'The Cause Why Things Thus Fragrant Be'

John Mason Hodges Discusses a Robert Herrick Christmas Poem Set to Music

Seventeenth-century English poet Robert Herrick has a great poem titled, “A Christmas Carol, Sung to the King in the Presence at White-Hall,” that beautifully communicates the rich truth that is the incarnation of Jesus. Here is Herrick’s poem written and set to music during the reign of King Charles I:

Dark and dull night, fly hence away,
And give the honour to this Day,
That sees December turned to May.

If we may ask the reason, say
The why and wherefore all things here
Seem like the Spring-time of the year?

Why does chilling Winter's morn
Smile like a field beset with corn?
Or smell like to a Mead new-shorn,

Thus, on the sudden? Come and see
The cause, why things thus fragrant be:
'Tis He is born, whose quickening birth
Gives life and luster, public mirth,
To Heaven and the under-Earth.

We see Him come and know him ours,
Who, with His sunshine and His showers
Turns all the patient ground to flowers.

The darling of the world is come
And fit it is, we find a room
To welcome Him. The nobler part
Of all the house here, is the heart.

Which we will give Him, and bequeath
The Holly, and this Ivy wreath,
To do Him honour, who's our King,
And Lord of all this reveling.

There are numerous musical settings of this poem, the most widely known being John Rutter’s 1988 setting, where he slightly alters and abridges the poem into what he calls “What Sweeter Music.” It is a fitting piece of text and tune to consider during the Christmas season.

Here is a video excerpt with my good friend Maestro John Mason Hodges talking through this great Christmas poem. Watch and listen to this seven-minute clip if you can.

I would agree with Hodges here that the poem is better than the music, but it is still quite a gem of a thing for how it helps animate Herrick’s wondrous wordsmithing. I especially love how the tonality shifts in the lyric “sees December turn to May.” It compliments the text’s meaning quite nicely in my opinion.

Here’s a live performance if you want to listen to it again and take in the rich lyrics and musical collaboration.

I hope that this post finds you and yours well as we enter into the start of the twelve days of Christmas. Thanks for reading and supporting Musically Speaking in 2023. Merry Christmas!

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