The distinctive sound of Libera has travelled the world in the last few yea… Read Full Bio ↴The distinctive sound of Libera has travelled the world in the last few years. The group's albums have topped both mainstream and classical charts in many countries, and their recordings hold their place in top-tens alongside major artists like Andrea Bocelli.

The boys who make up the vocal band Libera have been described as “normal” and “ordinary.” However, as their recordings and performances demonstrate, the music they produce is truly extraordinary. With shimmering, mystical chords and ecstatic harmonies, they are unlike any other group you have ever heard. These are truly sounds to lift the soul, celestial sounds for a new time.

The singers of Libera, who are aged seven to sixteen, attend many different local schools in South London and come from a variety of backgrounds. Although they are boys and they sing, they do not think of themselves as choirboys, but rather as an alternative kind of boy band.

While the unique sound of Libera may be impossible to pigeonhole, its universal appeal has endeared the group to fans all over the world, particularly in the US, the UK, Korea and Japan, where their CDs top the mainstream and classical charts and where they pack concert halls appearing in their trademark flowing white robes on imaginatively lit stages.

Coventry Carol
Libera Lyrics

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Lully, lulla, 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!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Libera's "Coventry Carol" tell the sad story of the massacre of the innocents, a biblical event that took place when King Herod ordered the killing of all male infants in Bethlehem in an attempt to eliminate the newborn King of the Jews, Jesus Christ. The song starts with a soothing lullaby addressed to the "little tiny child" who is being sung to sleep, followed by a plea for help from the sisters asking how they can preserve this day for the poor youngling they are singing for. The song then takes a darker turn as it describes the horrors that Herod unleashes upon the innocent children, leading to the heartbreaking declaration of grief for the poor child for whom they sing, and the vow to never say goodbye with a final lullaby.

The song's haunting melody and poignant lyrics have made it a popular choice for Christmas performances and ceremonies. It originated in the city of Coventry in England during the medieval period and was performed as part of a mystery play called "The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors." The play was performed annually on the streets of Coventry and involved a series of reenactments of biblical stories, including the massacre of the innocents.

Line by Line Meaning

Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child
Lullaby, lullaby, to you, little tiny child

Bye bye, lully lullay
Sleep well, little one

O sisters too
Oh, my sisters also

How may we do
What can we do

For to preserve this day?
To save this day?

This poor youngling
This unfortunate child

For whom we do sing
For whom we are singing

Bye bye, lully lullay!
Sleep well, little one!

Herod, the king
King Herod

In his raging
In his furious state

Charged he hath this day
Ordered on this day