From: Carols for Christmas by the Royal College of
Music Chamber Choir, with Aled Jones as soprano
This is my favorite carol. I usually like it sung by a choir of boys and men, but in this case, I like the way they have divided the sections into male, female and boy soprano parts. The harsh judgment by Herod is sung by the men, the mother lamenting is sung by the women, and the final verse by a boy soprano.
Disclosure: I sang this carol during a Christmas party when I was teaching English (as a second language) to a group of mostly Egyptian Copts, most of whom were elderly women. (They all spoke pretty good English, and very good French.) A few of them had tears in their eyes at the end. I used to be a soprano in college choirs, and was a chorister for several years in my high school and elementary school Anglican church choir.
| Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child, By, by, lully, lullay. Lullay, thou little tiny Child, By, by, lully, lullay. O sisters too, 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, 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 say, For thy parting neither say nor sing, By, by, lully, lullay. |
