The Monkey's Carol

The barrel organ was a musical instrument very usual in the streets in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His popularity had three main reasons: it could be moved easily because it had wheels, its music could be heard at a distance and, most important, there was no need to read music to play it. The main part of the barrel organ was a metallic cylinder where the melodies were carved, and the performer only had to turn a crank; the mechanics of the device made the rest (it worked similarly to a music box). Each cylinder used to store ten musical pieces, and this guaranteed some variety to the listeners. Barrel organs were common in parks and fairs and the main streets; to attract the promenaders to a ride or a dance, to cheer the atmosphere or to ask for some coins; when begging in the street was forbidden, the barrel organ became an alibi to avoid being chased by the police.

Imagine a Christmas market, full of families who stroll, buy and enjoy free time. There is a barrel organ, and someone who appeals to the Christmas spirit and the people's generosity. But this person, the voice of our second Christmas song this season, is not the organ grinder; in fact, it's not a person, but a monkey. Because sometimes the organ grinder had a monkey who danced and caught the attention of children, amazed by such an exotic animal. And, sometimes, in poems and tales, animals talk.

In The monkey's Carol, one of the children's poems of Winifred Letts, the monkey takes on the role that would correspond to its master, and addresses the people who go past to ask for some coins or for something to eat. Charles Villiers Stanford, who had previously set into music several poems by this poet, compose a song in 1921 with this poem both tender and good temper; it's an atypical, charming Christmas song that I've been keeping in my notebook for months. Now it's its time, and we're listening to The Monkey's Carol performed by Timothy Dickinson and Duncan Honeybourne.

I hope you like it, and I wish you a very happy year to come. Let's hope it won't be one more year of uncertainty!