Maybe it's the Norse influence.
Up in Shetland, where Yule is Yule, and no one ever bothers with that newfangled southron Christmas business, there's one tune that says “Yule” like no other.
It's called, variously, The Day Dawn or The Day Dawns Well (in Shetland dialect, that's Da Day Dawe, but if you're not a Shetlander, for gods' sakes, please don't try to say it that way), and of all the days of all the year, it's played on only one.
Yes, of course: you guessed it.
It greets the rising of the Sun on Yule morning, the bittersweet dawn song of one lone bird, and throughout that first day of the year, you'll hear it again and again.
And then, for a year, no more.
Shetland being fiddle territory, it's a fiddle tune, of course, and this much we can say: it's old, old; no one knows just quite how old. Seventeenth century, perhaps?
It's a haunting tune—you can hear it (played on concertina) here—expansive, horizon-gazing, with all the knowing sadness of the worldly-wise. Oh, bittersweet Yule.
I've always wondered: if, of all the days of the year, The Day Dawn is played only on Yule, how then do you learn it? How do you rehearse?
But there's an answer ready enough to hand. (We do the same with the song for the dead, which you only sing through when you mean it.) Play, rehearse, as you will, but never entirely through. That's for one day, and for one day only.
Though the tune has never historically had words, a few years back Jane Hazelden wrote some, and they'll do, they'll do.
So here's your song with which to greet the newborn Sun on Solstice Morn.
Well, you've all of a month. If you start the learning now, my friend, you'll have it down, and well down, by then.
It's the dawning of the turning of the year
It's the coming of the growing of the light
It's the leaving-by of what is past and done
It's the turning round and facing to the Sun
It's the day dawn of the New Year
So rise up and open your doors
and come show good friendship and cheer
At the dawning of the turning of the year
It's the coming of the greening of the Earth
It's the leaving of the time of dark and dearth
It's the sharing of the good that we have done
It's the turning round and facing to the Sun
It's the day dawn of the New Year
So rise up and open your doors
and come show good friendship and cheer
At the dawning of the turning of the year
Lyrics: Jane Hazelden
Tune: Shetland traditional, Da Day Dawe (17th century?)