I’ve never covered this Christmas carol before, I suppose we have plenty of others. In the form presented here the words are kind of gnarly to sing.
It is a C16 French Carol with a surprisingly recent text by George Radcliffe Woodward (1848-1934). Interestly, Hymnary notes that his rather rigid translation style “did not always produce singable hymns.”
NLPHB provided chords for this one, which made a backing easier. While the sheet music is John de Luca’s arrangement, I just let BIAB loose with the chords. I did not repeat the chorus each time in my backing, although I know it is customary to do so.
1 Ding dong, merrily on high!
In heav’n the bells are ringing;
ding dong, verily the sky
is riv’n with angel singing.
Gloria, hosannah in excelsis!
Gloria, hosannah in excelsis!2 E’en so here below, below,
let steeple bells be swungen,
And io, io, io,
by priest and people sungen.
Gloria, hosannah in excelsis!
Gloria, hosannah in excelsis!3 Pray ye dutifully prime
your matin chime, ye ringers;
may ye beautifully rhyme
your evetime song, ye singers.
Gloria, hosannah in excelsis!
Gloria, hosannah in excelsis!
It has been usefully partially modernised, eg:
1 Ding, dong, merrily on high,
In heaven the bells are ringing.
Ding, dong, verily the sky
Is filled with angels singing: etc.2 And so here below, below
Sing out in jubilation.
Give a merry, merry toast
To all of God’s creation. etc.3 Hey, now dutifully chime
To hail the King, ye ringers.
May you beautifully rhyme
Your evetime song, ye singers.
The Wiggles fixed the song by omitting most of the lyrics, although they left the sungen/swungen rhyme: