canasg choral music publishing

SG1019

Coventry Carol

16th century carol

arranged by Mark Burstow
for unaccompanied male voice chorus (TBarB)

TBarB performance time approx 2m 40s

Arranger's note

This beautifully austere carol used to be sung in one of the Coventry mystery plays, or religious pageants, that were performed in major English towns in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is a lament by the women (or here, men!) of Bethlehem before Herod’s murder of their young children and makes a good contrast to the more celebratory side of Christmas music. It should be sung as simply as possible; a ‘white’ tone with neither warmth nor rage is ideal.

Music

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Hear a MIDI file of the song

Words

Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child

Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child,
By, by, lully, lulla,
Thou little tiny child,
By, by, lully, lulla.

O sisters two,
How may we do
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling
For whom we do sing:
‘By, by, lully, lullay’?

Herod the King,
In his raging,
Chargčd he hath this day
His men of might,
In his own sight,
All young children to slay.

That woe is me,
Poor child, for thee,
And ever mourn and sigh. [old English: ‘say’]
For thy parting
Neither say nor sing:
‘By, by, lully, lullay’.

16th century carol (spelling modernised)

Price

The price of this piece depends on the number of singers in your group. This is a single payment for a licence to make as many copies as you need for your group to rehearse and perform the song as often as you wish. Copies of the song must not be given, lent or sold to any other group.

Number of singers in your group
up to 12 singers	13 to 24 singers	25 singers or more
Ł3 (approx US$5.00)	Ł6 (approx US$10)	Ł9 (approx US$15)
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Companion pieces

Browse the 'Christmas' section of the Canasg catalogue for more songs like this one. To go there now, click on the 'catalogue' box to the right.

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