker sang Shepherds, Arise! in 2013 on their CD Midwinter.

Crying Lion sang Shepherds Arise in 2015 on Earth Records’ anthology celebrating Shirley Collins, Shirley Inspired.

The English Acoustic Collective sang Shepherds Arise in 2018 on their album Christmas Champions.

Alison Tebbs, Andy Turner, Becca Heddle, Carol Turner, Caroline Butler, George Sansome, Giles Hutchinson, Gill Wren, Ian Blake, Jackie Oates, Jim Causley, Joe Turner, Jon Boden, Jonathan Jarvis, Lucy Davies, Marguerite Hutchinson, Mike Eaton, Sophie Thurman, Tom Bower, and Zoe Tebbs sang Shepherds Arise as the 7 December 2020, 300^th entry of his project A Folk Song a Week.

Eliza Carthy and Jon Boden sang Shepherds Arise in 2023 on their Hudson album Glad Christmas Comes. Jon Boden noted:

As sung by the Copper family of Rottingdean, East Sussex. Probably deriving from the West Gallery tradition of raucous congregational singing, still preserved in various local traditions, most famously the Sheffield tradition.

Lyrics

Shepherds, Arise! Be Not Afraid in A Collection of Dorset Carols

Shepherds, arise, be not afraid
With hasty steps repair
To Bethlehem city see the maid,
With her blest Infant there.

Laid in a manger view the Child,
Humility divine:
Sweet innocence (how meek! how mild!),
Grace in His features shine!

For us the Saviour came on earth,
For us His life He gave,
To save us from eternal death
And raise us from the grave.

To Jesus Christ, our glorious King,
Be endless praises given!
Let all the earth His mercies sing,
Who made our peace with Heaven.

The Copper Family sings Shepherds Arise!

Shepherds arise, be not afraid, with hasty steps prepare
To David’s city, sin on earth,
With our blest Infant—with our blest Infant there,
With our blest Infant there, with our blest Infant there.
Sing, sing, all earth, sing, sing, all earth eternal praises sing
To our Redeemer, to our Redeemer and our heavenly King.

Laid in a manger viewed a Child, humility Divine,
Sweet innocence sounds meek and mild.
Grace in his features—grace in his features shine,
Grace in his features shine, grace in his features shine.
Sing, sing, all earth, sing, sing, all earth eternal praises sing
To our Redeemer, to our Redeemer and our heavenly King.

For us the Saviour came on earth, for us his life he gave,
To save us from eternal death
And to raise us from—and to raise us from the grave
To raise us from the grave and to raise us from the grave
Sing, sing, all earth, sing, sing, all earth eternal praises sing
To our Redeemer, to our Redeemer and our heavenly King.

Maddy Prior sings Sing, Sing All Earth

Chorus (repeated after each verse):
Sing! Sing all earth!
Sing! Sing all earth! Eternal praises sing,
To our Redeemer,
To our Redeemer and our heavenly King!

Shepherds arise, be not afraid;
With hasty steps repair
To David’s city: see the maid
With her blest Infant there.

For us the saviour came on earth,
For us his life he gave,
To save us from eternal death,
And raise us from the grave.

To Jesus Christ, our glorious King,
Be endless praises given.
Let all on earth his mercies sing,
Who made our peace in heaven!

Waterson:Carthy sing Shepherds Arise!

Shepherds, arise! be not afraid, with hasty steps repair
To David’s city, sing all earth,
Unto our blest Infant—unto our blest Infant there,
To our blest Infant there, to our blest Infant there.
Sing, sing, all earth, sing, sing, all earth eternal praises sing
Unto our Redeemer, unto our Redeemer and our heavenly King.

Laid in a manger view the Child, humility Divine,
Sweet innocence, how meek and mild.
Grace in his features—grace in his features shines,
Grace in his features shines, grace in his features shines.
Sing, sing, all earth, sing, sing, all earth eternal praises sing
Unto our Redeemer, unto our Redeemer and our heavenly King.

For us the Saviour came on earth, for us his life he gave,
To save us from eternal death
And to raise us from—and to raise us from the grave
To raise us from the grave, to raise us from the grave
Sing, sing, all earth, sing, sing, all earth eternal praises sing
Unto our Redeemer, unto our Redeemer and our heavenly King.

(Repeat first verse)