One of the most famous traditional Christmas carols was written more than 300 years ago by England's Poet Laureate, Nahum Tate. Unlike many Christmas songs with unknown origins, this staple of festive carol services is attributed to one of the most famous writers of his generation.
The lyrics describe how the Angel of the Lord visits shepherds caring for their flocks to announce the birth of Jesus Christ. Interestingly, it is one of our first "official" carols, as it was the only Christmas hymn that the Anglican Church permitted to be sung at the time.
Prior to its publication, the church allowed only the Psalms of David to be sung in church, so While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks was ground-breaking back in the day.
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About the writer
Nahum was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1652, to Puritan cleric Faithful Teate. Before Nahum was born, Faithful had to flee his parish of Castleterra, Ballyhaise, in fear of his life, after his house was burned down! He had given information about the planned Irish Rebellion of 1641 to the government.
The minister moved to the provost's lodgings of Trinity College, Dublin, following the arson attack. Nahum became a student at Trinity College in 1668, graduating with his Bachelor of Arts in 1672. He moved to London in 1676 and made his living as a writer, although his upbringing influenced much of his work.
He adopted the spelling "Tate" of his surname and used it for the rest of his life. He published a volume of poems in 1677 and was soon a regular playwright in the capital. He became Poet Laureate in 1692.
He did some fairly outrageous things in the name of art - including rewriting Shakespeare’s famous play, King Lear, to give it a happy ending, as he didn't like the Bard's original conclusion.
Tate collaborated with Anglican poet Nicholas Brady to publish the New Version of the Psalms of David in 1696. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks was undoubtedly his most famous.
What does the carol represent?
First appearing in Tate and Brady's supplement to the New Version of the Psalms of David in 1700, it is based on the Gospel of St Luke, which documents Christ's birth. In some hymn books, it was called "Song of the Angels at the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour".
It was different from many old Christmas hymns that provided the writer's personal reflections of the season, as it attempted to sing the Biblical version of the nativity, without straying too far from the original scripture. This distinct style was first popular among the followers of John Calvin, the theologian, pastor and reformer during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.
Tate paraphrased the psalm and wrote it in a poetic form, with rhyming verses, neither adding nor deleting anything from the original text. The first verse sets the scene: "While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground, the angel of the Lord came down and glory shone around."
The second verse describes the understandable shock felt by the shepherds, as their quiet night was interrupted with this heavenly vision. The angel tells them, "Fear not!" after "mighty dread had seized their troubled mind".
This would be a normal reaction, considering these were humble men of Bethlehem, sitting outdoors making sure their flock was safe through the night, when the angel appeared suddenly and illuminated the dark sky.
The angel tells them, "Glad tidings of great joy I bring to you and all mankind. To you, in David’s town, this day is born of David’s line, a saviour who is Christ the Lord and this shall be the sign."
He then describes where they will find the baby Jesus, describing how the "heavenly babe" is "all meanly wrapped in swathing bands and in a manger laid".
In the 18th century, the hymn first appeared in the Book of Common Prayer. Many carols of the era were not published in the prayer book, because they were based on folk music and were considered too secular.
Has the carol changed over the years?
The carol is still sung at Christmas time, although there have been some adaptations since it was first published in 1700. The original version was sung to a piece of music called Winchester Old, written by Cambridgeshire-born composer Christopher Tye in the 16th century. He was King Edward VI's music teacher and was held in high esteem.
In 1821, the lyrics were set to a new piece of music, entitled Christmas, based on an aria in George Handel's 1728 opera Siroe and rearranged by David Weyman. This version is commonly used in the United States today.
The carol has been set to numerous other pieces of music, such as Hugh Wilson's Martyrdom in 1800 and Frederick Cheeswright's Shackelford in 1889.
In Cornwall, it was traditionally sung to the tune, Lyngham (more often associated with Oh for a Thousand Tongues to Sing) by Thomas Jarman, or to Northrop, composed by Abraham Northrop.
However, in the UK today, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks is usually sung to the original piece of music, Winchester Old.
Are the lyrics still relevant today?
In modern times, watching their flocks is something shepherds still do in many parts of the world, including in Bethlehem. The breed of sheep most common in the Middle East is the Awassi, which gives birth in December.
In Biblical times, on the hills surrounding Bethlehem, there was a large farming community, where breeding sheep was a specialised task. Each December, thousands of lambs were born and these shepherds would have been the first witnesses after the birth of Jesus.
Even today, the Middle Eastern shepherds watch over their sheep during lambing season. They stay with the pregnant ewes to make sure they are well and ensure the newborn lambs are dried off properly and kept warm during the cold night.
In the UK, farmers are already preparing for lambing season, as it's just around the corner. This is the time to ensure ewes are in good shape, as they will need a Body Condition Score (BCS) of around 3 out of 5 during their pregnancy. This means getting their nutrition right to reduce the risk of illness.
Farmers work in liaison with vets to determine the metabolic profile of the ewes. Any element deficiencies should be treated in advance of lambing time. Vets use blood sampling, around three weeks before the pregnant ewes are due to give birth, to check their protein and energy levels.
The success of the lambing period depends on the quantity and quality of help available on the farm at the time. Evidence shows lamb survival is linked with the standard of labourers. This ensures the ewes and lambs are properly fed and cared for, before, during and after birth.
Plans are already well underway for the farms' busiest season of the year. Veterinary students can provide a source of help in the UK and the NSA Lambing List is a useful resource to pair students with farmers. For commercial sheep farms, it's never too early to start planning ahead for the lambing season.
Happy Christmas from the Griggs Agri team. May your days be merry and bright!