Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing day
A Medieval Carol illustrated by Stefan Salinas.
A treasure for the whole family.
In an anonymous Christmas carol from the fourteenth century, Christ himself tells us the story of his life, and he refers to it as a play. God came down from above to dance with us… and he is inviting us to dance with him!
The illustrations feature the story as a play, with set and costumes like a drama troupe in Europe in the Middle Ages would design. Here they are players on a stage in a contemporary theater. This is the only carol I am aware of which features Jesus speaking in the first person, so I found it only fitting that the reader’s point of view in the pictures is Jesus’ (the actor playing Jesus). The inclusion of modern-day audience members also draws the reader’s empathy. Are we the hero as well as the audience? Employing these devices, the hope is to bring the message of this age-old text into our lives.
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Music in video This Have I Done for My True Love by Gustav Holst
Performed by
The Giltspur Singers.
Learn more about them here: http://www.christophermaxim.co.uk/giltspur-singers.html & https://www.youtube.com/user/chrismaxim1
© 2018 art by Stefan Salinas
Age Range: 5 - Adult
Format: Paperback, 32 pages Size: 8" x 10"
Publisher: Camelopardalis
Language: English
ISBN: 9780998608822
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018910608
Artwork: Color pencil, Artist crayon, ink and acrylic on colored paper
Text Fonts: Goudy Medieval, Goudy Old Style
This anonymous carol first appeared in William B. Sandys' "Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern," in 1833. It is believed to have been written sometime within the fourteenth century. In it, Jesus, tells us the story of his life, and repeats again and again the wish to dance with his true love, which has been generally interpreted as the Church, the Bride of Christ.
The practice of celebrating the birth of Jesus by caroling - singing simple songs of praise and worship - dates back to the early second century. The terms ballad and carol implied dancing as well as singing, and were indeed sung by people dancing. They were influenced by early liturgical music, folk songs, festival dances and the troubadour repertoire. Carole dances were performed in circles and spirals. In medieval Europe, mystery plays, which told of the life of Christ, were performed in churches during Christmas Eve, and then later on outdoor stages in the streets. Carols were integrated into these performances. Passion plays also developed out of church rituals. They depict the suffering, death, and Resurrection of Christ.