This joyful Eastertide

"This joyful Eastertide" is an 1894 Easter carol written by George Ratcliffe Woodward and Charles Wood.^[1]

Publication

The original carol was published in 1894 in Carols for Easter and Ascensiontide, a publication put together by Woodward and Wood; and again in 1902 in The Cowley Carol Book (second edition).^[1]

The music has been republished many times, often under choral arrangements. Some of the arrangements published include that of William Llewellyn published by Oxford University Press,^[2] and that of Philip Ledger.^[3] More recently, Oxford University Press published the text set to a completely new tune composed by Matthew Owens in 2015 in the form of a choral anthem.^[4]

Text

Many versions exist of the three original verses; but in its original form as written by George Ratcliffe Woodward and published in 1894, it is as follows:

1. This joyful Eastertide, away with sin and sorrow.
My Love, the Crucified, hath sprung to life this morrow. (To refrain)

Refrain:
Had Christ, that once was slain, ne'er burst his three-day prison,
Our faith had been in vain: but now hath Christ arisen.

2. My flesh in hope shall rest, and for a season slumber:
Till trump from east to west shall wake the dead in number. (To refrain)

3. Death's flood hath lost his chill, since Jesus crossed the river:
Lover of souls, from ill my passing soul deliver. (To refrain)

Two additional verses were penned by Basilian Father M. Owen Lee:^[5]

4. As Victor in the strife and knowing no surrender,
He comes to bring us life: a risen life of splendour. (To refrain)

5. In Adam all men died; then Jesus came to save us.
For He was crucified and, dying, new life gave us. (To refrain)

References