Coventry Carol

Finally, Coventry Carol, as it was meant to sound.  This music comes to us from the 16th Century, played on Lute.  This music stirs my soul, as does Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel, both hauntingly reverent pieces.

Christmas Blessings to All.

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.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Enya

Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel is the second of my favorite Christmas carols. This rendition is performed by another of my favorite artists, Enya.

The origin of this carol is a little blurred.  The version we're accustomed to was arranged in the 19th Century.  The traditional music can be traced back to the 15th century (once again, explaining my love for this song), with possibly even 8th Century Gregorian roots, and the "lyrics" to the 12th Century. 

Generally, I prefer these carols to remain as true and simple as possible, but sometimes it's nice to mix up the flavor a bit.  Hence, the Enya version of Emmanuel, and the McKennitt version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

Christmas Blessings to All.

   

 

Oh come, Oh come, Emmanuel
To free your captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice, rejoice, Oh Israel
To you shall come Emmanuel

Oh come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, oh Israel

Oh come, Thou Day-Spring
Come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel

Oh come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heavenly home
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel

Oh come, Oh come, Thou Lord of might
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height
In ancient times did'st give the Law
In cloud, and majesty and awe
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

I want to share my favorite Christmas songs with you. The first, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

This rendition is performed by one of my favorite artists, Loreena McKennitt.  It captures a certain primality I've always associated with early music.  It was this song, first heard and played on the piano when I was five or six years old, that ignited my love for medieval and renaissance music--and I didn't even know why I liked it so much.  God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (while neither medieval nor renaissance, but more likely from the mid-18th c.) remained my very favorite Christmas song into my twenties, when I added two more to the list--both period pieces, as well.  By that time I was able to discern what it was that I liked about my music, but the bottom line is that these songs strike a very deep, erm, chord within me.  They will always stir my soul.

Yuletide Blessings to All.

God rest ye merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Saviour
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!

From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherdsBrought tidings of the same
How in that Bethlehem was born
The son of God by name

"Fear not," then said the angel
"Let nothing you affright
This day is born a saviour
Of a pure virgin bright
To free all those who trust in him
From Satan's pow'r and might"

The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind
And went to Bethlehem straightaway
This blessed babe to find

But when to Bethlehem they came
Whereat this infant lay
They found him in a manger
Where oxen feed on hay
His mother Mary kneeling
Unto the Lord did pray

Now to the Lord sing praises
All you within this place
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface