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Track(s) taken from CDGIM010

Coventry Carol

First line:
Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child
composer
1580s
author of text
1534; The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors

The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips (conductor)
Recording details: Unknown
The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Salle, Norfolk, United Kingdom
Produced by Steve C Smith & Peter Phillips
Engineered by Mike Clements
Release date: November 1986
Total duration: 3 minutes 17 seconds

Cover artwork: The Adoration of the Kings. Gérard David (active 1484-1523)
Reproduced by permission of The Trustees, The National Gallery, London
 

Other recordings available for download

St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (conductor)
The Gesualdo Six, Owain Park (director)
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers (conductor)
The King's Singers
King's College Choir Cambridge, Sir Stephen Cleobury (conductor)

Reviews

‘The three medieval carols sung by male voices … are instantly attractive, whilst the one with a soprano line … though rhythmically complex, is amusing in its musical mazing … Ave Maria appears for four voices by Josquin Desprez, for seven voices by Philippe Verdelot and for four voices and for double choir by Victoria. The continuous sostenuto of the first two settings produces some delicious mild metal in the voices … a lovely record, beside which much of our accustomed Christmas musical fare seems meretricious’ (Gramophone)
The only surviving source for the anonymous Coventry Carol is a facsimile of a manuscript dating from 1591, which appeared in Thomas Sharp’s Dissertation on the Pageants at Coventry in 1825. The carol forms a section of a scene in which Herod’s soldiers arrive to slay the innocent children as part of the Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors. The Coventry plays were seen by royalty: in 1456, by Margaret, queen of Henry VI; by Richard III in 1484 and by Henry VII in 1492. The tune is thought to date from the 1580s, although the text is by Robert Croo and dates from 1534.

from notes by William McVicker © 2002

Other albums featuring this work

Christmas
Studio Master: CDA68299Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
Christmas Music from Medieval and Renaissance Europe
CDA66263
Christmas with the King's Singers
SIGCD502Download only
Christmas with The Tallis Scholars
CDGIM2022CDs for the price of 1 — Download only
Epiphany at St Paul's
CDH55443
Favourite Carols from King's
Studio Master: KGS0007Download onlyStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
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