The Holly And The Ivy

Representative Text

1 The holly and the ivy
when they are both full grown,
of all the trees that are in the wood
the holly bears the crown.

Refrain:
The rising of the sun
and the running of the deer,
the playing of the merry organ,
sweet singing in the choir.

2 The holly bears a blossom,
white as the lily flower,
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
to be our sweet Saviour. [Refrain]

3 The holly bears a berry,
as red as any blood,
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
to do poor sinners good. [Refrain]

4 The holly bears a prickle,
as sharp as any thorn,
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
on Christmas day in the morn. [Refrain]

5 The holly bears a bark,
as bitter as any gall,
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
for to redeem us all. [Refrain]

6 The holly and the ivy,
when they are both full grown,
of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown. [Refrain]

Source: Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #645

Text Information

First Line: The holly and the ivy
Title: The Holly And The Ivy
Meter: 7.6.8.6 with refrain
Source: English traditional carol
Language: English
Refrain First Line: The rising of the sun
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #2513
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 7 of 7)

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #713

Church Hymnal, Fifth Edition #183

Text

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #645

Hymns and Psalms #88

Hymns Old and New #481

Audio

Small Church Music #1466

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #2513

Include 10 pre-1979 instances
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