Good King Wenceslas

Good King Wenceslas (NOBC 97) was a new lyric written in 1853 by Rev. John Mason Neale¹ and fitted to the tune of a medieval Springtime song ‘Tempus adest floridum’. This tune was found in a newly discovered book of religious and secular music called Piae Cantiones, which contained 74 medieval songs in Swedish and Latin. It was first published in Germany in 1582 but was widely used in Finland and Sweden. The Ambassador to Sweden brought a copy of the book back to England in 1853 and gave it to Neale, who immediately began work translating it in collaboration with his friend Rev. Thomas Helmore. In that same year they published 12 songs based on Piae Cantiones (including Good King Wenceslas) in their book Carols for Christmas-tide (London: Novello, 1853). The English Hymnal (1906, p975) lists 63 of Neale’s other translated hymns and 6 original compositions.

The story concerns Wenceslaus, Duke of Bohemia (c.907-935AD), and his legendary act of kindness on St Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day) towards a poor peasant. Wenceslaus was in fact assassinated (martyred) and he remains the patron saint of the Czech Republic.