I don’t recall hearing the Christmas song “What Child Is This?” until I was nearly grown. Because of that, I had it in my mind that the song was of modern origin for years.
After Pap and Paul recorded the song, I learned the song is actually very old and hails from England. The tune of the song is the same as the tune to the folk song “Greensleeves” which dates as far back as the 1600s. The words to “What Child Is This?” were penned by William Chatterton Dix in the 1800s. To read the full story of how the tune and the words came together to make the song we know today jump over and visit this blog.
The Christmas song has a haunting reverent quality about it, I believe Pap and Paul’s harmony, along with Pap’s high tenor voice make the song even more haunting. Listen below and see if you don’t agree.
I hope you enjoyed the song. It’s one of the tracks on Pap and Paul’s “Songs of Christmas” cd. If you’d like to pick up a copy go here.
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I have no idea why this beautiful carol wasn’t in the hymnal I grew up with. I must have been around twelve when I found it in an old book of Christmas music that had belonged to my aunt and have loved it ever since.
Your blog always brings a smile to my face. Your daily Christmas readings precious. Praying always for your sweet family and those precious little baby boys.
I have the Cd and listen to it often. I love the pickin and singin. Love and prayers to all of you and Granny and Little Mamas 1 & 2.
Along with O Holy Night this is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Thanks for sharing.
Lovely. It’s a song I grew up singing. We sang it in church, and when caroling. Thanks for the stroll down memory-lane.
This version is so lovely and so peaceful. Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful. I love this song. I, too, dicovered this song after I was an adult.
I’ve loved this song since I was a child, Tipper. This is the loveliest version I’ve ever heard. Love the family harmony! Thanks for sharing. ♥️
Thank you Tipper…I love Paul & Pap’s harmony….
This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. I love them all when they bring the message of our Savior’s birth. Thank you for sharing this Tipper. Merry Christmas.
You are so right Tipper, Pap’s voice does give the song that sweet haunting quality that sets this recording on a much higher level than so many others.
When you brought up ‘Greensleeves’ I immediately thought of my dad. That was his favorite song of all time. I was maybe 14 years old when dad finally broke down and bought a record player, of course on the ‘time plan’. A week later he found a copy of Greensleeves. I think you can guess what played over and over. Then one day driving home from work he heard ‘What Child Is This’ playing on the radio. He was so excited when he got home and rushed in to tell me about it. I made up my mind that I was going to get that for him. That Saturday I took my baby sitting money and I walked all the way to the first mall that had opened around us (about 4 miles) in hopes of finding it but it was no where to be found. Walking home I had to pass the Goodyear tire store and there it was in the window, Goodyear Presents The Great Songs Of Christmas 1964 Vol 4. It was sung by the Brother’s Four. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I was to have finally found it. That night when dad got home he took one look at me and asked, “What are you up to? You look like the canary that ate the cat.” That’s when I blurted out that I had found the record and that I had gotten it for him for Christmas. The biggest smile came over his face and he told me to go and get it “and we’ll just start Christmas off early”. We sat and listened to that one song so many times that night I’m surprised we didn’t wear it out.
Thank you for bringing back such a wonderful memory,
Jenny
Jenny-wonderful story! Thank you for sharing it 🙂
Jenny – what a lovely story with beautiful memories. Enjoyed reading it!
Lovely. Thank you.
Have enjoyed “What Child Is This” over the years; always a favorite! Pap and Paul’s rendition is outstanding; the family harmony is certainly a key element. Thanks for sharing, Tipper; and our best to you and all the family on the news of another expected grand! Life is good, indeed!
Best version I’ve ever heard!
The harmony of the song is simply beautiful <3 Congratulations to Corie, Austin, and the whole family on another new baby coming. You are blessed beyond measure! Tipper and Matt will be busy grandparents, and so full of LOVE! God Bless the Pressleys and Graddicks!
My heart sings when I hear this song. I have known it my whole life. I’m glad you are enjoying it also. The boys sing it beautifully!
I love this Christmas cd! All the songs are beautifully done! Thank you so much! Blessings to all!
“What Child is This” has always been one of my favorite Christmas songs!
At 70+, this has been one of my favorite Christmas songs before I turned 7 yrs of age. Whether strings, brass or piano, it’s a timeless piece. I also enjoy a more modern addition by Mark Lowry, “Mary, Did You Know?”
Hi Tipper:
I am quite familiar with this Christmas song , we sang it in the choir years ago, I don’t hear it as much now, I really enjoyed Pap & Paul, I just finished playing it again, what a wonderful musical family you have. God bless.
Tipper, there’s a little book titled, “Funny, You Don’t Look Like a Grandmother,” by Lois Wyse that reminded me of you when I heard you’re getting not one, but two, grandchildren next year. How exciting! You certainly don’t look like a grandmother, but you’ll be one of the best ones on the planet! How lucky/blessed Corie and Katies’s children will be to have you as their grandmother. Btw, I loved listening to Paul and Pap’s version of “What Child is This” this morning … so beautiful! That, and Mark Lowery’s rendition of “Mary, Did You Know” are my two favorite Christmas songs.
Oh my…. How beautiful.
It’s beautiful! We have the CD and are enjoying it so much.
Congratulations to Corie and Austin! I am thrilled that Corie and Katie will have little ones that will grow up together! That’s truly special and Tipper, I know you and Matt are over the moon!! Another great grandbaby for Granny to love too. Congratulations once again!! Have a blessed Sunday everyone!
How beautiful and haunting. I am always blown away by Pap’s high tenor voice. With Paul’s strong lead and I’m not sure what instrument(s), this is probably the most beautiful rendition of that carol I have ever heard. Praying for all of you.
Such beautiful voices of your Daddy and brother! Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful rendition! Do I hear a bowed psaltery?
Patricia-I will have to ask Paul 🙂 I do remember he bought a psaltery so you might hear one 🙂
My wife and I enjoyed this song on this quiet, crisp, frosty Sunday morning. It made this morning even more special. We try to cherish these moments as we never know when our mornings together will come to an end. She has fought a galant battle against her illness. And, like your own family members, had surprised her doctors. I just thank God for the three years we’ve been blessed with instead of the six months when first diagnosed. As strange as it sounds, we are at peace now with whatever the Lord decides. Of course it wasn’t always that way. There were a lot of emotions in the beginning. But as time goes by and you see the suffering slowly increase, one finds themselves asking the Lord for things like less pain and sickness instead of a complete cure. We will not give up. We just go through every day and enjoy things like today, good music, good food, family and our grandson, among so many other smaller things. Thanks for letting me ramble. It helps somehow.
And I hope everyone who reads this has a great Sunday morning.
God Bless!
Eddie-thank you for sharing your thoughts! I will be praying for you both!!
Beautiful song! Congratulations to Corie and Austin, to this baby’s grandparents and great-grandparent as well as ongoing congratulations and blessings to Katie. Blessings abounding!
I love this song. It is so beautiful in words and tune.
I love the song and especially love to hear Pap and Paul sing it.
That is beautiful. I too do not remember hearing that song until I was older. Congratulations to Austin and Corie. What a blessing. It will be great that the cousins are close in age. I pray that the chemo and the Lord have done a miracle on Granny and she gets good news next week. Y’all have a lot to look forward to next year. Keeping everyone in my prayers.
That was so beautiful. One of my favorite Christmas songs. I wonder if you would consider a digital version of the album? I don’t have a stereo but would love to have it for my phone. Praying for granny ❤️
Barbara-we would love to do that if it were possible 🙂
I have always loved that song & can’t remember ever hearing a more beautiful rendition than that of Pap & Pauls. It helped me get into the right frame of mind this morning as I work up to a crisp, airish day here in Texas. May God bless you & your family & continue to strengthen Granny on this beautiful Lord’s day.
This song and Mary Did You Know are two of my favorite Christmas songs. They are always sung at my church during the Christmas season. Paul and Pap do a wonderful job as usual.
Out children’s choir are performing at our church today and that’s always an exciting time. It’s the mot wonderful time of the year✝️ Go worship today! Blessings to all.
I too encountered “What Child Is This” later in life. However, the “Greensleeves” melody (and the words) were quite familiar. It was one of the first songs I tried to play on the guitar. It sounds really good on a twelve string guitar! Kinda like an ordinary guitar and a harp, or a hammered dulcimer, but I digress.
Beautifully done.
Congratulations to Corie and Austin
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to win a copy of this CD. It’s still one of my favorite holiday albums.
I love the harmony! So very, very pretty!
It’s always a blessing to hear Pap’s high tenor singing with Paul! I enjoy singing that song at church at this time of year too. Of course, you can’t beat Pap and Paul singing “All Seeing Eye” either. It is a toe tapper:) And I can just hear my Grandmother playing “The Gloryland Way,” which I think is in her old shape note songbook. Praying for Granny and family!
What a lovely song for this Sunday morning to start Advent. Blessings to all!
Paul and Pap did a fabulous rendition of this classic English Christmas hymn! I’m actually astounded by their beautiful voices and the wonderful melody of the instruments they play! I may just have to purchase this CD! May every single reader of this blog be blessed in Jesus this Christmas season! May Dear Granny Louzine, Lucky and the little momma be especially blessed with good health at this time! You really bring beauty and country charm in a way we adore and crave, Tipper, and you do a fine job!!! THANKYOU every day!!! You’re precious, Mrs. Pressley!
a beautiful song. thanks for sharing
Oh also Tipper, I am 71 and I was in concert chorus in high school and I remember we sang this one year for a Christmas program. Beautiful song.
Tipper, we love the Christmas CD. In fact we will listen to it on our way to church this morning. Congratulations on the upcoming arrival of yet a second blessing of a grandchild. They truly are gifts from God. Have a blessed day. So grateful for the rain we’ve had these last couple days. Hope y’all got your fair share over on your side of the mountains.
That has been one of my favorite Christmas songs for many years.
I have this CD and have been playing it in my car. It puts me in the Christmas spirit.
Thank you. This is a beautiful song done by two fantastic singers ( your family).
Congrats on the coming of your second grandchild! I am so happy for your family!!
Beautiful song!
That was so beautiful…the singing and the music. It just felt like Christmas!
Beautiful and touches my heart!
They sing so beautifully together. I am happy for y’all to have these wonderful memories of family in song. God’s best to you and yours this Christmas!
OH MY GOODNESS, what can I say, such a beautiful song, Pap and Paul did a beautiful job singing it. I could listen to it over and over. I know your heart swells to hear your dad’s beautiful voice. May God always bless you and your family as well as all of the pig fans.
Blessings to all
Love that song Tipper, one of my favorites! Love that we’ll be singing Christmas songs at church the next several weeks, so many songs can just overwhelm you by the vivid picture they paint!
What a beautiful rendition. It’s now going to be one of my favorites. Thanks for the upload. Is there a YouTube version?
Bill-there isn’t but I sure wish there was 🙂
I love the song “What Child is This”
Thank you for sharing!
This song is one of my favorites from the Christmas season. It’s so pretty and haunting so it stays with you.
This is one of my Christmas favorites. My other one is Mary did you know? Both bring it all to such a relatable level. I think we sometimes look at Jesus as not relatable but He became human, just like us. Struggled with things, just as we do. Oh what a Savior! I love Him so.
I love you Katie Pressley may the good Lord be with you always in Jesus name
I do like that song and had no idea the background. Thanks for doing the homework for us. It truly is a beautiful song. Prayers for Granny and God’s Blessing this fine Sunday morning. Church in a little while.
I do love the song. What a beautiful rendition. Thank you for sharing.
I have heard the song but it has been a long time. We used to sing it at our church around Christmas. As usual Paul and Pap do a good job.