This edition was prepared by Roger Petrich — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Cherry Tree Carol
Staff Notation • Sacred, Christmas
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Cherry Tree Carol by Roger Petrich — Lyrics
Latin|English|
R.:
Noli timere, Joseph, fili David.
1. Joseph was an old man, an old man was he:
he married sweet Mary, the Queen of Galilee.
R.
2. As they went awalking, in the garden so gay
Maid Mary spied cherries hanging over yon tree.
3. So Mary said to Joseph, with her sweet lips so mild:
"Pluck those cherries, Joseph, for to give to my Child."
R.
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About Cherry Tree Carol
Roger Petrich sets the familiar English folk text of the Cherry Tree Carol for TTB voices. This sacred Christmas piece recounts the traditional story of Mary asking Joseph to pluck cherries for the infant Jesus, and the miraculous bowing of the cherry tree to fulfill her request. The composer's setting emphasizes the tenderness of the narrative, with the TTB voicing providing a rich, warm timbre. The text's narrative arc, from Joseph's initial reluctance to Mary's gentle command and the tree's submission, is central to the musical interpretation.
