Help identifying tune

ClemensRomanus

Does anyone know what tune this is? Or perhaps the composer? A friend of mine sent it to me asking for help. It’s from a Japanese Christmas album.

DL

It’s a version of “A Virgin most pure”. If you look here https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/a_virgin_most_pure.htm and scroll down to the 1833 William Sandys version it is I think the same tune.

Liam

Tune is VIRGIN MOST PURE (11.11.11.11.), adapted from the Cornish melody collected by Davies Gilbert in 1822 noted in the first source at the link provided. It seems it's usually sung in F, G or Eb major.

For a melody closer to the one used in that album:

https://hymnary.org/page/fetch/COCN1916/414/high

The melody makes one variation from the melody in the above link: the last note in the first measure of the third line goes down to a supertonic crochet instead of passing notes.

Version in the St Gregory Hymnal: https://hymnary.org/hymn/SGHC1920/12

ClemensRomanus

Thank you! I’ll let him know. He runs a podcast about Japanese Christmas music, and the translation was “Everyone is Happy,” so he had a hard time finding it. Again, many thanks!

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