Christmas carol slot: "While Shepherds Watch" to Lyngham

The Christmas carol "While shepherds watched their flocks by night" is sung to an amazing variety of tunes. It is most often sung in the UK to a tune known as "Winchester" or "Winchester Old" which is based on a tune by Christopher Tye.

In the USA "While shepherds watched" is most often sung to an arrangement by Lowell Mason of a tune from Handel's opera Siroe.

Another of the many other tunes to which this carol is sung in Britain are Lyngham, also known as "Nativity" and which is also used to sing "O For a thousand tongues to sing" and a third is "The Yorkshire Tune" a.k.a. Cranbrook, which is also the tune of "On Ilka Moor baht 'at!"

Here the Port Isaac Fisherman's Friends sing "While Shepherds Watch" in Wells Cathedral to
Lyngham.

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