Celtic Carol

Celtic Carol - Robert W. Smith (1958-2023)
The traditional melody, with roots extending back to Tudor England [1485-1603], is one the best known and most often performed carols of the season. The lyrics for this tune were written by English poet and hymn writer William Chatterton Dix in 1865. The text opens with the question “What Child Is This?” This setting draws the listener into a traditional Irish celebration that begins with a mysterious solo statement based on the first lines of the carol and ends in an exciting flurry, like that of a rustic Irish fiddler.
Recorded live, in concert, on December 17, 2023