I Saw Three Ships

Year: 1700

Written By: Unknown

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A very popular uplifting Christmas carol, 'I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)' is a traditional carol which originates from England. Interestingly, this Christmas carol is a variant. 'I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)' is a variant of its parent tune. Its parent tune is known as 'Greensleeves'. As far as the evidence found can take us, 'Greensleaves' appears to date back to the 17th century and come from possibly somewhere around the Derbyshire region. 'Greensleaves' is definitely though, the earliest printed version of 'I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)'. 'Greensleaves' was published in 1833 by the world renowned William B. Sandys.

In the lyrics to the traditional Christmas classic 'I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)', the lyrics are mentioning that there are ships sailing into Bethlehem, however the problem is that the nearest area of water is the Dead Sea and that is a large distance away, approximately about 20 miles away. The referencing to the three ships is believed to originate in the three ships which bore the relics of the Biblical magi which were to Cologne Cathedral in the 12th century.

Sir David Williocks produced his own arrangement; this arrangement appears in The Oxford Book of Carols. Sir David Willocks also produced his own arrangement, the popularity of this arrangement led to it being put in The Carols for Choirs series of carol books. As well as those two, Simon Preston (a well-recognised organist and conductor) and Sir Philip Ledger have also produced their own arrangement of 'I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)'. Simon Preston was formerly a conductor for the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. This arrangement by Ledger and Preston was use at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in recent years. This Christmas carol has also featured in a musical, the musical was called Caroline, or Change.

There has since, the original publication, been a new version of 'I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)', this newer version was called 'I saw three ships come sailing by on New Year's Day'. This more modern version was produced in the 19th century. This version is different as the lyrics talk about three pretty girls who are in a ship entertaining at a wedding which was held on New Year's Day.