A New Year Carol by Benjamin Britten

New Year is approaching! Of all the (Western) carols composed for the day (and there are many), I would like to share with you this wonderful melody written by the British composer Benjamin Britten. 

Britten composed this piece in 1934, having discovered the words in Walter de la Mare's anthology entitled "Tom Tiddler's Ground". Apparently, the carol stems from an ancient tradition of blessing the houses in villages by young people, in exchange for a coin. 

I am not very familiar with the meaning of the lyrics but the words "levy dew" can be interpreted in two ways: it could be a corruption of "levedy" ("Lady"), or (rather) a corruption of the French "Levez a Dieu" ("Raise to God").  

Here is the poem: 

Here we bring new water from the well so clear,
For to worship God with, this happy new year;
Sing levy dew, sing levy dew, the water and the wine,
With seven bright gold wires, and bugles that do shine;

Sing reign of fair maid, with gold upon her toe;
Open you the west door and turn the old year go;
Sing levy dew, sing levy dew, the water and the wine,
With seven bright gold wires, and bugles that do shine;

Sing reign of fair maid, with gold upon her chin.
Open you the east door and let the new year in!
Sing levy dew, sing levy dew, the water and the wine,
With seven bright gold wires, and bugles that do shine. 

... And here is the music, interpreted by the Dale Warland Singers, a music of unadorned simplicity and beauty...

I hope you will love this carol as much as I do...