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Coventry Carol
Traditional English Folk Carol;
ARTIST: From the singing of Nowell Sing We Clear, a four member musical group that performs an annual yuletide concert series.
SHEET MUSIC:
LISTEN:
DATE: 1534
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel
RECORDING INFO: The Coventry Carol - Croo, Robert/Haydn, Franz Josef
Blood, Peter; and Annie Patterson (eds.) / Rise Up Singing, Sing Out, Sof (1992/1989), p 10
Boni, Margaret Bradford (ed.) / Fireside Book of Folk Songs, Simon & Schuster, Bk (1947), p252
Herder, Ronald (ed.) / 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics, Dover dn500/500, Sof (1998), p 71 (Lulloo/Lully Lullay)
Allen-Ward Trio. Allen-Ward Trio, Vanguard VRS 9189, LP (1965), trk# A.07
Evans, Bill. Banjo Newsletter, BNL, Ser (1973-), 1978/12,p?
Kingston Trio. Last Month of the Year, Capitol T 1445, LP (1960), trk# A.01 (Bye Bye Thou Little Tiny Child)
MacNeil, Madeline. Many Butterflies, Roots and Branches RBR 001, LP (1980), trk# A.04 (Lulloo/Lully Lullay)
McKeown, Susan; and Lindsey Horner. Through the Bitter Frost and Snow, Upshot, Cas (1996), trk# A.02
Ransom, Stan. North Country Christmas, Connecticut Peddler NCC 101, CD (1994), 7a
Roberts, John; and Tony Barrand. Nowell Sing We Clear, Front Hall FHR-013, LP (1977), trk# A.05
Sweeney, Ed. Inside Fezziwig's, the Spirit of Christmas Past, Kicking Mule KM 187, LP (1988), trk# 7
Weavers. Gilbert, Ronnie, et.al (ed.) / Weavers' Song Book, Harper & Row, Sof (1960), p 50 (Lulloo/Lully Lullay)
Woods, Sylvia. 3 Harps for Christmas, Tonmeister TNLP 1225, LP (1985), trk# A.02a
OTHER NAMES: "How Condescending And How Kind,"
RELATED TO:
SOURCES: Mudcat; Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NOTES: "Coventry Carol" is a Christmas carol dating from the 16th Century. The carol was performed in Coventry as part of a mystery play called The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors. The play depicts the Christmas story from chapter two in the Gospel of Matthew. The carol refers to the Massacre of the Innocents, in which Herod orders all male infants under the age of two in Bethlehem to be killed. The lyrics of this haunting carol represent a mother's lament for her doomed child. It is the only carol that has survived from this play.
It is notable as a well-known example of a Picardy third. The author is unknown. The oldest known text was written down by Robert Croo in 1534, and the oldest known printing of the melody dates from 1591. The carol is traditionally sung a cappella. There is an alternative setting of the carol by Kenneth Leighton.
The only manuscript copy to have survived into recent times was burnt in 1875. Our knowledge of the lyrics is therefore based on two very poor quality transcriptions from the early nineteenth century, and there is considerable doubt about many of the words. Some of the transcribed words are difficult to make sense of: for example, in the last verse "And ever morne and may For thi parting Neither say nor singe" is not clear. Various modern editors have made different attempts to make sense of the words, so such variations may be found as "ever mourn and say", "every morn and day", "ever mourn and sigh". The following is one attempted reconstruction:
Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Lullay, thou little tiny Child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
O sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we do sing
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Herod, the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight,
All children young to slay.
That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever mourn and sigh,
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
COVENTRY CAROL- Nowell Sing We Clear, a four member musical group that performs an annual yuletide concert series. They have also released a series of related albums.
Lullay, thou little tiny child, lullay
By, by, lully, lullay
Lullay, thou little tiny child, lullay
By, by, lully, lullay
Oh sisters too, how may we do
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling, for whom we sing
By, by, lully, lullay
Herod the king, in his raging
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight
All children young to slay
The woe is me, poor child for thee
And ever mourn and pray
Lullay, thou little tiny child, lullay
by, by, lully, lullay
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