Early English Christmas Carols 9780231881159

Table of contents :
Contents
Introduction
A Note on the Performance of the Carols
1. Welcome, Sir Christmas
2. The Boar’s Head
3. Good Day, Sir Christmas
4. Arise and Wake
5. Now Well May We Mirth Make
6. Make We Mirth
7. Now Make We Joy
8. Make We Joy
9. Be Merry, Be Merry
10. Noel Sing We
11. Blessed Be that Lord
12. Blessed May Thou Be
13. Tidings True
14. A Song to Sing
15. Ave Rex Angelorum
16. Ave Maria
17. Ave, Plena Gratia
18. Alma Redemptoris Mater
19. Regina Celi, Letare
20. Hail, Alary, Full of Grace
21. The Salutation of the Angel
22. Nova, Nova
23. No Rose of Such Virtue
24. Of a Rose Sing We
25. Lullay, Lullow
26. Lullay, My Child
27. Lullay, Lullay
28. Lully, Lulla, Thou Little Tiny Child
29. What Tidings Bringest Thou, Messenger
30. Proface, Welcome, Welcome
Sources and Select Bibliography

Citation preview

Early English Christmas Carols

Illustrated by Alexander Dobkin

N e w York and London 1961

Early English Christmas Carols

Edited by Rossell Hope Robbins

Columbia University Press

Copyright © 1961 Columbia University Press Library of Congress Catalog Card Number : M 61 -1 o 3 3 Manufactured in the United States of America

For H.A.M.R.

Contents

Introduction

i

Notes on Performance

7

Welcome, Sir Christmas T h e Boar's Head

9

13

Good dav, Sir Christmas Arise and Wake

16

18

N o w Well May We Mirth Make 6

Make We Mirth

7

N o w Make We J o v

20

22 25

8

Make We J o y

9

Be Merrv, Be Merry

28

1o

Noel Sing We

11

Blessed Be that Lord

30

32 34

12

Blessed May Thou Be

13

Tidings True

36

39

14

A Song to Sing

15

A v e Rex Angelorum

42

16

A v e Maria

45

49

17

Ave, Plena Gratia

18

Alma Redemptoris Mater

52 54

19

Regina Celi, Letare

20

Hail, Alary, Full of Grace

56

21

The Salutation of the Angel

22

Nova, Nova

60 62

64

23

N o Rose of Such Virtue

24

Of a Rose Sing We

25

Lullay, Lullow

66

68

70

26

Lullay, M y Child

27

Lullay, Lullay

72

73

28

Lully, Lulla, Thou Little Tiny Child

29

What Tidings Bringest Thou, .Messenger

30

Proface, Welcome, Welcome Sources

85

82

74 78

Introduction

F O R well over a centurv, collections of carols have included such a variety of songs —religious and secular, English and foreign, ancient and modern—that there is no agreement on just what constitutes a carol. Standard authorities like Julian's Dictionary of Hy?mology

(1892), the Encyclopaedia

Britannica

( 1 9 1 1 ) , or the cele-

brated Oxford Book of Carols (1928), talk about "a kind of lyrical poem, usually, but not exclusively, on sacred subjects," "a hymn of praise, especially such as is sung at Christmas in the open air," or (from the Oxford

Book)

"songs with a religious

impulse." On opening a carol book, a singer may find " O Come All Ye Faithful" (by an eighteenth-century emigré Englishman at the Roman Catholic college at Douai), " G o o d King Wencelas" (words by the nineteenth-century hymn writer, John Mason Neale, to music from the Finnish Piae Cantiones of 1582), "Silent Night" (composed on Christmas Eve, 1818, at Oberndorf, Austria), and perhaps "White Christmas" (by Irving Berlin, from a 1942 film, Holiday

Inn).

Yet the earliest carols had a rigid literary and musical form, designed for a specific function. Indeed, the title of this little book—Early English Christmas Carols—may be redundant: the carol appears only in the medieval period (roughly between 1425 and 1550), is restricted to England, most frequently celebrates Christmastide, and must be sung. T h e true carol is to be distinguished from a hymn or a religious song. When it was a living form, the carol always had set stanzas (generally quatrains) alternating with a "burden," two lines sung at the beginning of the carol and repeated after each stanza. T h e carol, therefore, is strictly a forme fixe, just as precise as the French art patterns of ballade, triolet, or rondeau (and just as dissimilar). "Blessed Be That Lord" (No. 1 1 ) , commemorating Christ " W h o was born on this day" ("qui natus fuit hodie"),

is typical:

Y-blessed be that Lord in majesty. Qui natus fuit hodie.

(burden)

That Lord that lay in asses' stall Came to die for us all, To make us free that erst were thrall, Qui natus fuit hodie.

(stanza 1)

Y-blessed be that Lord in majestv, Qui natus fuit hodie.

(burden repeated)

(refrain)

Well mav w e glad and merry be,

(stanza 2)

Sith w e were thrall and now be free; T h e fiend, our foe. H e made to flee, Qui natus fuit hodie.

(refrain)

Y-blessed be that L o r d in majesty,

(burden repeated)

Qui natus fuit hodie.

The carol finishes with the final repetition of the burden after the fourth—the laststanza. The example above incidentally illustrates a pleasing feature of some of the carols: the refrain in the stanza also appears as part of the burden. This repetition of words is reinforced by similar music in both sections. The singing bv the soloists of the refrain of the stanza alerts the chorus to get ready to sing the burden. Such "rounding," as it is called, may appear in words, in music, or in both. According to these earliest examples, therefore, the carol is identified bv the presence of the burden. Since the burden is quite separate from the stanza, both metrically and musically (even when linked bv rounding), it is possible for anv song in regular stanzas to be transformed into a carol bv the addition of a burden. Similarly, it might be added, the accident of a careless scribe's omitting the burden could hide what was once a carol. There is a valid explanation for this unusual pattern of burden, stanza, repeated burden, although it is not the theory generally proposed. Critics have been misled by scattered contemporary references to English dances as carols, bv a possible derivation of the French word, carole, from dance (although the earliest etymology is from chori, or processional psalms), and by the resemblance to some French dance songs written in quatrains with burden. Critics have thus assumed that there were similar dances in England, and that the English religious carols ultimately stem from the dance. That there were dance songs in England, as in most other countries, is indisputable; miniatures depict both chain or ring as well as line or cortege dancing. But the theory is questionable, for there is not a single recorded example of an early English dance song in the pattern of the carol. Rather than account for some eighty percent of all the carols being religious, by considering them (like the Italian laude) spiritual parodies of dance songs, it would seem simpler and more logical to look for the origin of these vernacular hymns in the practices of the Church itself. The first medieval carols are preserved with music in four manuscripts of the early fifteenth century (from which come 23 of the 30 carols in this book). With the English carols are Latin hymns and antiphons for various church processions, all provided with polyphonic settings (some developed on plainsong melodies), suitable for singing by monastic, collegiate, or chapel royal choirs. In one manuscript, English

2

and Latin carols (the latter called cantilenae) are grouped together, but in another (MS Arch. Selden), the English carols are distributed throughout the book. This juxtaposition suggests that the compilers made little distinction between English and Latin, else the items w ould have been rearranged for more convenient handling in choir practice. T h e format and contents of these manuscripts show that the carols were intended for a religious function, emphasized bv such directions in their texts as "prav," "sing," "kneel." T h e carols incorporate praver tags and short popular prayers, biblical and sometimes patristic references, as well as common phrases used repeatedly throughout the liturgy. Most of the earliest English carols commemorate Christmas Day and the series of church festivals which follow to N e w Year, or Epiphany—none at all for Easter, Ascension, or Trinity. There had been a long tradition that on certain festivals (especially Christmas) some other respond might be substituted for the

Benedicamus

Domino in the mass and at the end of vespers and lauds, and it has been suggested that the carols were so used as alternative anthems. Several carols in fact incorporate or develop the Benedicamus motif. But if the carols had been sung only as antiphons in the choir, there would have been no need for them to copy the typical processional form. Both the English carol and the Latin processional hymn were performed in the same manner: during the singing of the stanzas (literally, from Latin stantes, people standing), the procession halted, and during the repeated lines (the repetenda,

or burden, emphasizing the

theme of the stanzas), moved forward. A choice was permitted for the procession after vespers on Christmas Day and the three following days, and it would appear that by the early fifteenth century the English carols were used as extra-liturgical Christmas processional hymns. B y a natural extension, carols (such as the famous Agincourt carol) spread to other semi-religious public ceremonies. That there is no liturgical authorization for English carols as Benedicamus

respon-

sories or processional antiphons need cause no surprise, for their vernacular words would technically exclude them. T h e few medieval English translations of Latin hymns are definitely not for public use. Indeed, the Council of Basel in 1431 attempted to suppress such vernacular excursions, especially in England and Germany. T h e music of all these carols is designed for professional choirs, in two or three voices, the lower voice the tenor (because it "held" the cantus firmus, or melody), and the upper voice the descant. Sometimes a middle voice is added. In the earlier manuscripts, the melodies in the tenor parallel the old octosyllabic measures of the Ambrosian office hymns, with one syllable to one note (as in N o . 8). In the two later manuscripts, melismatic passages (many notes for one syllable) are much more common (e.g., No. 13, with quite florid passages). These four polyphonic manuscripts account for less than a fifth of the total num-

3

ber of medieval carols. Do the other major manuscripts of carols without music conform to this pattern? Three pocket-size manuscripts of a slightlv later date, although in no sense choir books, show bv and large the same literarv and ceremonial pattern as the carols in the polyphonic collections. Only one carol has music, and this is a lively monodic theme eminently suited to congregational use (No. 21). If the tenor parts of some of the simpler polyphonic carols were sung in unison, the effect would be similar—one of them (No. 18) has several passages in parallel. A suggestion of congregational singing (whether or not in English) is hinted in a contemporary Advent sermon, where the preacher, decrying the enjoyment of profane verse, states that "we ought to sing the songs of laud and praising in honor and worship of Christ's blessed birth, and in the holy days following, at the times of divine service of God." The carols in these manuscripts might be so employed as popular hymns. Three other manuscripts of carols are known. Two are "closet" productions: one by John Audelav, a chantry priest, who wrote them "in modum cantil evae" (i.e., in carol form) but expected them to be "read reverently"; the other by James Ryman, a-Franciscan friar who flourished at the end of the fifteenth century. Although intended for private devotions, the carols of these two writers nevertheless followed the popular ceremonial form, Ryman even borrowing many burdens from processional Latin hymns. The third manuscript is the commonplace book of a London merchant (Richard Hill), compiled in the first third of the sixteenth century, with many carols and secular poems. Again, it lacks music, but the religious carols are just like those of the three small "portable" manuscripts in general tone and outlook. One may wonder why the Middle English carol suddenly burst on the world about 1425. (To be sure, there are a few embryo carols before this date; one shows the efforts of a Franciscan friar to translate the antiphonal "Gloria, law et honor," which, as "All Glory, Laud and Honor," is today one of the few processional hymns in genuine carol form.) Two suggestions may be offered: the growth of the vernacular in the practice of religion, and the increase of professional choirs (and consequently of professional composers). By the fifteenth century, the use of English in religion was becoming widespread. Numerous vernacular prayers have been preserved, showing that uneducated people had what amounted to a stock of private devotions, some of which are not too far removed from the prayers a child might once have learned at his mother's knee: Jesu, for Thy Holy Nartie, And for Thy bitter Passion, Save me from sin and shame And endless damnation. For the literate, most of the little fifteenth-century Books of Hours, private prayer books for reading during mass or at home, were supplemented by vernacular prayers

4

and meditations, in verse and prose. An occasional F.nglish translation was even beginning to appear in the liturgv itself (in addition to the English lines in Baptism, Marriage, and Visitation of the Sick). T h e Asperges,

which prefaces the mass, is twice

found translated, preserving the identical form and music of the Latin antiphon. T h e Bidding Prayer, in English, which was addressed to the congregation bv the priest from the pulpit or when the procession had reached the rood, appears in many manuscripts. Again, by the fifteenth century, not onlv monastic foundations and cathedrals, but the newer collegiate institutions, roval chapels, and the great private households had trained choirs, often of twenty voices. These choirs embellished the services and thus enhanced the prestige of their patrons. Some polyphonic carols (in Egerton MS) have been associated with the chapels roval at Windsor and Westminster, others (in MS Arch. Selden) with a collegiate institution like Newarke Hospital and College. T h e time for carols was historically opportune; some pre-conditions had been met. But if the reasons for the origin of the carol in the early fifteenth century are not yet completely clear, at least the reason for their demise (about 1550) can be established. T h e justification for the carol lay in the procession; if the procession ceased to be a part of public worship, there would be no need for the carol. This is what happened. In 1547, the Protestant reformers forbade all processions, on the grounds they promoted superstition (by visiting shrines, statues, etc.), and substituted the litany, which in the early printed primers was called "a common prayer of procession . . . for stirring the people to more devotion." From that date ( 1 5 4 7 ) , few, if any, new carols were composed. T h e name persisted, however, but it was like an old bottle with new wine. In 1589 William Byrd could call a four-part madrigal ("Rejoice, Rejoice, with Heart and Voice") a Christmas "carowle," and by 1 6 1 1 make a "caroll for Christmas D a y " ("This Day Christ Was Born") a six-part madrigal. When anthems were once again allowed in the fifth revision of the Book of Common Prayer ( 1 6 6 1 ) , with the dominant hymn form then the metrical version of the psalms, the old Catholic form of Latin cantilena or English carol was not revived. New

Car oils for this Merry

Time of Christmas (1661),

New

Christmas

Carrols

(1662), and A Cabinet of Choice Jewels . .. New Christmas Carrols (1688) contain no real carols! When choirs no longer alternated walking and halting in procession, there was no purpose in retaining what was essentially a ceremonial rather than a musical or a literary form. In these new anthems, the polyphony remained but the burden disappeared. A t best, its memory survived or was merged in the refrain which, because it is an integral part of the stanza, has a literary justification. So the refrain is preserved in some of the "carols" for private devotion, thought of as poetic instead of liturgical compositions, in the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as "Blessed Be that Maid Marie" from William Ballet's Lute Book (1594), "Behold a Simple Tender Babe" (with a " N o e l "

5

refrain) by Robert Southwell (1595), or " G o d Rest You Merry, Gentlemen" (seventeenth century). W h a t genuine carols were written after 1550—and there are not more than about fifty—are largely secular, and at this date have no connection with Christian worship. The Compleat Angler, for example, tells how Piscator encountered some gvpsies, the youngest of whom sang a carol (composed about 1610), and "all the others of the company joined to sing the burden with her": Bright shines the sun, play, beggars, play, Here's scraps enough to serve today. In the nineteenth century, interest in the liturgy and the catholicity of the Church of England revived, and the word carol was revived also. Lacking any knowledge of the original processional carol, however, and knowing only the later printed books, the new collectors assumed that it was just some special kind of Christmas hymn, possibly its words a shade too secular and its melodies a mite too popular to be included in a regular hymnal. So there are no medieval (i.e., true) carols in the pioneer books bv Davics Gilbert, Some Ancient Christinas Carols (1822) and William Sandys, Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern (1833), or in the later books such as Christmas Carols Nen< and Old (1877), bv Bramley and Stainer. Even in the Oxford Book of Carols (1928), only 13 of the 197 carols have the original carol form. However, the revivers of the carols were not so far wrong in thinking of them as songs of Christmas joy, for essentially this was the core of the medieval carol. T h e early Sir Gaivain and the Green Knight (about 1370) in fact brackets "conductus of Christmas and carols new." In the intervening centuries, the original form changed to accommodate different needs, but today, with the extended interest in all music, the medieval carols take their proper place, not as precious revivals to titillate the effete, but as songs which help provide the continuity that sparks the composition of new Christmas songs. When we sing or hear such carols as are included here, even if w e can no longer accept the dogma, w e nevertheless become part of a tradition, documented for at least five centuries, that continually revitalizes this most joyous festival of universal brotherhood.

6

A Note on the Performance of the Carols

T H E music for this edition has been faithfully transcribed from the original manuscripts, and is presented with the minimum of editing needed to bring these carols into the repertoire of the average small choir. Notes

T h e original note values have usually been quartered (for example,

what are semibreves and minims in the Trinity Roll are represented here as quarter notes and eighth notes). Bars

Bars have been added throughout, following modern practice. To facili-

tate the underlaying of the second and following stanzas, thin double bar lines have been added to indicate the ends of lines in the stanzas. Carols in the Trinity Roll and MS. Arch Selden (except Nos. 1 1 , 14, and 24) should be sung in compound time, and carols in the Egerton and Ritson MSS. in triple time. In the later carols, however, there is constant hovering between | and | time, and this subtlety has been emphasized in the time signatures 1 1 for Nos. 2,4, 15, 16. To aid the choir further, changes in time signatures have been avoided as much as possible, generally by inserting rests; the relatively few "odd" measures have generally been thus absorbed. Key Signatures

Wherever possible, sharps, flats, and accidentals, whether in

the original manuscripts or editorial, have been regulated to key signatures, and changes of clef occurring in the manuscript have been normalized. Partial signatures (where the voices have different key signatures) have been regularized (Nos. 7, 8, 1 1 , 1 2 , 1 3 , 14, 1 7 , 1 9 ) . Words

Latin and English words have been modernized in spelling. Archaic

words and Latin phrases are explained in the notes. By the middle of the fifteenth century, final -e was rarely sounded; for this reason, performance of the carols in modern pronunciation detracts very little from the authenticity of the performance. Underlay

T h e underlay given here is probably the most convenient for a

modern choir, and wherever the manuscript so indicates (e.g., by lines connecting the notes to the syllables), follows the original practice. Frequently, however, there are no clues to the relationship of notes and words, and the only guide is the general rule of thumb that the longest and highest note in any series takes the syllable. In No. 7, for example, the underlay is repeatedly crossed out. In some carols with the same musical setting in two manuscripts, a slight verbal change may cause difference in the underlay, as in No. 10, where the same burden has a different underlay in the version in the Trinity Roll. Elsewhere, a manuscript may indicate that a burden in three voices has a somewhat different underlay from the same burden in two voices. For the second and following stanzas, singers may find that the music must be "boldly

7

rearranged to accommodate later verses" (as John Stevens warned). In carols which have voices simultaneously in compound and triple time, the words in the t w o voices will often not correspond. Singers

T h e collegiate or roval choirs which originallv performed these carols

varied from six to perhaps t w o dozen singers. Nowadays, the carols are best sung by a small a capella group of no more than a dozen voices. Male and female voices can be used interchangeably. T h e three voices are named in the manuscripts as triplex, medius, and tenor; however, the range between the voices is not considerable, seldom more than an octave. N o one voice carries the melody, although the tenor (the lowest voice) generally has the strongest part; and some modernizations take this for the melody, and ignore the other voices, in new arrangements. Burdens and Stanzas

W h a t e v e r the composition of the choir or the occasion

or nature of the performance, all carols should be sung as follows: burden, stanza 1, burden repeated, stanza 2, burden repeated, and so forth. Both in two-voice and threevoice carols, a small group of soloists takes the stanza, while a larger group, the chorus, takes the burden. Occasionally, a "chorus" is inserted into the stanzas (e.g., Nos. 12, 29). Some carols, notably those in the Ritson MS. (Nos. 1, 2, 7, 12, 13, 19, 30), have "double" burdens, i.e., the words of a two-voice burden are repeated, either with a third voice reinforcing the original musical setting, or with a developed or new setting for all three voices. T h e three-voice burden alone may be sung following the stanzas, with the complete burden, if so desired, sung after the final stanza. Considerable latitude is allowed the choir in this respect, provided that the alternation of stanzas ( b y the soloists) with burdens ( b y the chorus) is always maintained.

8

1

Welcome, Sir Christmas Noel, noel, noel, noel! W h o is there that singeth so: N o e l , noel, noel? I am here, Sir Christmas! Welcome, my lord, Sir Christmas! Welcome to us all, both more and less! Come near, Noel! N o e l , noel, noel, noel! i

Dieu vous garde, beaux sieurs, tidings 1 y o u bring: A maid hath borne a child full young, T h e which causeth y o u f o r to sing: Noel! Noel!

2

Christ is now born of a pure maid; In an ox-stall H e is laid; W h e r e f o r e sing we all at-a-braid: Noel! Noel!

3

Buvez bien par toute la compagnie, Make good cheer and be right merry, A n d sing with us now j o y f u l l y : Noel! N o e l !

T h i s secular nativity carol of good cheer is indicated in the manuscript to be sung " O n Christmas D a y . " T h e unusually elaborate burden forms a ceremonial dialogue between the watchers in the banquet hall (in three parts) questioning and greeting the personification of good tidings, Sir Christmas (in t w o parts). T h e opening burden is best sung at the beginning and perhaps after the third stanza, and the shorter repeated burden (with or without the two-voice section) after the stanzas. " G o d save y o u , good sirs," says the messenger. " L e t all the company drink up, and all sing right away [at-a-braid]: N o e l ! "

i. Welcome, Sir Christmas •

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The Boar's Head Noel, noel, noel, noel! Tidings good I think to tell. i

T h e boar's head that we bring here Betokeneth a Prince without peer Is born this day to buy us dear. Noel! Noel!

2

A boar is a sovereign beast And acceptable in every feast; So might this Lord be to most and least. Noel! Noel!

3

This boar's head we bring with song In worship of Him that thus sprang Of a Virgin to redress all wrong. Noel! Noel!

buy=redeem T h e pageantry of the procession bringing in the boar's head as the main course of the dinner, still practiced at T h e Queen's College, Oxford, has contributed to the popularity of several secular carols, one printed by de Worde in 1521 and another preserved with a "traditional" melody. This carol imposes a Christian symbolism on a no doubt originally pagan custom. Coming from the Ritson MS., this carol resembles No. 1 in its repetition by three voices of the burden and of the " N o e l " chorus at the end of the two-voice stanza.

2. The Boar's Head j

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el!

r\

F el!

il

J

No

r

—

»

'LT i

•

J

el!

•5

3

Good Day, Sir Christmas Good day, good day, M y lord, Sir Christmas, good day! 1

Good day, Sir Christmas, our king, For every man, both old and young, Is glad and blithe of your coming. Good day!

2

God's Son, so much of might, From heaven to earth down is light And born is of a maid so bright. Good day!

3

Heaven and earth and also hell, And all that ever in them dwell, Of your coming they beth full snell. Good day!

4

Of your coming these clerks find: Ye come to save all mankind, And of their bales them unbind. Good day!

5

All manner of mirth we will make And solace to our hearts take, M y seemly lord, for your sake. Good day!

beth=be

full snell=very eager

bales=evils, disasters

unbind=release

With a simpler setting than No. i, this carol could also serve to introduce a group of carols at a religious service as well as at a secular recital. Here, the imaginary messenger is addressed in the first and final stanzas, and the intervening three stanzas relate the reasons why all the world is so happy at these tidings. In medieval times, not only Christmas, but also Advent and Lent were sometimes impersonated to make more emphatic the significance of these festivals. Today, all that remains is Father Christmas!

16

3. Good day, Sir Christmas Burden

SELDEN M S .

Good day,

good

day,

Good day,

good

day,

Good day,

$ i JO old

mas, our king,

Sir Christ 10

i '«b t r

young, Is

er - y 15

.

man, both

—

m n j i ijjj,iJWj3

and young, Is _ glad and blithe of

old and

For ev -

glad and blithe of

your

com - ing

^

day!

Good.

r\

your com -

ing

day!.

Good

'7

Arise and Wake N o e l , noel, noel! 1

Out of v o u r sleep arise and wake, F o r G o d mankind n o w hath take, A l l of a may without a make, Noel, Of all w o m e n she beareth the bell.

2

T h a t ere was thrall, now is made free; T h a t ere was small, now great is he; H e shall deem both thee and me, Noel, A n d keep us f r o m the fiend of hell.

3

A n d through that may, both ware and wise, Man is made of full great price, T o win the j o y of paradise, Noel, A n d be with O u r L a d y , Empress of Hell.

m a y = m a i d , virgin m a k e = m a t e , spouse ware and w i s e = p r u d e n t (a cliched phrase)

beareth the bcll=surpasscs in exccllencc price=preciousness, excellence

T h e text of this nativity carol is paralleled in several other carols: not only is there a longer version, with music, in the Selden MS., but another carol in the Selden MS. includes the freedom f o r the thrall theme, and one of the numerous carols of the Franciscan, J a m e s R y m a n , some fiftv vears later, adopts the vigorous opening lines. Unfortunately, the manuscript of this carol is slightly defective.

18

4. Arise and Wake Burden

CAMBRIDGE M S .

^ ilfj i

^

i

el,

No

Out of your sleep a -

rise

Out of your sleep a -

rise _ and

ifi m i ir

for

our

m Pi ly

For us Je - sus

man- hood hath take,

make,

For us Je - sus

man-hood hath _ take,

pi-1 j.

r n u ly_

JJ"JU jJi

make,

pip may we mirth.

s

On -

ia!

J

Now well

On -

P

JMJj

le

Now well

t

n r r

le -

J~T.I

J- jlJ-%1 J.»

lu

le

Al -

r\

u

10

for

our

sins'

sake,

Al - le

IS

m

r\

lu -

ia.

r\

T

sins'

sake,

Al - le -

lu

ia.

21

6

Make W e Alirth N o w make we mirth, all and some For Christmas now is y-come, That hath no peer. Sing we all in-fere. N o w joy and bliss T h e y shall not miss That maketh good cheer. 1

N o w G o d Almighty down hath sent T h e H o l y Ghost to be present, To light in Mary, maiden verament, That bare God's Son with good intent.

2

N o w God's Son omnipotent, In Mary mild He hath hent Flesh and blood, for He hath meant Man to restore again to his rent.

3

To mild Mary our heart be bent, That blissful Ladv so be bent To pray for us we be not shent To Jesu Christ, her Son so gent.

in-fere=together rent^inheritance

verament=trulv shent=punished

hent=taken gent=noble

The onlv carol represented here from the Trinity Roll with an extended burden; instead of the standard repetition of the burden, bars 10-22 may be repeated after each stanza as a shortened form.

22

6. Make We Mirth Stanza jtr 5

9

ft

«1'

V

T

$

v

1

1

s

*

r

Al - might -

Now

Al - might -

y

P

God

Ho - ly

The

Ghost

y

to

p i p

Ho -

ly

Ghost

— J To

i

J———«— J •

•

--J

$

light

in

[ 0J

J•> 1 j ) 1*

T o light

in _

Ma -

hath

sent

down

hath

sent

I

Ma -

pres - ent,

eÉ;

£ pres -

^

11

ry,

ent,

J) J)

ry, maid

| J

en

l 1 l J ) ' J

maid -

y*

10

be.

be

J J J' J -

J

to

—II

down

£

The

8

LJ^

Now God

V

TRINITY M S .

5

r i J

en

J

Ji

ve -

i-T^ ve -

-

ra - ment,

P

«=1

ra - nent,

r\

20

That bare

God's

Son

with

i J J

u j J J t i i

good.

in -

tent..

1

r\

J 1 J) That bare

God's

Son

with.

good

in -

tent..

23

Burden V

V

m

Now make

we

mirth.

all

fp^1 and

some.

and

some,

m Now make

we

They shall

mirth

not

all

miss That

mak -

eth good

cheer

/

Now Make We Joy N o w make we joy in this feast, In quo Christus natus est. 1

A Patre unigenitus Through a maiden is come to us. Sing we to Him and say, Wclcome, \ eni, Redemptor gentium.

2

Agnoscat omne seculum: A bright star three kings made come; So mighty a Lord is none as He, A solis ortus cardine.

In quo Christus natus est=On which Christ was born A Patre unigenitus=The only-begotten of the Father Veni, Redemptor gentium=Come, Redeemer of the nations Agnoscat omne seculum=Let every age acknowledge (Thee) A solis ortus cardine=From the rising quarter of the sun No. 7 provides a more elaborate setting of the following nativity carol, but gives words of only two stanzas. In the original MS., the underlay is repeatedly crossed out and corrected; the words are sometimes unintelligible or misplaced; and the end of the carol is written on a piece of paper pasted over the page. From a religious viewpoint, noticeable is the change of emphasis in the first stanza from the Virgin (in No. 8, "Sing we to her") to Christ Himself in this later piece ("Sing we to Him"). Either or both of the two settings of the burden may be used.

25

7. Now Make We Joy y. tj

»

m $

"ö

8

$

RrrsoN MS.

J33J J / J

_

Now make

we

joy

in

this .

feast,

J Jlf i

2 Now make _

we .

m

In

f — In_

w

5

Burden

quo

joy

Christ -

us

na -

JJU J J J ^ i p

tus. us

est.

j^iXbJ

Christ - us

na -

feast,

this

J2J J

quo .

in

m\j

tus

z? est.

15 _

f] 20

"Ö—~

»

Now make

we

joy

in

Now make

we

joy

in

m

Now make

we

joy

in

this.

feast, _

this

feast,

this

feast, 25 fT\

j. J.J. In

na -

quo Christ - us

J J

m

tus

s In

quo Christ -

us

na -

tus .

ä In

quo 26

Christ -

us.

na

tus

J. est.

r\

est.

*

_

est

m m

Stanza

A

Pa - tre u- ni -

ge -

A

Pa - tre u - ni -

ge-

r P

1

U p P ^ p P

ni

tus

p»r » p i r - f T ^ H g tus

ni -

r

M l

T1trough a maid- en

—

—— is come to

«—

1

^

im 0

^

u

11s.

L fy J I J ^ Mj ¿J]}\J j Sing we

to

I i] JjJ IJ>J J ^

Him

and

say,

| h r ir [£if\r r cntcrJ r ' H r J T i H j J r °

Sing we to

Him

and

frjcome, j U J - VeM - r

ni,

£

^

say,

m J3IJ3J

Re -

demp -

.Wei-

Jjj'l

tor

gen

pipr p-

come,

m

Wel-

Ve JO

ni,

J J J J J. J &

e l t ' PiLrr cr

Re -

demp -

tor

genr\

•njminj]

um.

3

Crr um.

27

8

Make We Joy Make we joy now in this feast, In quo Christus natus est. Eya! 1

A Patre unigenitus Through a maiden is come to us. Sing we to her and say, YVclcome, Vcni, Redemptor gentium!

2

Agnoscat onine seculum: A bright star three kings made come For to seek with their presents Verbum supernum prodiens.

3

A solis ortus cardine, So mighty a Lord was none as He, For to our kind He hath give grith, Adam parens quod polluit.

4

Maria ventre concepit; T h e Holy Ghost was ay with her. In Bethlehem y-born He is, Consors paterni luminis.

5

O Lux, beata Trinitas! He lay between an ox and an ass. Thou mother and maiden free, Gloria tibi, Domine.

grith=security, salvation In quo Christus natus est=On which Christ was born A Patre unigenitus=The only-begotten of the Father Veni, Redemptor gentium=Come, Redeemer of the nations Agnoscat omne seculum=Let every age acknowledge (Thee) Verbum supernum prodiens=The celestial Word proceeding A solis ortus cardine=From the rising quarter of the sun Adams parens quod polluit=Which Adam our parent defiled Maria ventre concepit=Mary has conceived in her womb Consors paterni luminis=The consort of the Father's light O Lux, beata Trinitas—O Light, blessed Trinity This and the preceding carol show two different musical treatments of the same words. T h e eleven Latin lines come from eight different hvmns set for the various offices during the Christmas season. This macaronic style, where the thought moves freely from Latin to English and back again, places this carol firmly in the tradition of public worship. 28

8. Make We Joy Burden

Make

SELDEN M S .

we

J °

Make

joy

now

in

this

JHJ we

joy

now

in

feast,

In

-H U» J

|J>

this

feast,

y*

In

quo Christ-us

|J quo

Christ - us

10

J

frt'lj*

na -

tus

^

est.

ya! r\

É 3

y

A

$

na - tus

est.

E -

Stanza

ya!

ÎÉ

S A

P a - t r e u -

r Ir

A

pip

P a - t r e u -

ni-

ge-

ni-

ge-

ni - tus

Through a

maid-

p

» up ir

W

ni - tus

Through a

maid-

10

en

is

come

Ve - ni,

to

us.

Re -

Sing we

demp- tor

iÉ to

her

and

say, Wei-come,

gen - ti 29

Be Merry, Be Merry Be merry, be merry, I pray you everyone. 1

A principal point of charity It is merry to be In Him that is but one. Be merry!

2

For He that is but one in bliss To us hath sent His Son, y-wis, To save us from our foes. Be merry!

j

For of a niaiden a child was born To save mankind that was forlorn. Man, think thereon. Be merry!

4

N o w , Mary, for thy Son's sake Save them all that mirth make, And longest holdeth on. Be merry!

holdeth on=continue This carol continued to be popular for at least half a century, being added about 1500 to a collection of Latin grammatical treatises—the Trinity MS. belongs to the early fifteenth century. It is a good example of a simple carol used to disseminate basic religious teachings enlivened by exhortations to mirth and merriment.

30

9- Be Merry, Be Merry Burden

TRINITY M S .

31

10

Noel Sing We Noel sing we, both all and sonic. N o w Rex pacificus is y-come. 1

Exortum est in love and liss; N o w Christ His grace He gan us giss, And with His body bought to bliss, Both all and some.

2

De fructu ventris of Marv bright; Both G o d and man in her alight; Out of disease He did us dight, Both all and some.

3

Puer natus to us was sent. To bliss us bought, fro bale us blent, And else to woe we had v-went, Both all and some.

4

Lux fulgebit with love and light, In Mary mild His pennon pight, In her took kind with manly might. Both all and some.

5

Gloria tibi, ay and bliss: G o d unto His grace He us wiss, T h e rent of heaven that we not miss, Both all and some.

Rex pacificus=The peace-bringing King (Zech. 9:9) Exortum est=It is risen (Isa. 60:1) liss=jov giss=prepare Dc fructu ventris=Of the fruit of the womb (Luke 1:42) disease=misery dight=put Puer natus=A bov (new-) born (Isa. 9:6) bale=evil, destruction blent=turned away And else=or else i-went=gone Lux f u l g e b i t = T h e light will shine (Isa. 9:2) pight=pitched kind=nature Gloria t i b i = G l o r y be to Thee wiss=guide rent=reward Most of the carols are very simple, both metrically and stylistically; this carol is unusual in the palindromic arrangement of its rhvmcs, the first and last monorhvniing quatrains sharing the same rhyme, as do the second and fourth stanzas. Some of the Latin phrases are taken from the antiphons used at Christmas; others are merely tags. T h e melody of this carol is also preserved in a carol in the Trinity Roll, with the same burden, but with different stanzas.

32

o. Noel Sing We Burden

SELDEN M S .

And , Ij) bought

to

bliss,

l i y m - ^ i bought to

» T I

v

Both V Iff 7 IIP

bliss,

r J

=

l

l

Both all.

J

H

= J

J

His

—

—

- A — ^

bod -

qr r ¿J J-

a nA

all

f

J

-

with

y

us

• r1

i

II

Ij.

'J.

'I

some r\

«t—- k — ^ —i ^ J

and

some.. 33

11

Blessed Be that Lord Y-blessed be that Lord in majesty, Qui natus fuit hodie. i

That Lord that lay in asses' stall Came to die for us all, To make us free that erst were thrall, Qui natus fuit hodie.

z

Well may we glad and merry be, Sith we were thrall and now be free; T h e fiend, our foe, He made to flee, Qui natus fuit hodie.

3

And, sith our foe is fled fro us, W c may well sing and say right thus: Welcome He be, this Lord Jesus, Qui natus fuit hodie.

4

N o w blessed be this Lord benign, T h a t would not His cruel death resign, But for mankind to die undigne, Qui natus fuit hodie.

erst=formerly

sith=since

undigne=unworthy (mankind)

A charming carol of the nativity of Christ "who was born on this day." Its second stanza recalls No. 4, and shows how easily carols could be written from simple religious phrases and clichés, yet still retain considerable naive charm. T h e use of the same line in the burden and for the refrain of each stanza is often found in the carols; here, its emphasis is reinforced by the repetition of the same musical phrase.

34

11. Blessed Be that Lord

(fa{

Burden

r

*

JL.'I

SELDEN M S .

i& —r

t *

r

a / l l . 1 — m

Y - bles - sed

i»

J

ij

1 Hi

J —

that Lord

be

>

•

i h . r maj -

i

ass -

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L

J * ' d

maj -

P—1

That Lord that lay in

I — 3 ~ r n

-did.

in

i

m * * - *

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n — \

i

= J ' u

i

j ii "ii

ty,

es h * es -

n ty,

11

stall.

10

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£

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to

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for

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to

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us

free

that

/a

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erst

erst

were.

thrall,

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thrall 25

20

m Qui

na -

- tus

fu -

it

ho -

e.

di -

r\ m Qui na -

m tus

fu -

•J it

i J J ho -

c ; i -

J

J

-

c j t di -

c r e. 35

»

12

Blessed May Thou Be Blessed may Thou be, sweet Jesus, Qui hodie natus es nobis. 1

By T h y birth, Thou blessed Lord, Is made of variance now one accord, Therefore may we sing this word, Blessed may Thou be, sweet Jesus, Qui hodie natus es nobis.

2

Upon this high blessed day, Jesu in His mother's arms lay, Wherefore to Him let us all say. Blessed may Thou be, sweet Jesus, Qui hodie natus es nobis.

Qui hodie natus es nobis=Who today is born for us

variance=discord

Another carol marked in the manuscript for use at Christmas ("De Nativitate").

The

burden and stanza are very closely linked, with many phrases in common, e.g., burden bars 1-4 and stanza bars 1-4, burden bars J-I 1 and stanza bars 21-27, and burden bars 12-15 and stanza bars 14-17. As in other carols with lengthy burdens, the three-part section alone may be sung after the stanzas.

36

2. Blessed May Thou Be

m

Stanza

RITSON M S .

E

/DTi* i LLJT'E

By Thy birth, Thou

bles -

-

sed

Lord,

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made of

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Lord,

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ance

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ance now

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one

one

15

Ji Pr

10

j>ij ^iij ij ^ i ^ i r r [fir

ac -

cord. There - fore may we sing

Lrf now

,

var-i -

irrtr -

ac -

cord, There-fore may we sing

m

- sus,

this word, 20

£

c r i ^ p

Bles - sed may_Thou be, _ sweet _ Je -

this word,

P

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Bles - sed may_Thou be,_ sweet Je -

-

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/a

$

Bles-sed mayThou be, sweet-Je - sus, 25

PP T

Qui ho- di - e

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na - tus es.

Qui ho- di - e na - tus

es.

no

bis.

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bis.

37

Burden

p Fliir Bles - sed

m

may Thou be,

sweet

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sweet

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i Bles - sed

(1 JJ ft es

es

$

may Thou be,

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be, sweet _ Je -

m mm 20

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es

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38

bis.

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na - tus

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OlS.

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13

Tidings True Tidings true there be come new, Blessed be Jesu. 1

Tidings true told there is true: Jesu to be born of a maid. N o w is fulfilled that prophecy said, Blessed be Jesu.

2

Tidings true an angel bright Sang how there is sprung a light To all that believe aright, Blessed be Jesu.

A Christmas carol, so identified in the manuscript. The opening words of the burden resemble those of the first stanza of No. 21; and a similar burden is found in a sixteenthcentury Christmas carol (without music) telling how "a clean maid hath born a King."

Vv

13. Tidings True Burden

$

RITSON M S .

s

Ti - dings true there be

come .

new.

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come

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m Bles - sed

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1

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be

f Bles -

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sed

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coinè.

new,

^ m

come

new,

pr PIT r a come

J IJ

new,

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Je

i

be

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be

Je -

mm

r\ su.

Stanza

5

Pir r 8

Ti - dings true

told there

Ti - dings true

told there

È

£

Je - su

to

m

10

is.

m

is

true:

true:

J J J-31J 'iT l - ^ S

be

born of

maid.

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to

be born

of.

maid.

/ A 15

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8

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is

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4

14

A Song To Sing Laus, honor, virtus, gloria, E t tibi decus, Maria. 1

A song to sing I have good right, A n d mirth to make in this presence, For now is born a baron of might, Mundum pugillo continens.

2

T h i s babe was born on Yule night In Bethlehem of O u r L a d y ; T h e name of H i m is called right Vcrbum Patris altissimi.

3

T h a t now is come peace for to make Between the Father of Heaven and us; A n d now for that child's sake Exultet celum laudibus.

4

O u r sin to slay He took the w a y Into the world fro heaven's rike's bliss, A n d therefore both night and day Resultet terra gaudiis.

5

T h e child felled all the fiend's pride A n d with hard iron bound him in close, A n d with the blood of His dear side Solvit a pena miseros.

6

N o w Jesu Christ, that come so still Into the w o m b of Mary free, W e pray Thee, if it be T h y will, Mane nobiscum, Domine.

heaven's rike's bliss=the bliss of the kingdom of heaven in close=in confinement Laus, honor, virtus, gloria, Et tibi decus, Maria=Praise, honor, power, glory, A n d splendor be to thee, O Mary Mundum pugillo continens=Holding the world in His hand Verbum Patris altissimi=The W o r d of the Father most high Exultet celum laudibus=Let the sky exult with praises Resultet terra gaudiis=Let the earth resound with joys Solvit a pena miseros=He freed wretched men from punishment Mane nobiscum, Domine=Stay with us, O Lord Another macaronic nativity carol, with the Latin lines, from hymns for various liturgical seasons (but not for Christmastide), skillfully reinforcing the English.

42

14. A Song to Sing Stanza

SELDEN M S .

A

Mun- dum

Mun- dum

song

pu -

to

sing I

-

gii- lo

pu -

gii -

have.

con -

m lo

con -

good.

right,

ti -

m

nens.

o -

43

or,

i F = f H de -

-

vir -

m

tus, glo - ri 10

JiJ J)U

7 |, 1 1 q n J J* J K J + s I « « '! JJ'y O J m-

eus,

Ma -

ri

m

m

+

*

li

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JJ J r m r-n J [g J J J J ' j J i ^J. ^ J r - rn J = q J r J f u J

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ti -

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44

bi

de -

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Ave Rex Angelorum Ave Rex angelorum, Ave Rexque celorum, Ave Princepsque polorum. Hail, most mighty in T h y w orking, Hail, T h o u Lord of all thing, I offer Thee gold as to a king, Ave Rex angelorum. Ave Rex, etc.=Hail, King of the angels; Hail, King of the heavens; Hail, Prince of the heavens T h e only carol in the Egerton MS., and indeed the only carol known, in three voices throughout. T h e two versions of the burden may be sung preceding and following the single stanza.

45

15. A v e Rex Angelorum j

Opening Burden

J'U J J j j i j J j A - ve Prin -

A - ve Prin -

ceps -

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46

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EGERTON M S .

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[ht might

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might

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in

in

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might

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work

J

in

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j Thy

work

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ing,

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ing.

m m Thou

Lord _

of

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Thou Lord

of

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of- fer Thee gold

I

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thing;

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thing;

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to

king,

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an -

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all

Thou Lord.

m

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of

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16

Ave Alaria Ave Maria, Ave Maria, gratia Dei plena. Hail, blessed flower of virginity, T h a t bare this time a child so free, T h a t was and is and ever shall be, Ave Maria, gratia Dei plena.

Burden

SELDEN M S .

m

A -

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J

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10

i

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49

3

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Hail,

bles - sed.

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flower

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a child

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51

17

Ave, Plena Gratia Ave, plena gratia, Dei Mater, Maria. 1

Hail be thou, Mary, most of honor, Thou bare Jesu, our Saviour, Maria, Ave, plena gratia.

2

Hail be thou, maiden, mother and wife, Hail be thou, stinter of our strife, Maria, Ave, plena gratia.

3

Hail be thou, Queen of Paradise, Of all women thou bearest price, Maria, Ave, plena gratia.

4

Thou pray for us unto thy Son In heaven bliss that we may won, Maria, Ave, plena gratia.

A v e , plena gratia, Dei Mater, Maria=Hail, full of grace, Mother of God, Mary stinter—ceaser bearest price=surpassest won=dwell

i7- Ave, Plena Gratia j

Burden

EGERTON M S .

i

ve,

A 10

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ve,

pic -

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fri

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be thou, Ma -

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thou, Ma -

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r

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na

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ve.

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35

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gra 53

18

Alma Redemptoris Mater Alma Redeniptoris Mater. i

As I lay upon a night, M y thought was on a burd so bright, That men clepen Mary, full of might, Redeniptoris Mater.

z

To her came Gabriel with light And said: Hail be thou, blissful wight! To be cleped now art thou dight Redemptoris Mater.

3

A t that word that lady bright Anon conceived G o d full of might; Then men wist well that she hight Redemptoris Mater.

4

When Jesu on the rood was pight Mary was doleful of that sight Till she saw Him rise upright, Redemptoris Mater.

5

Jesu, that sittest in heaven light, Grant us to come before T h y sight With that burd that is so bright, Redemptoris Mater.

Alma Redemptoris M a t e r = K i n d Mother of the Redeemer burd=maiden clepen=call wight=person cleped=called dight=appointed wist=knew hight=was called rood=cross pight=fastened A highly popular carol found in three other manuscripts, including a version in the Selden MS., with a different musical setting. The burden is taken from the first line of an antiphon used in processions throughout Trinity.

54

8. Alma Redemptoris Mater Burden

TRINITY M S .

ê m Al -

Al 10

dcmp - to -

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$

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ter. r\

j3iff* fry ' ir r J

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lay _ up -

on

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night, My thought

lay up -

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demp 55

light,

19

Regina Celi, Letare Sing we to this merry company, Regina Celi, letare. 1

Benign Lady, blessed may thou be, That barest God in virginity; Therefore sing we to thee, Regina Celi, letare, Regina Celi.

2

O Queen of Heaven that sittest in see, O comfort of all captivity, Right causeth us all to sing to thee, Regina Celi, letare, Regina Celi.

3

O blessed branch of humility, O causer of all felicity, With joy and gladness sing we to thee, Regina Celi, letare, Regina Celi.

Regina Celi, letare=0 Queen of Heaven, rej oice

see=throne

A very popular carol of praise to the Virgin, appearing (with music) in the Selden ms., and (without music) in Sloane Ms. 2593, a collection of religious and secular carols. The "Regina celi" is an antiphon used in the Sarum and York liturgies for processions throughout the Trinity season.

56

19. Regina Celi, Letare UTSON MS.

Burden

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20

Hail, Alary, Full of Grace Hail, Mary, full of grace, Mother in virginity.

1

The Holy Ghost is to thee sent From the Father omnipotent; Now is God within thee went, When the angel said, Ave.

2

When the angel Ave began. Flesh and blood together ran; Mary bore both God and man Through virtue and through dignity.

3

So saith the Gospel of Saint John, God and man is made but one, In flesh and blood, body and bone, One God in Persons Three.

4

And the prophet Jeremy Told in his prophecy, That the Son of Mary Should die for us on rood tree.

5

Much joy to us was grant, And in earth peace y-plant, When that born was this infant In the land of Galilee.

6

Mary, grant us the bliss Where thy Son's wonning is; Of that we have done amiss Pray for us, pour charité.

went=come

grant=granted

y-plant=planted

wonning=d\velling

This carol also occurs in the Selden MS., with the same music, and in Kele's collection of Christmas Carolles (about 1550) without music. The reference to St. John is accurate (1:14; 10: jo), but that to Jeremiah vague.

60

20. Hail, Mary, Full of Grace jL

Burden

ä Hail,

Ma - ry,

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Ma -

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full

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grace,

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grace,

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in .

The

Ho -

ly

Ghost is

The

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to

is

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When

TRINITY M S .

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tent; Now

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From the Fath -

sent

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the

an -

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said,

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went,

¿ 1

The Salutation of the Angel Noel, noel, noel! This is the salutation of the angel, Gabriel. 1

Tidings true there be come new, sent from the Trinity, By Gabriel to Nazareth, city of Galilee: A clean maiden and pure virgin, through her humility. Hath conceived the Person second in deity.

2

When he first presented was before her fair visage, In the most demure and goodly wise he did to her homage. And said: Lady, from heaven so high, that Lord's heritage, The which of thee born would be, I am sent on message.

3

Hail, Virgin Celestial, the meekest that ever was. Hail, temple of deity and mirror of all grace. Hail, virgin pure, 1 thee ensure, within full little space Thou shalt receive and Him conceive, that shall bring great solace.

4

Suddenly she, abashed truly, but not all thing dismayed, With mind discreet and meek spirit to the angel she said: B y what manner should I child bear, the which ever a maid Have lived chaste all my life past and never man assayed?

5

Then again to her certain answered the angel: O lady dear, be of good cheer, and dread thee never a deal; Thou shalt conceive in thy body, maiden, very God Himself, In whose birth heaven and earth shall joy, called Emmanuel.

6

N o t yet, he said, six months past thy cousin Elizabeth, That was barren, conceived Saint John—true it is that I tell. Since she in age, why not in youth mayst thou conceive as well, If G o d will, whom is possible to have done every deal?

7

Then again to the angel she answered womanly: Whatever my Lord command me do, I will obey meekly. Ecce, sum humilimma ancilla Domini; Secundum verbum tuum, she said, fiat mihi.

all thing=completely

6z

assayed=kno\vn carnally

never a deal=not at all

2 1 . The Salutation of the Angel Burden

By

BODLEIAN M S . ENG. POET E. 1.

Ga -

bri - el J

=#F=P=] ' r

a

to

Naz J, I I m— '

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ci -

ty

of

= H

)

Ga -

li - lee:

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1 m

1 = ^ = 1

«y.

Hath

con - ceiv - ed

the

Per - son sec - ond

in

de -

i -

ty.

This is the only carol with complete music preserved from the three "portable" manuscript collections of carols designed for popular use rather than for trained choirs. It is consequently a valuable illustration of how the more elaborate polyphonic carols could be used monodically for congregational use. Two other texts (without music) are preserved. The carol should be sung in unison, the soloists taking the stanzas and the chorus the burden. The stanzas follow the traditional story of the Annunciation, culminating with an adaptation of the Virgin's words from Luke i: 38: "Behold, I am the most obedient handmaid of the Lord; according to T h y word be it unto me."

63

22

Nova, Nova Nova, nova, Ave fit ex Eva. 1

Gabriel of high degree, He came down from Trinity, From Nazareth to Galilee. Nova, nova.

2

I met a maiden in a place; I kneeled down afore her face And said: Hail, Mary, full of grace. Nova, nova.

3

When the maiden heard tell of this, She was full sore abashed y-wis, And weened that she had done amiss. Nova, nova.

4

Then said the angel: Dread not thou, For ye be conceived with great virtue Whose name shall be called Jesu. Nova, nova.

5

It is not yet six months agone Since Elizabeth conceived John, As it was prophesied beforn. Nova, nova.

6

Then said the maiden: Verily, I am your servant right truly, Ecce, ancilla Domini. Nova, nova.

A late fifteenth-century monodic carol of the Annunciation, very suited for congregational use. It is found with words only, in two earlier manuscripts. The burden popularizes the resolution of the conflict that plagued medieval theologians: through Eve sin came into the world, yet the world's Saviour was born of a woman. Hence, out of the letters Eva came the angelic salutation, Ave (Hail). This is nova, nova—news, news!

64

2 2. N o v a , N o v a Burden

GLASGOW M S .

r\

va,

No

no -

P r

va,

P

fit

ex

E -

va.

Stanza

p ^ Ga -

bri - el

of

high

v r de- grec,

ii* p He

f came

r v

down from Trin- i - ty, 10

From

Naz -

a - reth

to

Ga -

li - lee.

No -

va,

^

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65

va.

23

N o Rose of Such Virtue There is no rose of such virtue As is the rose that bare Jesu. 1

There is no rose of such virtue, As is the rose that bare Jesu, Alleluia.

2

For in this rose contained was Heaven and earth in little space, Res miranda.

3

By that rose we may well see That He is God in Persons Three, Pari forma.

4

The angels sung the shepherds to: Glori a in excelsis Deo, Gaudeamus.

j

Leave we all this worldly mirth, And follow we this joyful birth, Transeamus.

Res miranda=a wondrous thing Pari forma=of like nature Gaudeamus=let us rejoice Transeamus=let us turn [from earth to heaven] The first three refrains use the corresponding lines from the famous prosa, "Laetabundus," attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux; however, the stanzas are not a translation. The imagery of the Virgin as the rose was widespread throughout medieval literature, ultimately deriving from Ecclesiasticus 24:18, "quasi plantatio rosa in Jericho." The text of this carol is somewhat obscured by stains and a hole in the MS.

66

2 3. No Rose of Such Virtue /

Burden

TRINITY M S .

A

1J a

».

j j IJ

J) I J>

There is

no

. . . 1

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rose

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= q\ M If

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67

ll

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24

Of a Rose Sing We Of a rose sing we, Misterium mirabile. 1

This rose is railed on a rice; She hath brought the Prince of price, And in this time sooth it is, Viri sine semine.

2

This rose is red of color bright, Through whom our joy gan alight Upon a Christmas night, Claro David germine.

3

Of this rose was Christ y-bore To save mankind that was forlore, And us all from sins sore, Prophetarum carmine.

4

This rose, of flowers she is flower; She will not fade for no shower; To sinful men she sent succor, Mira plenitudine.

5

This rose is so fair of hue, In maid Mary that is so true Y-born was Lord of virtue, Salvator sine crimine.

Misterium mirabile=a wonderful mystery railed=set rice=branch Viri sine semine=without seed of man gan=began Claro David germine=from the famous seed of David Prophetarum carmine=according to the song of the prophets Mira plenitudine=with wonderful fullness Salvator sine crimine=Saviour without offense In this carol, note the use of a rest cutting through a word in bar 19, a device often found in Dunstable, and in other carols: No. 7, burden bars 6, 19; No. 15, stanza bar 24; and No. 16, stanza bar 17.

68

24. Of a Rose Sing W e Burden

SELDEN M S .

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a

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mi 69

25

Lullay, Lullow Lullay, lullow, lully, lullay, B e w y , bewy, lully, bewy, Lully, lullow, lully, lullay, Baw, baw, my bairn, Sleep softly now. 1

I saw a sweet and seemly sight, A blissful burd, a blossom bright, That mourning made and mirth among:

2

A maiden mother, meek and mild, In cradle keep a knave child That softly slept—she sat and sang:

burd=maiden

knave=male

A charming lullaby carol from the early

fifteenth-century

British Museum MS., Addi-

tional 3666, which also supplies the burden fragment, No. 26. This text is one of the few carols where lines link some of the notes to the words; however, a slight rearrangement of the underlay is necessary.

70

25. LulJay, Lullow Burden

BRITISH M U S E U M ADDITIONAL M S .

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