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Coventry Carol (Christmas Single) [Remastered]

by Nancy K Dillon

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Conventry Carol
Nancy K Dillon with Nora Michaels & Ian Lang

The "Coventry Carol" is an English Christmas carol dating from the 16th century. The carol was traditionally performed in Coventry in England as part of a mystery play called The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors. The play depicts the Christmas story from chapter two in the Gospel of Matthew: the carol itself refers to the Massacre of the Innocents, in which Herod ordered all male infants under the age of two in Bethlehem to be killed, and takes the form of a lullaby sung by mothers of the doomed children.

The song’s notable use of a Picardy third, which occurs when a major chord comes at the end of a musical section, contributes a strange cognitive dissonance for modern listeners and only very rarely shows up in popular music.The author is unknown; the oldest known text was written down by Robert Croo in 1534, and the oldest known setting of the melody dates from 1591. [Wikipedia]

lyrics

Coventry Carol

Lully, lullah, 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 young children to slay

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee
And ever morn and day
For thy parting neither say nor sing
Bye, bye, lully, lullay

Lully, lulah, Thou little tiny Child
Bye, bye, lully, lullay

[Public Domain per CDBaby]

credits

released December 25, 2023
Produced, mixed and mastered by Ian Lang
Remastered December 2023 by Ian Lang

Nancy K Dillon: Lead vocal
Nora Michaels: Harmony vocals
Ian Lang: Piano, Keyboard cimbalom,
strings, bells, harpsichord and autoharp

Recorded at:
Nursery Studio, Stoke-On-Trent, UK
Garey Shelton Studio, Mercer Island, WA

Photo: Ancient Norman Door
Barthomley Church, England

© 2023 & 2019 Rose Rock Records | Nancy K Dillon

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Nancy K Dillon Seattle, Washington

On her albums, Nancy K. Dillon maps the road West; the dusty highways that conjure up images like Kerouac's road trips, traveling dustbowl carnivals, and free-spirited 70s hipsters. Inspired by Oklahoma & Texas troubadours Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Kevin Welch, Dillon's songs are short stories about characters that populate true American life. ... more

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