In the Bleak Midwinter

For the film, see In the Bleak Midwinter (film). For the novel, see In the Bleak Midwinter (novel).

Christina Rossetti, portrait by her brother, Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

"In the Bleak Midwinter" is a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti. It was published under the title "A Christmas Carol" in the January 1872 issue of Scribner's Monthly,[1][2] and first collected in book form in Goblin Market, The Prince's Progress and Other Poems (Macmillan, 1875).

It has been set to music several times. Two settings, those by Gustav Holst and by Harold Darke, are popular and often sung as Christmas carols. Holst's is a hymn tune called Cranham, published in 1906 in The English Hymnal and simple enough to be sung by a congregation.[3] Darke's is an anthem composed in 1909 and intended for a trained choir; it was named the best Christmas carol in a 2008 poll of leading choirmasters and choral experts.[4]

  1. ^ Petersen, Randy (2014). Be Still, My Soul: The Inspiring Stories behind 175 of the Most-Loved Hymns. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. p. 145. ISBN 9781414388427. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  2. ^ Rossetti, Christina G. (January 1872). "A Christmas Carol". Scribner's Monthly. iii (3). New York: Scribner & Co.: 278.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference cranham was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "'Bleak Midwinter' named best carol". BBC News. 27 November 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2014.