The Cherry-Tree Carol

Versions of
The Cherry-Tree Carol

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"The Cherry-Tree Carol" is a ballad with the rare distinction of being both a Christmas carol and one of the Child Ballads (no. 54). The song itself is very old, reportedly sung in some form at the Feast of Corpus Christi in the early 15th century. The versions eventually collected by Francis James Child are thought to be a combination of up to three separate carols that merged through the centuries.

The story is derived from the apocryphal Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew.

2133673The Cherry-Tree Carol

Versions of The Cherry-Tree Carol include:

"The Cherry-Tree Carol" (no. 54) in The English and Scottish Popular Ballads ed. by Francis James Child.
"The Cherry-Tree Carol" in The Oxford Book of Ballads (1910).
"The Cherry Tree (first version)" in English Folk-Carols (1911).
"The Cherry Tree (second version)" in English Folk-Carols (1911).