The Holy and the Ivy

The British Christmas carol “The Holly and the Ivy” possesses a rich and mysterious history. The version commonly sung today (see lyrics in the instrumentation document) was first published in 1909 by English folk song collector Cecil Sharp (1859-1924). Sharp collected the lyrics from a woman named Mary Clayton in the market town of Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. However, Clayton was not the author of the text; all evidence points to a much older origin, possibly dating back to medieval England. 

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Holly and ivy plants have strong ties to pagan traditions as symbols of fruitfulness, enduring greenery, and vibrant colors--emblems of hope amidst the harsh winter conditions. The early Church and Christians embraced holly and ivy for similar reasons, applying this symbolism to the everlasting life of Christ and hope in the Resurrection. Holly and ivy blended Christian and pagan metaphors and were referenced repeatedly in poems and literature for centuries. Thus, this beloved carol likely originated as a poem with varied words without accompanying music.

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Over time, these words have been sung to a variety of tunes. Ralph Vaughan Williams and Douglas Mears's new arrangement for SATB choir and orchestra is based on an old English folk melody titled “The Lark in the Morning.” Vaughan Williams collected the tune on April 24, 1904, from Mrs. Harriet Verrall of Monk’s Gate, Horsham in Sussex, and he incorporated it into his 1949 cantata for women’s voices and orchestra titled “Folk Songs of the Four Seasons.” The combination of lyrics provided by a simple Gloucestershire woman with a tune sung by a folk singer from Monk’s Gate creates a joyous new setting of this enduring carol.