Calypso Carol facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Calypso Carol |
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"Calypso Carol" on a 1983 miniature sheet issued by Nevis
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| Genre | Hymn |
| Written | 1964 |
| Text | Michael Perry |
| Based on | Matthew 2:1-12 |
| Meter | 9.9.9.6 with refrain |
The Calypso Carol is a popular modern Christmas carol. Its first line is "See him lying on a bed of straw". Many people think it's an old folk song from the West Indies. This is because of its "calypso" style, which sounds like music from that region. The song's words even appeared on Caribbean postage stamps!
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Who Wrote the Calypso Carol?
Even though it sounds Caribbean, the Calypso Carol was written by an Englishman. His name was Michael Perry. He wrote both the words and the music. Michael Perry created the song in 1964. At the time, he was a student at Oak Hill Theological College.
Perry became a very important writer of hymns in the UK. But the Calypso Carol remained his most famous work.
How the Song Became Famous
Michael Perry first wrote the song for a college Christmas concert. It became famous almost by accident! The famous singer Cliff Richard was putting together songs for a radio show. He needed a song quickly to replace one that was missing. He chose the Calypso Carol.
After that, the song grew in popularity. It was included in a songbook called Youth Praise 2 in 1969. This helped many more people discover the carol.
Featured on Postage Stamps
In 1983, the Caribbean island of Nevis honored the Calypso Carol. They put part of its chorus on a special miniature sheet of Christmas stamps. These stamps were designed by Jennifer Toombs.
Nevis's neighbor, St Kitts, also released a similar stamp sheet. Their sheet featured an older Christmas song called "Mary's Boy Child".
A Popular Christmas Song
The Calypso Carol is still very popular today. In 2005, a long-running BBC TV show called Songs of Praise asked viewers to vote for their favorite carols. Thousands of people voted. The Calypso Carol was chosen as one of the top ten favorite carols. It was performed at the Songs of Praise Christmas Concert that year. The concert took place at the famous Royal Albert Hall in London.
