Singing a popular carol to the tune of Yorkshire’s favourite anthem is old hat in Wharfedale, despite surprise elsewhere at a university professor’s research.

Professor Jeremy Dibble caused a stir this week by revealing that one of the most popular versions of much loved carol While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks was originally sung to the same tune as On Ilkla Moor Baht ’At.

The Durham University hymnologist is busy carrying out research as musical editor of a forthcoming dictionary of hymnology.

His research revealed that one of the ‘forgotten’ versions of the carol was originally sung to the tune now used for the Yorkshire anthem.

But locals say they are well aware of the tradition – and older residents have even requested it from carol singers this Christmas.

The tune itself is widely known to date back much further than On Ilkla Moor Baht ’At. It is also the tune to the hymn Cranbrook, penned by Thomas Clark, a Canterbury boot and shoe maker born in the 18th century.

According to tradition, the tune was adopted by a Halifax church choir for their song about a young man catching his death of cold after losing his hat while out courting a certain Mary Jane on the moor.

In his studies, Prof Dibble found that While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks has been linked with as many as 300 different tunes.

He said: “The most surprising and rather forgotten version of While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks is sung to the famous Ilkley Moor tune by Thomas Clark.”

Prof Dibble says some carol singers feel it is time to bring back some of the classic variations.

But in Ilkley, some of the most hearty carol singers say the tradition has never gone away.

Ilkley Baptist Church minister, Stuart Jenkins, finds the research no surprise– and says there is even local demand for the Ilkley Moor version of the carol.

He said: “There’s a local tradition of doing it. We’ll be going carol singing in the next few days and will certainly be singing While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks to the tune of Cranbrook. It’s a tradition going back a long, long way.”

Churchgoers will be going out carol singing at nursing and residential homes around Christmas, and Mr Jenkins said a special request had been received to sing the Cranbrook version of the carol.

Mr Jenkins gave a talk on the origins of On Ilkla Moor Baht ’At and Cranbrook, and led singing of both songs, at the first International Ilkley Moor Baht ’At day in October. Another highlight of the day was a hat throwing competition held at Ilkley Moor landmark White Wells.

Ilkley amateur historian Frazer Irwin said he also learned to sing While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks to the tune of Cranbrook when he was younger.