The Cherry Tree Carol

Ballad singers who perform on stage are ALWAYS asked if they know any Christmas songs. Ballads in general make people think about the old ways and that, inevitably, brings about thoughts of FAMILY. Christmas is, of course, considered to be one of the most family orientated holidays and is celebrated as such. However, there are not that many Christmas ballads, as it were. Ballads were sort of separate from ‘church music,’ which is were you would find many more Christmas type tunes. Many ballad singers enjoyed a good hymn, especially Cas Wallin, who was the music director at his church. But being a ballad singer did not necessarily mean that you sang in church nor did singing in church mean you were also a prolific ballad singer.

Mother learned The Cherry Tree Carol from Inez Chandler. I vividly remember Inez and, as a child, I thought she looked scary with what I thought of as her ‘angry eyebrows.’ She was one of Mother’s favorites because of her fowl mouth and fierce personality. Inez features often in Mohter’s book, Come Go Home with Me, published by UNC Press. Mother remembers learning this song while she was hanging around at Inez’s house listening to a bunch bawdy ballads, one after another. Mother finally asked Inez if she knew any songs but dirty songs. Given that it was somewhere very near Christmas, Inez decided to teach her The Cherry Tree Carol. Hearing it for the first time blew mom’s mind and sang Inez sang it entirely in a minor key.

Inez Chandler

You never know what you are going to find on the internet! Thank you, sister-in-law Laurin Penland!