Friday 19 November 2021

The Highgate Caroller

 In my next few blog posts I want to revisit one of the Anthology's more obscure translators -- the Revd Charles Ratcliffe Woodward (1848-1934), of St Augustine's in Highgate, London, where the porch bears an inscription in his honour (a bit garbled in transcription).

His enduring reputation is as a great collector and composer of carols and seasonal hymns: 'This Joyful Eastertide', 'Ding Dong Merrily on High', 'Past Three o'Clock'. But between 1924 and 1931 he also published a dozen or so books of translations from the Greek Anthology, doubtless making his selections from the newly published complete Loeb. You can see some in the stock of this rare book dealer.

I talk about Woodward a bit in my academic book, Greek Epigram in Reception (2013) but I'd like to unpack his story a little more, if I can find material to go on; and especially to revisit his tiny, card-bound pamphlets and the often charming translations they contain.

If anyone knows anything about Woodward, please get in touch? next post