"Ding Dong Merrily on High" is a popular Christmas carol. The tune first appeared as a secular dance tune known as "le branle de l'Official" in Orchésographie, a dance book written by Jehan Tabourot. The lyrics are from English composer George Ratcliffe Woodward, and it was first published in 1924 in his book The Cambridge Carol-Book: Being Fifty-two Songs for Christmas, Easter, And Other Seasons. He took an interest in church bell ringing, which no doubt aided him in writing it. He was the author of several carol books, including Songs of Syon and The Cowley Carol Book. The macaronic style is characteristic of his delight in archaic poetry. Charles Wood harmonized the tune when it was published with Woodward's text in The Cambridge Carol Book. More recently, Sir David Willcocks made an arrangement for the second book of Carols for Choirs.
Lyrics[]
Ding dong merrily on high
In Heaven the bells are ringing
Ding dong verily the sky
Is riven with angel singing
[Chorus]
Gloria, Gloria Hosanna in excelsis
E'en so here below below
Let steeple bells be swungen
And i-o i-o i-o
By priest and people sungen
[Chorus]
Pray you dutifully prime
Your matin chime ye ringers
May you beautiful rime
Your evetime song you singers
[Chorus]
Appearances in Christmas media[]
Albums[]
- The Time-Life Treasury of Christmas (1986) - Roger Whittaker
- The Wiggles - Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas (1996) and The Sound of Christmas (2023)
- Christmas Sing-Alongs (1999)
- VeggieTales: The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree (2005) [also used in 25 Favorite Christmas Songs! (2009)]
- Baby Einstein: Holiday Melodies
Productions[]
- Reckless (1995) - Saint Thomas Choir (Gerre Hancock)
- The Wiggles: Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas (1997)
- The Littlest Angel (1997)
- The Perfect Holiday (2007)
- Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)
- Buck Denver Asks: Why Do We Call It Christmas? (2011)
- The Wiggles: It's Always Christmas with You (2011)
- A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)
- Arthur Christmas (2011)
- The Wiggles: Go, Santa, Go! (2013)
- The Christmas Secret (2014)
- Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020) - Beaumont Brass
- The Wiggles: The Sound of Christmas (2023)
- Uncredited
- A Muppet Family Christmas (1987) - In the Christmas caroling medley near the end of this crossover special, the first verse was sung by Scooter, backed by chickens and the casts of The Muppet Show and Sesame Street. It gets the attention of Gobo Fraggle and his friends, inciting them to check out where the songs are coming from.
- Nightingales: "Silent Night" (1992)
- Bug Alert!: "Christmas" (2000)
- Miranda: "The Perfect Christmas" (2010)
- A Godwink Christmas (2018)
- The Simpsons: "Bobby, It's Cold Outside" (2019)
- Hecks: "The Deborah Vance Christmas Spectacular" (2024)
- Emily in Paris: "Emily in Paris" (2024) - Bob Saker & Bill Connor
External links[]
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