See him lying on a bed of straw

‘Yet hear him crying, on bed-straw lying …’ wrote G R Woodward, in his version of a German carol, c1900. But with the ‘Calypso Carol’ we reach one of the more unlikely stories if more recent writing and singing. Though widely assumed to be of Caribbean origin (and often so introduced at Christmas events) this was the work of a college student from suburban SE England. Michael Perry wrote the words and (inseparable) music for the 1964 end-of-term Christmas concert for Oak Hill College in Southgate on the N edge of London, where he was training for ordination in the CofE. It was the finale of the event, held at nearby Christ Church Cockfosters. A little earlier the writer had heard Peter Hancock, curate of his home church in Beckenham, Kent, ask in a young people’s talk, ‘How would you like to be born in a cowshed?’; that suggested the opening lines, and it grew from there. It was first published in Youth Praise 2 in 1969, in ‘thee/thou’ form which Michael Perry soon modernised, but he ascribed its rapid popularity to a serious (though not unique) lapse by the BBC. An engineer had wiped out the tape of the King’s College carols from Cambridge, presumably before the ‘repeat’; a hastily constructed alternative programme included Cliff Richard singing this carol. Since then it has been included in many seasonal collections and other books, and become a schools favourite with tambourines to the fore. It has even appeared on a series of postage stamps issued by the island of Nevis in the W Indies, one stz to each of 4 stamp values; ‘Mine are riches …’, for example, was at that time worth 3 dollars! What is not always appreciated are the clear theological statements expressed in such a lively, joyful song. The author also notes, ‘This carol … was the beginning of my serious hymn writing’; adding ‘This was also one of my rare tunes—and by far the most successful’.

The tune is named CALYPSO CAROL, initially arranged by Stephen Coates but presented since then in a great variety of forms.

b Beckenham, Kent 1942, d Tonbridge, Kent 1996. Dulwich Coll, Oak Hill and Ridley Hall Theological Colls, London and Southampton Univs (BD, MTh). Ordained (CofE) 1965; after curacies at St Helen’s, Lancs and Bitterne, Southampton, he became incumbent of Bitterne (1972), Eversley, Hants (1981), where Charles Kingsley was a predecessor, and finally Tonbridge from 1989. A contributor to Youth Praise 2 in 1969, he was then an editorial team member for Psalm Praise (1973) and Hymns for Today’s Church (1982, 1987), Canon of Rochester, member of General Synod, Chairman of Church Pastoral Aid Society and (from 1982) succeeding Jim Seddon as Hon Sec of Jubilate Hymns. Under Jubilate auspices he edited a stream of hymn, song, carol and Psalm and prayer books, in collaboration with David Iliff, David Peacock, Noël Tredinnick, Norman Warren and others. He edited The Dramatized Bible (1989), compiled the reference-handbook Preparing for Worship (1995), and wrote and spoke widely on many aspects of worship, in the UK and on visits to W Africa and N America. Over all, he possessed the gift of being able to handle vast amounts of work with a light touch and ready (but never unkind) humour. His 183 texts were collected in Singing to God: Hymns and Songs 1965–1995, a slightly Americanised volume, in the year before his early death from a brain tumour. His first published song (words and music) was ‘The Calypso Carol’ in 1963; see no.374, note. Including paraphrases, 40 of his texts are in HTC (1987 edn), 8 in Baptist Praise and Worship (1991), 18 in Sing Glory (1999), 8 in the N American Worship and Rejoice (2001), 15 in Carols for Today (2005) and 27 in Carol Praise (2006), not counting several versions attributed to ‘Word and Music’ which are predominantly his. For some 20 years he and Christopher Idle would exchange friendly mutual criticism of each other’s texts. MAP believed that ‘Our preparation for worship can only go so far. It is doomed if the Spirit of the Lord is not in it. On the other hand, God is sovereign; he can “take over” any kind of worship, provided that those who lead and those who participate are open to his grace’. He also consistently urged that ‘to be obscure is an indulgence we cannot allow ourselves’.
Michael is published by Praise! numbers 49, 75, 82, 88, 137, 128, 148, 153, 172, 187, 211, 213, 277, 323, 332, 373, 374, 382, 481, 624, 694, 872, 929, 947 and by Praise! online at numbers 1082, 1132.