Original members were Norma Waterson, Mike Waterson, and Lal Waterson, with their cousin John Harrison from Kingston High School. They had a skiffle band in the early 1960s but moved on to playing more traditional material. They were briefly known as "The Folksons".
Their first album was Frost and Fire 1965 (awarded the "Melody Maker" Album of the Year, a rarity for a debut album) followed by The Watersons and A Yorkshire Garland in 1966. The Watersons split up in 1968 when Norma went to work as a disc jockey on a radio station on Montserrat.
The group reformed in 1972 with John Harrison briefly replaced by Bernie Vickers. He in turn was replaced the same year by Norma's husband, and respected folk singer in his own right, Martin Carthy. This lineup recorded For Pence and Spicy Ale (1975), Sound, Sound Your Instruments of Joy (1977), and Green Fields (1981).
Later lineups featured Mike Waterson's daughter Rachel Waterson, who briefly replaced Lal during a leave of absence caused by ill health in the mid-1980s, then continued to sing with the group on Lal's return.
Lal Waterson died in 1998 and by the early 1990s Martin Carthy, Norma Waterson and their daughter Eliza Carthy had formed the group Waterson:Carthy.
The Watersons gradually ceased to sing live on a regular basis but the family occasionally reconvened for special events and festival appearances. The most recent of these were A Mighty River of Song at the Royal Albert Hall on 12 May 2007, the BBC Electric Proms concert Once in a Blue Moon: A Tribute to Lal Waterson at Cecil Sharp House in London on 25 October 2007 and 'A Tribute to Bert,' a concert celebrating the life and work of Albert Lloyd, at Cecil Sharp House on the 15th November 2008.
Sound Sound Your Instruments Of Joy
The Watersons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To triumph shake each string
Let sounds of universal joy
Welcome him, the newborn king.
See, see the gladdening dawn appears
Bright angels deck the morn
Behold the great "I am" is given
Surprising scene, stupendous love
The Lord of Life descend
He left his glorious realms above
To be the the sinner's friend.
Let Heaven, Earth and Sea proclaim
The wondrous love of God
And all the universal frame
Sing praises to our God.
The Watersons' song "Sound Sound Your Instruments of Joy" is a hymn celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The opening line "Sound, sound your instruments of Joy" is a call to action, asking the musicians to play joyfully and triumphantly. The following line "To triumph shake each string" is an instruction to the musicians to play with exuberance, shaking their instruments to produce a bold and celebratory sound. The song expresses a universal joy, welcoming the newborn King with sounds of unrestrained pleasure.
The second verse focuses on the glorious dawn that appears at the birth of Christ, and the bright angels who decorate the morning sky. The phrase "Behold the great 'I am' is given" is a reference to the Old Testament, where God revealed himself to Moses as the great "I am". The verse celebrates the principle that God has descended to Earth, taking on human form as Jesus Christ, thus making himself more accessible to mankind.
The final verse of the song urges all of creation to join in the celebration of Christ's birth, from the heaven, earth, and sea to the entirety of the natural world. In this way, the song echoes the biblical proclamation that all of creation is subject to God's rule, and should rejoice at his coming.
Line by Line Meaning
Sound, Sound your instruments of Joy
Play your instruments loudly and joyfully.
To triumph shake each string
Play with such intensity that your strings vibrate for victory.
Let sounds of universal joy
May the sounds you create bring joy and happiness to everyone.
Welcome him, the newborn king.
Celebrate and welcome the arrival of the new born king.
See, see the gladdening dawn appears
Look and see how the dawn brings happiness.
Bright angels deck the morn
Angels decorate the morning with brightness.
Behold the great "I am" is given
Rejoice because the Lord has been born.
The King of Glory's born.
The king of glory, our savior Jesus Christ, has been born.
Surprising scene, stupendous love
This is an amazing and wonderful scene of love that is beyond our understanding.
The Lord of Life descend
God's son has come down to Earth in human form.
He left his glorious realms above
He has left his throne in heaven to be with us on Earth.
To be the the sinner's friend.
He came to reconcile us with God and be our friend.
Let Heaven, Earth and Sea proclaim
May everything in the world declare with joy.
The wondrous love of God
The amazing love that God has for us.
And all the universal frame
May every part of the universe rejoice.
Sing praises to our God.
Sing songs of praise to God.
Contributed by Mia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.