Where do the twelve Odcombe Carols come from?
The music is believed to originate from The West Gallery Period', 1750-1840. when bands of musicians used to accompany singers in church. But in the 1840s with the introduction of organs and barrel organs the players were no longer required. 1 We believe that when this happened in Odcombe, in 1858, a band including flute, oboe, clarinet, fiddle and bass viol 'took umbrage', left the church, and in due course played at the newly opened Methodist Chapel on Chapel Hill. Odcombe's Methodists took up the carols and have led the singing ever since, joined by church and non-church village residents. Despite the closure of the Methodist chapel in 2004. they are still closely involved.
Only two of the twelve carols appear in church hymn books. Similar tunes are sometimes heard in different areas, perhaps also originating from the West Gallery period, but this combination of carols, in particular four-part arrangements, is unique to Odcombe. Some of our carollers remember singing the carols as children and simply sing them as they've always done. It's an oral tradition. Newcomers now learn both from the traditional singers and from written music. This is copied from the only known transcription, made in 1924 by Ben Hiscott( 1902-1982). There is a fascinating story about the chance discovery of the Odcombe Carols manuscript. In 2004, when the vicar's wife was clearing out the rectory prior to moving, she opened an old box and was delighted to recognise The Odcombe Carols'. The timing was perfect. This was the very time carollers needed to organise written music, having been invited to take part in the Sheffield Carol Festival. Divine intervention perhaps! The origin of Odcombe's carols has been the subject of extensive research and local debate. Yet the answer to our question 'Where do Odcombe's carols come from?' remains something of a mystery. It is certainly true to say that, as with any living tradition, it moves and changes with times, yet in essence remains unchanged.
1 For a wonderful tale along these lines, see the short story by Thomas Hardy, 'Absent-mindedness In A Parish Choir', in the book 'Life's Little Ironies', 1894.
