Coventry Carol - ALTO
Details
| Title | Coventry Carol - ALTO |
| Author | Choral Guide |
| Duration | 3:24 |
| File Format | MP3 / MP4 |
| Original URL | https://youtube.com/watch?v=SfKlfARYafI |
Description
Traditional 15th Century Carol.
Harmony by Martin Fallas Shaw
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 music contains a well-known example of a Picardy third. 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.
