"Love came down at Christmas / Kersnag in die veld" [Wilfred Kemp]

"Love came down at Christmas / Kersnag in die veld" [Wilfred Kemp]

First line of lyrics: Love came down at Christmas / Kersnag in die veld

Kemp, Wilfred; music

Rossetti, Christina Georgina; text (English, 1830-1894)

Ross, Jo; translated text

1968 [publication]

Johannesburg: Voortrekkerpers

genre: song|Christmas music|carol|choral music

chorus: SAA chorus

instrumentation: piano

initial sharps/flats: five flats

initial time signature: 6/8

origin: South Africa

female translator|male composer

English|Afrikaans

Rossetti poem(s): "Christmastide"

Composition history: The preface of the collection, written 5 December 1967, states: "The publication of a collection of South African Christmas carols, is of particular importance to our S.A. cultural wealth in the field of music. Irrespective of the common treasure of Western Christmas carols, there was a desire for the possession of our own carols: developed in our country and in both official languages set to music by South Africans and produced by our own spiritual efforts. The idea of this collection originated in the Pretoria Women's Club. When in 1959 the Club organised a carol singing, with contributions by women of the various embassies in the city, the total lack of South African carols was very noticeable. Mrs. Margaret Lessing, then chairman of the Club, asked Mrs. Jo Ross to approach South African composers with the request to compose South African carols. Contributions were made and at the next carol singing the South African women were able to sing their own Carols."

Format 1: musical score

5 pages

Other data reference(s): "Kersliedere uit Suid-Afrika." WorldCat, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/664600224. Accessed 2 August 2020.

Cataloguer: Emily McConkey, University of Ottawa

musical score: Kemp, Wilfred. "Love came down at Christmas/Kersnag in die veld." Kersliedere uit Suid-Afrika/South African Carols, Voortrekkerpers, 1968, pp. 21-25. New York Public Library, New York

Record: CRM-christmastide-kemp

The Christina Rossetti in Music project website is hosted in Canada at the University of Ottawa Library, and we aim to comply with Canadian copyright laws. If you believe we have violated Canadian copyright law, please contact us at christinarossettimusic@uottawa.ca. The Christina Rossetti in Music project is strictly not for profit and intended for research and educational purposes only.