Traditional music is an umbrella term for all folk music that has made it d… Read Full Bio ↴Traditional music is an umbrella term for all folk music that has made it down the generations largely thanks to oral tradition. The obscure and random inception of such songs means that the original author(s) of the song is rarely documented. Rather, the song by time becomes part of a country's or ethnic group's canon of folk songs, usually sung by groups of people performing a custom particular to their culture (ex. pub songs, sea shanties, football anthems, lullabies, children's songs, working songs, dancing tunes etc..).

Countless musicians have performed and re-injected life into traditional songs with examples ranging from Thin Lizzy's (and later Metallica's) Whiskey in a Jar (traditional Irish song) to Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's latest collaboration Among The Gold.

"Traditional" should not be used for the artist name, if the real name of the performing artist or group is known. Rather it should be used for the writer/composer, if they are unknown. The MusicBrainz style guidelines can give you an orientation for better tagging: https://musicbrainz.org/doc/Style/Unknown_and_untitled/Special_purpose_artist

The Coventry Carol
Traditional Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'The Coventry Carol' by these artists:

Alison Moyet Lullay, Thou little tiny Child By, by, lully, lullay Lullay,…
Anúna Lully lulla thou little tiny child By by lully lullay Thou l…
Anuna (Holiday) Lully lulla thou little tiny child By by lully lullay Thou…
Apollo5 Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child, Bye bye, lully, lulla…
Charlotte Church Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child, By, by, lully, lulla…
Christine Drescher-Jones & Richard Jones Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child By by, lully lullay O …
Hayley Westenra Lully, luulay, Thou little tiny Child, Bye, bye, lully, lul…
Mediaeval Baebes Lullay, Thou little tiny Child, By, by, lully, lullay. Lul…
Mediæval Bæbes Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child By, by, lully, lulla…

St. Albans Chamber Choir Lully thy little tiny child By-by lully lullay Here we come …
The Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child, By by, lully, lullay.…
The Mediaeval Baebes Lullay, Thou little tiny Child, By, by, lully, lullay. Lul…
The Monks of Glenstal Abbey Lully Lullau Thou Little Tiny Child Bye Bye Lully Lullay O S…
Westenra Hayley Lully, lullay Lully, lullay Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny …

We have lyrics for these tracks by Traditional:

A Holly and Ivy Calypso The holly and the ivy, Were working out their words. When so…
A Merry Christmas We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry…
Ack Värmeland du sköna Ack Värmeland du sköna Du härliga land Du krona bland Svea r…
Amazing Grace Amazing grace! how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like…
Angels of Heaven Mennyből az angyal eljött hozzátok, Pásztorok, pásztorok! Ho…
Auld Lang Syne Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and ne'er broug…
Auld Lang Syne A Should old acquaintance be forgot cnd never brought to mind?…
Ave Maria Ave Maria gratia plena Maria gratia plena Maria gratia plena…
away in a manger Away in a manger, No crib for His bed The little Lord…
Ay Santa Maria 1. Ca veer faze-los errados Que perder foran per pecados Ent…
Be Thou My Vision Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart Naught be…
Bella Ciao Bella ciao Una mattina mi son svegliato O bella ciao, bella…
Bereden vag for Herran Bereden väg för Herran Berg sjunken djup stån opp Han kommer…
Black Velvet Band In a neat little town they call Belfast An apprentice to…
Bred din vida vingar Bred dina vida vingar O Jesus over mig Och låt mig stilla…
Bywaj dziewcze zdrowe Bywaj dziewczę zdrowe Ojczyzna mnie woła Idę za kraj walczyć…
Danny Boy Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling From glen…
Deck the hall Deck the halls with boughs of holly Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la…
Deck the Halls Deck the halls with boughs of holly Fa la la…
Dejlig Er Jorden Deilig er jorden Prektig er Guds himmel Skjønn er sjelenes p…
Den blomstertid nu kommer Den blomstertid nu kommer Med lust och fägring stor Du nalka…
Ding Dong Merrily on High Ding dong dong Ding dong dong… Ding dong merrily on high, …
Domaredansen Nu vilja vi begynna en domaredans Men domaren är inte hemma…
Du är så vacker i mina ögon Du e så vacker för mina ögon som tusen liljor…
Du Gamla Du Fria Du gamla du fria du fjällhöga nord Du tysta du glädjerika…
Early One Morning One morning, one morning, one morning in May, I spied…
Edi beo thu hevene quene 1. Edi beo thu, hevene quene, Folke's froure and engle's bli…
Fix me Jesus In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I…
Gladjens blomster Glädjens blomster i jordens mull Ack visst aldrig gro Kärlek…
Glory Glory The Lord of glory is my light, cnd my salvation too; God…
Gloucestershire wassail Wassail, wassail all over the town! Our bread it is white…
Go Tell It I read the words that you wrote over and over…
Go To Sleep My Baby Sleep my baby on my bosom Warm and cozy will it…
God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember…
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Rememb…
God Rest You Merry Gentlemen God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember…
God's Gonna Cut You Down You can run on for a long time Run on for…
Goder morgon i denna sal Godermorgon i denna sal Godermorgon i denna sal Eder önskar …
Good King Wenceslas Good King Wenceslas looked out On the feast of Stephen,…
Hark the Herald Angels Sing Hark! the herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!" Pe…
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King; …
Heaven Heaven Mennyből az angyal eljött hozzátok, Pásztorok, pásztorok! Ho…
Hej dunkom Hej dunkom så länge vi levom Sjungom dansom havom roligt var…
Hej hej ulani Nie ma takiej chatki Ani przybudówki Żeby nie kochały Ułana …
Here we Come a-Wassailing Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green; Here w…
Holy Holy Holy Cryin' holy unto the Lord Cryin' holy unto the Lord Oh, if…
Hush Little Baby Lulla-lulla-lullaby Hush, little baby don't you Hush, little…
Hymn: God rest you merry gentlemen God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember…
Hymn: Hark! the herald angels sing Hark! the herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!" Pe…
I saw 3 ships : I saw three ships I saw three ships come sailing in On Christmas day, on…
I Saw Three Ships Version 1: I saw three ships come sailin' in On Ch…
In the Bleak Midwinter In the bleak midwinter, Frosty wind made moan, Earth stood…
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear It came upon the midnight clear That glorious song of old Fr…
Jag vet en dejlig rosa Jag vet en dejlig rosa Och vit som liljeblad När jag på…
Jingle Bells Dashing through the snow In a one horse open sleigh O'er t…
Lulajże Jezuniu Lulajże Jezuniu, moja Perełko, Lulaj ulubione me Pieścidełko…
lullaby Bånet legges i vuggen ned Somtid gråte somtid le Sove nå sov…
Medley Ya itshepelang Modimo (Whoever puts his trust in God) Le bot…
Merry Is the Morning This Is the Way (The Morning Song) This is the way…
Milo Mou kokkino Μήλο μου κόκκινο ρόιδο βαμμένο Μήλο μου κόκκινο ρόιδο βαμμέν…
Morning has broken Morning has broken, like the first morning Blackbird has spo…
My Lagan Love My Love Marie You say you'll always love me you say you…
När juldagsmorgon glimmar När juldagsmorgon glimmar Jag vill till stallet gå Där Gud i…
När som jag var på mitt adertonde år När som jag var på mitt adertonde år Det var en…
nÃ¤r juldagsmorgon glimmar: nar juldagsmorgon glimmar När juldagsmorgon glimmar Jag vill till stallet gå Där Gud i…
Nearer My God To Thee 1 Nearer, my God, to Thee, Nearer to Thee; E'en though…
O Christmas Tree O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree How lovely are thy branch…
O Christmas Tree / We Wish You A Merry Christmas We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry…
O Holy Night Oh Holy Night The stars are brightly shining It is the night…
O Little Town of Bethlehem O little town of Bethlehem How still we see Thee lie Above…
O mój rozmarynie rozwijaj się O mój rozmarynie rozwijaj się O mój rozmarynie rozwijaj się …
Och jungfrun hon går i ringen Och jungfrun hon går i ringen med rödan gullband Det binder…
Oh du fröhliche Oh, where do you come from, You little flakes of snow? Falli…
Okienko Przybyli ułani pod okienko Przybyli ułani pod okienko Pukają…
On the Christmas Tree O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree How lovely are thy branch…
Pretty Little Horses Hush-a-bye, don't you cry Go to sleep you little baby When y…
Przybyli ulani pod okienko Przybyli ułani pod okienko Przybyli ułani pod okienko Pukają…
Psintri Vasilitzia mou Ψυντρή βασιλικιά μου και μαντζουράνα μου Ψυντρή βασιλικιά μο…
Sankta Lucia Sankta Lucia ljusklara hägring Sprid i vår vinternatt glans …
Scarborough Fair (both) Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, r…
Seekin for Me Wait for me at the end of a long, long…
Show Me the Way to Go Home Show me the way to go home I'm tired and I…
Silent Night Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright Round…
Sing on Hark! the herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!" Pe…
skye boat song Sing me a song of a lass that is gone Say,…
Staffan stalledrang Staffan var en stalledräng stalledräng stalledräng Han vattn…
Staffansvisa God morgon kära moder för redelige män Gud låt er vakna…
Taps When springtime comes and the snows melt away, No more sledd…
The Angel Gabriel 1. The angel Gabriel from heaven came His wings as drifted…
The Coming of our King Our Father, our King Have mercy upon us cnd answer…
The Holly & The Ivy The holly and the ivy, Were working out their words. When so…
The House of the Rising Sun There is a house in New Orleans They call the Rising…
The Skye Boat Song Sing me a song of a lass that is gone Say,…
The Star Of County Down THE STcR OF THE COUNTY DOWN V1. Near Banbridge Town,…
The Twelve Days of Christmas On the first day of Christmas My true love gave…
This Train This train is bound for glory, this train This train is…
Till Bethlehem mitt hjarta Till Betlehem mitt hjärta På stilla pilgrimsfärd Nu skyndar …
Traditional: Danny Boy Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling From glen…
Traditional: The Holly and the Ivy The holly and the ivy, Were working out their words. When so…
Tryggare kan ingen vara Tryggare kan ingen vara Än Guds lilla barnaskara Sjärnan ej …
Tshotsholoza Tshotsholoza (Tshotsholoza) Uyeye (Kulezontaba stimela siphu…
Twinkle Twinkle Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are, Up …
Under ronn och syren Blommande sköna dalar Hem för mitt hjertas ro Lummiga gröna …
Uti var hage Uti vår hage där växa blå bär Kom hjärtans fröjd Vill du…
Värmlandsvisan: Varmlandsvisan Ack värmeland Du sköna du härliga land Du krona bland svea r…
Wassail Wassail All over the Town Wassail, wassail, all over the town Our bread it is white…
We Wish You a Merry Christmas We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry…
Westering Home Westering home and a song in the air Light in the…
What Child Is This What Child is this, who, laid to rest, On Mary’s lap…
Winter Des winters als het regent Dan zijn de paadjes diep ja…

Ye Servants of God God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember…

The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

TRACKS

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@beverlysboutique

19w

Lully, lullah, thou little tiny child
Bye bye, lully, lully
O sisters too, how may we do
For to preserve this day?
This poor youngling for whom we do sing
"Bye bye, lully, lully"?
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, lully"
Lully, lullah, thou little tiny child
Bye bye, lully, lully

All comments from YouTube:

@tomasroma2333

6y↑45

People dont seem to understand that dissonance isn’t something that should be avoided. It just needs to be used in the right context and thats the style of this song.

@vaughangarrick

5y↑82

That raised and lowered 7th sounding together is so beautiful

@volneyderosia5465

1y↑44

So rare to find this with the appropriate dissonance. It's too often cleaned up. I've been waiting to hear this like this since I sang it in college.

@jorgkukla8097

22w↑2

When I heard this version for the first time, I had spontaniously a feeling that this would be the correct version. I once heard it with a modernized melody - I cannot stand it. This is quite a rare piece of ancient music.

@liesdamnliesandstatsweird1934

7y↑30

This is my all time favorite Christmas Carol. It is hauntingly beautiful.

@berylhart5365

7y↑1

Mine too.

@ILoveOldTWC

With O Come All Ye Faithful, Hark the Herold Angels Sing, The First Noel, O Holy Night, Away In A Manger, Angels We Have Heard On High, Joy To The World, and many other happy carols, why this one?????

@Deedee-ee1sg

1y↑16

This was always my most favourite carol back in school choir! So melancholy and beautiful. Hardly ever gets included in carol services I go to, or gets a mention in those Top Carols surveys!!

@clarelynch5860

2y↑21

Exquisite I could listen forever to this timeless carol.

@geoffreyjonathanwilson9932

2y↑16

Played as the processional music at my beloved late dad's service of thanksgiving.☺️

@susanda9469

7y↑188

This is a mournful and ironic lullaby about a Biblical tragedy, the Massacre of the Innocents. The discord is not only appropriate, it is unforgettable and elevates this version above the rest. IMHO

@jinsego107

4y↑6

This song is really fucking scary too

@mckavitt13

4y↑2

Jins Ego It is a Christmas carol.

@mckavitt13

Susan DA Yes!

@jinsego107

4y↑3

mckavitt13 a scary one about killing children

@mckavitt13

4y↑2

@@jinsego107 Exact.

9 More Replies...

@veganvocalist4782

3y↑19

This was a shocking story and this piece reflects that perfectly

@muttleo

4y↑16

How uplifting is your renditions of this timeless Canticle.

@IsaacAsimov1992

7y↑15

Gorgeous.
Simply gorgeous.

@geoffreyjonathanwilson9932

2y↑9

In my opinion it's a beautiful piece of music.

@nathanberridge7321

9y↑270

I love how people still go 'wtf that's so bad' at the dissonance. I think it's one of the best bits of music anywhere, because it's so unexpected and harsh, yet so perfect.

@RenaissanceEarCandy

6y↑24

I know, right? It was considered an auditory delicacy in renaissance times, and I can see why. I love it. Merry Christmas.

@croagh202

6y↑6

I don’t think anyone thinks WTF.

@SuperBartles

6y↑10

The carol itself is one of the most beautiful things ever written. But the dissonant note doesn't work for me. It gets on my proverbial tits. (I'm a musician, by the way)

@blue_jezuz

5y↑6

that dissonance is not correct.

@fllthdcrb

5y↑8

Leonhard Scholz Why do you say that? Where was the error made, then? I have a copy of the original tune version of this from the Oxford Book of Carols, published in 1928, and it has the dissonance (not in the refrain, though, consistent with what this video shows, and inconsistent with the recording it uses). They even marked the relevant notes with "sic", so clearly they were aware of how strange it is, but were certain it was correct nevertheless.

Do note that there are modern versions. For instance, I have the one by Martin Shaw, with a different rhythm and a 4-part harmony that lacks the dissonance. Were you thinking of one of these modern versions, or is there some other evidence?

24 More Replies...

@sbarr10

1y↑2

Absolutely gorgeous.

@eileengrannell3495

7y↑10

beautifully sung, with great understanding and empathy........well done

@lomaimoreau

11y↑11

There is both dissonance and use of the Picardy Third. Mark is perfectly correct - the dissonance occurs sometimes on the second "by" of "by by" and the Picardy Third occurs on the "Lay" of "Lul Lay" - as a means of resolving the passage with a major triad instead of an expected minor triad. Thanks.

@sarahrasmussen6867

5y↑4

First ever carol that is to my heart.x

@michelledilley7846

6y↑52

HOLY CRAP THIS IS SO HAUNTING BUT BEAUTIFUL

@mckavitt13

4y↑5

Michelle Dilley Did you need that introductory expletive?

@marsvltor2

10y↑7

A very special performance of a wonderful piece.

@markcarter3617

2y↑4

So nice to hear the dissonance - very rare.

@MrEvanfriend

8y↑50

I just heard this on the radio yesterday, listening to Hugh Hewitt. Never heard of it before. Beats the living shit out of "jingle bell rock" and similar nonsense. I've always hated commercial Christmas music. This is something entirely different. Beautiful.

@braces2

11y↑5

A beautiful version of a beautiful carol. Our choir is rehearsing a new 4 part version of this but it is based on this 3 part version complete with the clashes mentioned above. We are assured that the clash is supposed to be there and for the reasons Jonathan Frost has given.

@wjgthatsit2357

2y↑3

WRETCHED HANDS TAP MY WINDOW, A STRANGER'S FANGS SCRAPE THE WALLS...

@XX-gy7ue

7y↑26

the first martyrs of the Christian era , HOLY BABIES PRAY FOR US !

@dutchguy-ot2mb

11w

such a divine masterpiece

@brianmears3388

2y↑3

I listen this time of year, because, this is a Christmas song, but far different from the ones we sing most such as Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, O Come O Come Emmanuel, and Angels We Have Heard on High. It's both a unique and tragic song about the evil deed of King Herod.

@robertmcbride1859

21w

Absolutely beautiful.

@annwells6586

9y↑3

wonderfully done, this is beautiful

@XX-gy7ue

6y↑4

so sad , so lovely

@eenor71

9y↑3

My favourite carol

@Sarinansje

10y↑3

breathtaking!

@thethikboy

7y↑9

dissonance is an essential component of harmony - Bach, Mozart Handel all used it to great effect. A chord is dissonant only in context of the prevailing harmony,

@RoslynLamb

1y↑1

Beautiful

@RichardIIfan

10y↑3

Lovely to listen to and to sing. The original is a 3-part carol.

@DPCR00

10y↑29

F against F# - e.g. at 0:23 – best bit really ;) no problem – the F# resolves up, and the F down – it is common in Purcell – e.g. the end of the hymn tune “Westminster Abbey” – and there’s a similar thing in the slow 2nd movement of Haydn’s string quartet in G – Op 54 No 2 – great stuff ;)

@user-bh4rx8mf8g

Good analysis, thank you.

@ILoveOldTWC

2y↑1

Listening on Christmas Day, 2021.

@jvhobson

4y↑3

Exquisite.

@gijose83

9y↑5

haunting!

@matthewverrill9692

3y↑1

Heartbreaking!

@kamilee4123

6y↑6

We might be playing an arrangement of this in my school's band. It's kind of difficult because it's slow and and hard to get some of the timing down, but it's very beautiful.

@phoule76

how'd it pan out?

@n0stalgiic659

7y↑23

I can play this on a recorder

@RenMVlogs

Ah! So this is thag song! Thank you! I am learning it in Piano :)

@JFroTheMusician

11y↑33

It's called "false relations", purposely intended. It's the minor scale, when you go up, you sharp the 7th, when you go down you don't sharp it. They just so happen to be on the 7th, one part going up, the other part going down.

@theres1500

19w

It sounds so Orthodox. Beautiful!

@haryrct

11y↑4

that's why i don't wanna know to much about notes and all this stuff, i've just enjoyed this piece :)

@beckykitwood8701

I’ve never heard this song till now

@Totenkreischer

4y↑3

That's my favorite from Dr kawashima brain training

@michaelwoods6191

7y↑2

what is the accompanying instrument, and is a score available?

@mikelyle5011

Good bookshops should oblige, especially in December. OXFORD'S 100 Carols for Choirs, or the half-length Carols for Choirs Vol.1, include harmonies; there will be shorter and cheaper editions. (As James O'Brien reminded us on LBC, it's delightful to be allowed into bookshops again this week.)

@CathyKitson

13w

That extraordinary discordant note on the second beat in the second to last note. Is that supposed to be there?

@lucydoodles2020

4y↑17

That dissonant half-step interval must be hard to tune up while singing together

@charlesgaskell5899

8y↑1

Possibly a silly question, but is the original 'tune' in the top or the middle part? For myself, I find the middle part at least as tuneful as the top part, and I wonder if when it was reharmonised and smoothed out into four parts that they actually reharmonised the descant, rather than the original tune...

@FMLcrispylara

Charles Gaskell The tune is the top part you can hear in this. I think it's perhaps just that it is harmonised well and that's why you think the middle voice might be the tune. That voice is just too static to be the tune is all. :)

@pr3ttygirl623

2y↑2

I’m actually singing this for chorus lol

@jareddestro

7y↑7

The false relation (F-F#) is far from intended. It is a side-effect of the horizontal compositional method utilised by Tudor-era composers. Later composers used it as a compositional device, but here it is absolutely not to reflect the lyrics of the piece. In any case, I think it's perfect with the original harmonisation.

@furlvr1961

6y↑2

No matter if it is sung with dissonance (F opposing F#) or not, this song commemorates a terrible event when king Herod slaughtered all male children 2 years of age and under, in his attempt to destroy the Christ child. There is nothing happy or "Christmas" about it! Yet, it still remains one of my favorite "Christmas 'carols' ".

@kerikelly

Where can i get this sheet music?

@ORMA1

4y↑1

Measure 10: upper voices sing F & F# at the same time?

@georgeholloway3981

3y↑1

The score shown on screen lacks the F natural.

@TedMackey

9y↑33

All the people complaining about the F-F# dissonance (which is a false relation) should listen to some English madrigals for proper scrunchy false relation heaven. Weelkes in particular, listen to 'O Care Thou Wilt Despatch Me'.

@GoldinDr

9y↑17

Yeah, the false relation is one of the things that makes this carol unforgettable. Complaining about it is a bit like complaining that there's too much water in the Atlantic Ocean.

@RenaissanceEarCandy

6y↑8

Well said. the dissonance is utterly sublime. I get disappointed when I hear a perfectly harmonised version.

@coppersmiths

11y↑1

hear him...

@estherkessler

6y↑2

Weihnachten ohne "Jingle Bells" - Kitsch

@DevahTritz

Who is singing this?

@SuperBluestocking

2y↑3

It's not 'dissonance' or 'discord' btw. The carol's set in a pentatonic scale, not our modern octaves. That's what gives it the truly haunting quality it has

@jbeckwith4097

39w

This is not a pentatonic scale.

@beverlysboutique

19w

@Allinfun6789

11y↑6

The melody was passed down from "Oral Tradition," but the polyphonic arrangement is the only surviving piece from a mystery play called The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors. (16th century). The lyrics are a mystery as the last known copy was lost in a fire. The arrangement of this piece was not lost, and still today it stands as a notable and well-known example of a Picardy third, not dissonance. If the arrangement above came from the 16th century, I would say it was written as a bad joke.

@belleofbrightside97

6y↑1

I'm going to put it simply:
This song is about the king's charge to murder of all the babies under age three...
It's a mournful lament in the perspective all the grieving mothers who are singing the song.
It's supposed to clash with itself. That's the point of the song, but it's a great song.

@JFroTheMusician

11y

No problem

@msonione1661

Is this where the word lullaby comes from?

@spaghetticat

2y↑1

amazing piece

but the mcdonald’s ad I got at the end doesn’t complement it

@Likes_Trains

8y↑4

Why does the 0:23 sound weird? It's a DDF# chord, there's no natural written so why's someone singing it?

@thebestspork

8y↑8

+Katie Ross The arrangement being sung does not match the sheet music on screen. On my copy and the sheet music in the video, the D/F/F# chord only happens in the verse, not the refrain. At 0:52, the top line SHOULD be singing an F according to the sheet music, but the recording has an F#. This is an old piece of music, so there is no definitive right or wrong version, it's just that this particular recording and sheet music do not match exactly.

@Likes_Trains

8y↑2

+mattthepie thank you very much for such a helpful reply! :) False relations are beautiful

@suilvenmountain2395

8y↑2

+Katie Ross the sixteen like false relations. there is also one in 'remember o thou man'

@engelbertschoormans

8y↑1

+Suilven Mountain Or, for example, "corporis" by Thomas Tallis' O nata lux.

@Likes_Trains

8y↑2

+Leander Schoormans Thank you :)

3 More Replies...

@adamziccardi2578

17w

everyone is raving about how the dissonance is original, but I don't think it is. just because it's on the page doesn't mean that's how they sang it- as an orchestral horn player, it's quite common to play a piece and find that an accidental is clearly missing from a part.
music should be read like a musician, not like a legalist.
great recording and thank you for posting the music, but even the transcription posted doesn't show the F/F# dissonance that's being sung, and when it is written, it has the sharp sign implied in parentheses.
I'm skeptical of justifying the dissonance as intentional, considering every other chord harmonizes well, and because the dissonance is only a half step gap in what would otherwise be a sharp.

@Andrew-iv5dq

20w

What I struggle with is the Picardy third at the end of each verse. It is such a bleak text, so why are we to lift the mood with a modulation to major key?

@jinsego107

4y↑1

I’m so damn terrified what the fuck-

@SuperBartles

prefer just the F# thanks. Maybe do just one verse with the F/F# harmony

@roytranter

10y↑11

What you hear is not what is written. Others have gone into the detail, needless to say medieval writers were not constrained by later rules of part writing except the avoidance of tritones in the melodic line and leading leading notes at the end of the melody. Otherwise the music is riddled with all sorts of sounds we today think of as dissonant and nasty. Realisations such as this by The Sixteen are always conjectural. Don't worry about the theory, just enjoy the beautiful and poignant sound of this music.

@JessePlessis

9y↑2

Turn down for false relations!

@justforever96

8y↑40

I kind of like being musically ignorant sometimes; it means that I wouldn't know "dissonance" if it smacked me in the face. All I know is "hey, I like the way this sounds" or "I don't like the way this sounds", and I don't have to worry about whether it's being done "correctly" or not, or whether it ought to have a "second octave to forth" or whatever. All that technical shit must kind of ruin the whole experience, because you'd constantly be hearing everything that the musician is doing wrong. I remember seeing someone in the comments of a song I really liked explaining all about how they were doing it all wrong, because you weren't "supposed" to do it that way. I said, "huh...that's weird, because I listened to it and I thought it sounded great, because I don't have any clue the way that it's 'supposed' to be done". Beauty is in the ear of the beholder.
If it sounds good, it is good. That's the point of music. It's art, not science. A lot of people say there's a way you're "supposed" to harmonize in a choir, yet there are other ways to do it. I like polyphonic shape note singing, although a modern choir instructor would probably cringe at the idea of four different melodies being sung at the same time. "That's not the way your supposed to do it!!!" Well, in the Sacred Harp, that IS the way you're supposed to do it. And it sounds awesome.

@shewhomthegodsdetest3542

8y↑1

I couldn't agree more.

@MrEvanfriend

+justforever96 I can't play any instrument, read music, or sing worth a damn, and I fully agree with you.

@swazbuzzler

8y↑8

+justforever96 I know some trained musicians who listen for mistakes, but this small-mindedness usually springs from the listener's insecurity about his/her musicality. But a mature understanding of the many and varied languages of music hardly ruins one's listening experience. As a trained musician, I don't listen for technical devices in composition or performance; recognition of theoretical devices can be valuable, but recognition alone is hardly what enriches my own listening. Rather, musical training gives me the ears to listen more fully—to hear the individual lines as well as the complete texture, and to hear longer lines and connections between notes separated by space. Though anyone can hear what they like and do not like, and anyone can be moved by a piece of music, with trained ears, one can truly hear the fullness of music— to discern the simply powerful from the transcendental.

Though I doubt you're as musically ignorant as you say. I would simply suggest, don't self-identify as ignorant; every piece you listen to can be "training" if think of it as such.

@swazbuzzler

Also, practically all choral music (modern or otherwise) consists of four or more independent musical lines. The subject of counterpoint, a cornerstone of modern (and ancient) music pedagogy, studies the interaction and interdependency of musical lines. Even here, though the texture is mostly homophonic, you can listen separately to the tenor, alto, bass, or (more easily) soprano.

@waterorjazz

8y↑1

+justforever96 I think a lot of people who are musically ignorant would know dissonance - usually it's when two notes sound odd or uncomfortable together. My mum has no idea about music but always refers to the 'out of tune' bit in this arrangement of the carol.
I have a fair bit of music theory knowledge - not enough as I would like sometimes! - but I never let it get in the way of the emotional response I get from a piece of music. There are those who will use their education to pick anything apart, certainly, but most with knowledge of theory will still listen with their hearts - they just have the knowledge and language to explain what it is that they've responded to and why.

5 More Replies...

@kaiblack4489

21w

The sheet music does not match the audio. The score is missing the clash in the chorus.

@age234

People can't seem to comprehend anything outside of pop music.

@iankjenkins

I don't understand why there's even a # written in parenthesis of the tenor voice.

@Kavafy

+Ian Jenkins Because it's not in the original version

@iankjenkins

+Kavafy But the tenor isn't singing an F# in that measure so why even have one written at all?

@Kavafy

+Ian Jenkins It is optional, to be used if the choir wants to avoid the cross harmony that was originally written.

@sandragayle7866

4y↑2

A colleague of mine sent this piece for me to play on my harp wow. I can see why it sounds so melancholy. a male can't call him a man in Bangladesh brutally murdered his baby girl because she was not born a boy. He took her head off just after she was born. because men over there think they are better then females. so I feel I should learn the piece. as a mother with a daughter this kind of goes deep. my daughter has been a blessing to me. I am really grateful she was not born a male.

@RondelayAOK

4y↑2

a son, in my experience, is a blessing as well.

@hedgemist691

Such a terrible event, the massacre of the innocents. A special place is reserved for these babes.

@swimbackdanman

34w

It's so quiet.

@wyattwahlgren8883

That dissonance that people keep talking about. I like it, but it doesn't appear to be written in this score.

@thomasmiles9068

4y↑1

the score on the video gives the non-dissonance in brackets. I think the dissonant chord is as in the 1591 original

@kimc3024

9y↑4

I love the Coventry Carol...one of the vocalists keeps missing a note throughout the whole piece -- practice makes perfect! Keep it up! :O)

@susanda9469

7y↑2

er, no.

@Trialia

4y↑1

That's not what happens here... As a chorister, I recommend you go look for the Shaw setting of this piece and listen to that. This isn't wrong - just not what you're used to. I'm none too fond of this setting myself, truth to tell, but it isn't inaccurate to its arrangement.

@jjpianist1

4y↑1

While the symbolism is understandable, I am not emotionally touched by the harmonic dissonances in a way that is worthy of the tragic events. Sorry, but to my ear it just sounds like plain old wrong notes. While there are artistic ways to allow the music to reflect the meaning of the text, to me, this is not one of them.

@jamesgardner5082

33w

Listen to Tallis Lamentations if Jeremiah, false relations are beautiful

@Allinfun6789

11y

Why are they purposely singing wrong notes? By by, lully lillay? The tenor is written D, D, B A-flat, D, D. But he is singing D, E, B. A-flat, D, D. The E natural against the F sharp in the Soprano is most disturbing to what is a very simple arrangement. And SATB is much more pleasant, assuming no nots are altered from the score.