The Coventry Carol

I should call these two Innocents' Day pieces: London (and Gloucester!) come to Utrecht!

Both of these English works sound very good on the beautiful Batz. Not English, but excellent!

December 28th is the feast of The Holy Innocents. The "Coventry Carol" is the most famous work associated with that day. It has words by Robert Croo (1534) and is part of the "Coventry Play", dating back to the 15th century. This song is sung in the play by the women of Bethlehem just before Herod's soldiers come to slaughter their children. The tune was discovered and printed by Thomas Sharp in 1825.

Herbert Whitton Sumsion (1899 – 1995) was an English musician who was organist of Gloucester Cathedral from 1928 to 1967. Through his leadership role with the Three Choirs Festival, Sumsion maintained close associations with major figures in England's 20th-century musical renaissance, including Edward Elgar, Herbert Howells, Gerald Finzi, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Although Sumsion is known primarily as a cathedral musician, his professional career spanned more than 60 years and encompassed composing, conducting, performing, accompanying, and teaching. His compositions include works for choir and organ, as well as lesser-known chamber and orchestral works.

The "Coventry Carol" is the 2nd of "Four Preludes on Well-Known Carols" and uses an obligato melody in the right hand against the tune, played in chords in the left. There are brief interludes in between the phrases of the song.

The registration used is:

RH: RW - Touzyn 8'
LH: HW - Octaaf 8'
Interludes - BW - Viol da Gamba 8', Holjpip 8'
Ped: - Subbas 16', Fluitbas 8'

The preceding them, in a harmonization by Martin Shaw, is played on the Quitadeen of the Rugwerk.

Part of the text is as follows:
"O sisters too, How may we do, For to preserve this day This poor youngling, for whom we sing, By by, lully lullay?"