There has been a choir of boys and gentlemen at St Paul's Cathedral for ove… Read Full Bio ↴There has been a choir of boys and gentlemen at St Paul's Cathedral for over nine centuries. The earliest records date from 1127, when the Bishop of London, Richard de Belmeis, founded what was the first choir school and made provision for 'almonry' boys to serve the cathedral.

2nd of December 1697 saw the opening of Wren's great cathedral following the Great Fire of 1666. John Blow, the Minister of the Choristers, wrote his anthem I was glad when they said unto me to be sung at this grand occasion. He was assisted by his pupil Jeremiah Clarke, who was to become the first official Organist of the new Cathedral. Purcell's Te Deum and Jubilate was also performed, accompanied by Father Smith's large new organ, esteemed the best in Europe according to the diarist John Evelyn.
In 1860 a significant change in the building took place when the screen on which the organ was housed was removed and in 1872 the Cathedral took two major steps – building a new organ and appointing John Stainer as Organist.
Stainer proposed a choir of 40 boys and 18 men (or Vicars Choral) to achieve the necessary vocal power to fill the cathedral following the removal of the choir-screen. He demanded more rehearsal time for the Vicars Choral and encouraged a more professional approach altogether. This meant that he was able to extend the musical repertoire enormously, and began to sow the seeds of the musical tradition we know today.
The present Cathedral Choir consists of 30 choristers (boy trebles), eight probationers (who will become choristers) and 12 professional adult singers (or Vicars Choral): four altos, four tenors and four basses.

The Coventry Carol
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lully thy little tiny child
By-by lully lullay
Here we come a-Wassailing
Among the leaves so green
Here we come a-Wassailing
So fairly to be seen
Here we come among the leaves
So fairly to be seen

Love and joy come to you
And to you your Wassail too
God bless you and send you
A Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year!
Oh, sisters two
How may we do
For to preserve this day?
This poor youngling
For whom we sing
By-by lully lullay
We are not daily beggars
That beg from door to door
But we're the neighbours' children
That you have seen before
We're the neighbours' children
That you have seen before
Love and joy come to you
And to you your Wassail too
And God bless you and send you
A Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year!
Then woe is me
Poor child for thee
And ever mourn and say
For they parting
Nor say nor sing
By-by lully lullay
God bless the master of the house
And then the mistress too
And all the little children
That round the table grew
All the little children
That round the table grew
Love and joy come to you
And to you a Wassail too
God bless you and send you
A Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year!
Here we come a-Wassailing
Among the leaves so green
And here we come a wandering
So fairly to be seen
Here we come a-Wassailing
So fairly to be seen
Love and joy come to you
And to you a Wassail too
God bless you and send you
A Happy New Year

And God send you a Happy New Year!
And God send you a Happy New Year!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's song Coventry Carol tell the story of the Massacre of the Innocents, which is found in the Gospel of Matthew. The song features a lullaby for the newborn baby Jesus, sung by the mothers of the children who were killed in Herod's attempt to eliminate the prophecy of the coming Messiah. The mothers sing "Lully, lullay" to soothe the newborn Jesus, telling him that they will mourn for their own slaughtered children and pray for his safety. The carol also includes the tradition of wassailing, in which people go from house to house during the Christmas season, singing and bringing good wishes to the household.

The song is hauntingly beautiful with its rich harmonies and solemn melody, evoking a sense of sorrow and loss but also of hope. The combination of the Christmas story with the wassailing tradition creates a unique blend of mourning and celebration. The lyrics remind us of the value of human life and the need for compassion and kindness towards one another during times of hardship.

Line by Line Meaning

Lully thy little tiny child
Hush, thy little, tiny newborn baby

By-by lully lullay
Go to sleep, hushabye baby

Here we come a-Wassailing
We come to sing to you and to wish you well

Among the leaves so green
We walk amongst the verdant greenery

So fairly to be seen
Dressed so finely, a delightful sight

Love and joy come to you
May your life be full of love and happiness

And to you your Wassail too
And to you we wish all the best

God bless you and send you
May good fortune come your way

A Happy New Year
To celebrate the new year ahead

Oh, sisters two
Dear sisters

How may we do
What can we do