Dec 12, 20182 min
During the course of this Advent calendar project I have enjoyed encountering pieces of music new to me, and also those about which I'd long forgotten. The piece I've chosen today belongs to the latter category.
Before I went to university I spent a very happy year as a choral scholar at Norwich Cathedral. During the Nine Lessons and Carols for Christmas we sang a beautiful, simple carol by Bryan Kelly (b. 1934), This lovely lady sat and song. I came across it this week, not having sung nor heard it since!
If you are a singer, or an Evensong aficionado (or indeed both!), then you might be familiar with Kelly's Evening canticles in C which, allegedly, include Latin American rhythms. The carol I've chosen for today couldn't be more different in style!
Fr Philip
The text:
Old English, extracts from the hymn This endris night (fifteenth-century)
The music:
The version I've chosen is sung by the choir of All Saints, Margaret St, directed by Paul Brough.
This lovely lady sat and song,
And to her child con say,
' My sone, my broder, my fader dere,
Why liest thou thus in hay ?
My swete brid, thus it is betid,
Thogh thou be king veray ;
But nevertheles I will not cese
To sing, By by, lullay.'
' My dere moder, whan time it be,
Thou take me up on loft,
And sette me upon thy knee,
And handell me full soft ;
And in thy arme thou hill me warme,
And kepe night and day ;
If that I wepe, and may not slepe,
Thou sing, By by, lullay.'
' Now swete son, sin it is so,
That all thing is at thy will,
I pray thee graunte me a bone,
If it be both right and skill,
That child or man that will or can
Be mery upon my day,
To blisse hem bring, and I shall sing Lullay,
By by, lullay.'