What Child is This?
"What Child is This?" is set to the English folktune "Greensleeves," a folksong at least as old as the 16th century about a woman-beloved with greensleeves. In 1871, English businessman and hymnwriter, W. Chatterton Dix, wrote new words to the tune to become a question-answer about the birth of Christ: "What child is this who laid to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping?" In the refrain comes the answer: "This, this is Christ the King...." The next verse is another question-answer, but turns quickly from the birth to the passion:
Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The babe, the son of Mary.
The beautiful tune carries the message, especially in the refrain, with lilting and repetitive words--"This, this" and "Hail, hail" etc.
We had a lovely soprano soloist, Rileigh Kamps, to sing this, with Topanga Stingley and Madeleine Edwards joining her in the refrains.