We all know about Christmas carols, but most don’t know that there are also carols for other times of the Christian year. A carol is primarily distinguished by its having come into popular usage after becoming known as a folk tune, often associated with a festive season, and usually without any information about who wrote it or how it came into being in the first place. The word “carol” comes from the Greek word “choros,” which means to dance in a circle. The word was transliterated into French as “carole,” and referred to a song to accompany dancing.
“This Joyful Eastertide” is a wonderful Easter carol. The tune originated in a 17th century Dutch love song that came into church use in Joachim Oudaen’s 1685 “David’s Psalmen” as the melody for “Hoe Grootde Vreuchten Zijn” (“How Great the Fruits Are”), hence, the tune name VRUCHTEN. The British clergyman George Ratcliff Woodward (1848-1934) wrote the English language stanzas of “This Joyful Eastertide” in 1894 with a harmonization by Charles Wood, and included both his text and the older Dutch tune in the 1902 “Cowley Carol Book for Christmas, Easter, and Ascension Tide.” Since that time this carol, with various harmonizations, and occasionally even with alternate words, has appeared in most modern hymnals.
Educated at Caius College in Cambridge, England, Woodward was ordained in the Church of England in 1874. He served in six parishes in London, Norfolk, and Suffolk. He was a gifted linguist and translator of a large number of hymns from Greek, Latin, and German. But His theory of translation was a rigid one. He held that the translation ought to reproduce the meter and rhyme scheme of the original as well as its contents. This practice did not always produce singable hymns. His translations are therefore used more often today as valuable resources than as congregational hymns. In collaboration with Charles Wood, he published three series of “The Cowley Carol Book” (1901, 1902, 1919), two editions of “Songs of Syon (1904, 1910), “An Italian Carol Book” (1920), and the “Cambridge Carol Book” (1924). Much of the unfamiliar music introduced in “The English Hymnal” (1906) resulted from Woodward’s research. He also produced an edition of the “Piae Cantiones” of 1582 (1910) and published a number of his translations in “Hymns of the Greek Church” (1922).
Some of the greatest Christian music is associated with Christmas and Holy Week. For the first, think of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” “Of the Father’s Love Begotten,” “Joy to the World,” “Silent Night, Holy Night,” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” For the second, think of “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” “O Sacred Head Now Wounded,” “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” “The Day of Resurrection,” and “Thine Is the Glory, Risen Lord.” And that’s because these two events ground Christianity in real history. And they contain so many doctrines essential to biblical Christianity, primarily those associated with the incarnation and virgin birth, and with the substitutionary atonement and physical resurrection.
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul elevated Jesus’ bodily resurrection to the position of greatest importance in the Christian faith, so much so that he said that if Christ was not raised from the dead, then our faith is in vain and we are to be pitied more than any other people. Two recent books are excellent resources for understanding the certainty and significance of Jesus’ resurrection. Tim Keller’s book, “Hope in Times of Fear,” shows how the resurrection of Jesus gives meaning to life and confidence for the future. This follows in the train of powerful apologetic writings from this founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. Rhett Dodson’s book, “With a Mighty Triumph,” presents the series of six sermons he preached to his congregation from 1 Corinthians 15, exegetically examining the inner logic, theological content, and practical application to be drawn from this text.
One of the unique dimensions of the music is the repeated cadence at the end of the refrain, as the word “arisen” is sung four times, each rising to a higher pitch to reach a powerful climax at the end. It may seem a bit challenging for the average congregation. But with a good choir and strong accompaniment to lead them, people in the pews will quickly pick up the melody, and will soon enjoy the enthusiasm that the music engenders.
Many versions exist of the three original stanzas; but in its original form as written by George Ratcliffe Woodward and published in 1894, it is as follows:
Stanza 1 proclaims the joy of the Easter event, and roots it in what Jesus’ death and resurrection have accomplished: “sin and sorrow” are no longer to dominate our lives. Our beloved Savior has “sprung to life.” And notice the energy implied in that language of springing to life. Death could not hold Him; He has bounced up out of the grave. And this blessed Redeemer is “My Love!”
This joyful Eastertide, away with sin and sorrow.
My Love, the Crucified, hath sprung to life this morrow. (To refrain)
Refrain: This is language taken directly from 1 Corinthians 15. Paul said that our faith would be in vain, in fact, everything about Christianity would evaporate like the dew if Christ’s body were still in the grave. But praise God, He has arisen … arisen … risen … arisen!
Had Christ, that once was slain, ne’er burst his three-day prison,
Our faith had been in vain: but now hath Christ arisen.
Stanza 2 sings of slumbering for a season, but the Bible assures us that it will only be our bodies that sleep in the grave. Our souls, like that of the thief on the cross, will be with Jesus in Paradise from the moment of our death. The trumpet at Christ’s return will raise our flesh to be re-united with our glorious bodies.
My flesh in hope shall rest, and for a season slumber:
Till trump from east to west shall wake the dead in number. (To refrain)
Stanza 3 adds to our joy the assurance that the cold chill of death’s flood will not hold us in its grip. By His resurrection, Jesus is the “first-fruit” that assures us that as He has crossed the river of death, He will bring us with Him. Once again we have an endearing name for our Lord. He is the “Lover of souls,” as Charles Wesley had described Him in His hymn, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.”
Death’s flood hath lost his chill, since Jesus crossed the river:
Lover of souls, from ill my passing soul deliver. (To refrain)
Two additional verses were penned by Basilian Father M. Owen Lee:
Stanza 4
As Victor in the strife and knowing no surrender,
He comes to bring us life: a risen life of splendor. (To refrain)
Stanza 5
In Adam all men died; then Jesus came to save us.
For He was crucified and, dying, new life gave us. (To refrain)
Here is the singing of the carol from King’s College, Cambridge.