A New Year's Carol

This piece is intended for unison voice/s and piano. It was one of the carols sung this year at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College, Cambridge.

Here is a link to that performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_1255299331&feature=iv&src_vid=VTOn8aXQoWM&v=iqRCJu6b_34

"A New Year's Carol" is the first piece to be heard.

I've done this piece many times, but I found this to be particularly moving, and I tried to judge my tempo on the King's performance. Seems like I may have gotten it a little too slow. Generally, my tempo is quicker for this, so perhaps I should have just gone with my own instincts, rather than trying to "copy" theirs...

There is a fascinating bit of info about the text and just what it may mean here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levy-Dew

The text is as follows:

Here we bring new water from the well so clear,
For to worship God with, this happy New Year.

Chorus (after each verse):
Sing levy-dew, sing levy-dew, the water and the wine,
The seven bright gold wires and the bugles that do shine.

Sing reign of Fair Maid, with gold upon her toe;
Open you the West Door and turn the Old Year go.

Sing reign of Fair Maid, with gold upon her chin;
Open you the East Door and let the New Year in.