> Maddy Prior with The Carnival Band > Records > A Tapestry of Carols
A Tapestry of Carols
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A Tapestry of Carols Saydisc SDL 366 (LP, UK, September 1987) |
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Recorded at The Meeting House, Frenchay, Nr. Bristol, February 1987
Recorded and Produced by Gef Lucena (Saydisc) and
David Wilkins (Valley Recordings)
All titles arranged Andrew Watts except [9] arranged Andrew Watts and Giles Lewin
Musicians
Maddy Prior, vocals;
Bill Badley, lute, baroque guitar, guitar, gittern, banjo, mandolin,
mandocello, cittern, vocals;
Andrew Davis, double bass;
Charles Fullbrook, small and medium tabors, Basel trommel, glockenspiel,
small bells, woodblocks, cowbell, triangle, antique cymbals, tambourin
provencal, vocals;
Andrew Watts, Flemish bagpipes, bassoon (c.1815), curtal, clarinet in C,
recorders, shawms, vocals
Tracks
- Now the Holly Bears a Berry (The Sans Day Carol) (3.36)
- In Dulci Jubilo (2.59)
- God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen (Roud 394) (4.35)
- It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (3.41)
- The Holly and the Ivy (3.15)
- Lully, lullay, Thou Little Tiny Child (The Coventry Carol) (3.25)
- Ding Dong Merrily On High (2.30)
- The Angel Gabriel (Birjina gaztettobat zegoen) (2.46)
- Angels from the Realms of Glory (3.11)
- Infant Holy (1.27)
- A Virgin Most Pure (5.15)
- Unto Us a Boy Is Born (2.56)
- Rejoice and Be Merry (The Gallery Carol) (2.05)
- Joseph Dearest (3.53)
- Personent Hodie (2.55)
- On Christmas Night (The Sussex Carol) (2.29)
Sleeve Notes
Maddy Prior is known mainly for her work with Steeleye Span, a group formed to use traditional English music in an electric band setting. Formed in 1969 they achieved commercial success and critical acclaim through the 70's. They recorded 13 albums and gave concerts all round the world. Despite a `farewell tour' and a few years apart the band reformed and continues to record and tour extensively.
Apart from Steeleye she has worked with June Tabor, a singer known for her virtuosity in the unaccompanied ballad, and they made an album together called Silly Sisters which has become a classic in the traditional field.
When Steeleye went its separate ways, she began to write songs. Songs of social comment and observation, about relationships and women's reality. She has recorded four albums of this material plus songs written in collaboration with her husband Rick Kemp.
Not a person who sits still for long, she has also appeared as a guest on many albums including Mike Oldfield's Incantations, Jethro Tull's Too Old To Rock'n'Roll: Too Young To Die!, Tim Hart and friends' My Very Favourite Nursery Rhyme Record and she sang some songs from Carmina Burana for a young Japanese musician Ayuo Takahashi.
With her husband Rick she has been involved in writing and performing music for television. Among them was a series `The Song and the Story', a dramatic presentation of traditional material, and also `Stookie', a serial about Glaswegian youngsters.
Further yet she has done works at the National Theatre in several productions of folk/drama promenade performances of the Mysteries, Lark Rise, etc.
She is married to the aforesaid bass player and writer Rick Kemp and they have two children and live in Cumbria.
The Carnival Band was formed in 1984 to perform popular medieval, renaissance and traditional music, not in an `authentic way' but on a mixture of old and modern instruments. The musical background of the five players encompass folk, early music, classical and contemporary music. Their repertoire ranges from Bolivian carnival tunes to Yugoslav dances and Renaissance theatre songs, the only common thread being the spirit of Carnival. Out of this melting pot comes a style full of energy, a sense of fun and immediate rapport with the audience.
A few months after its formation, producer John Forrest asked the Carnival Band to accompany Maddy Prior in a recording of Christmas Carols for BBC 2. The recording was made in Scotby village hall near Carlisle, with Maddy appropriate enough expecting a child. In spite of interruptions from a village cat and friendly neighbours, the recording was a success. The performers went their separate ways, but the magic of the carols had begun to work on them. A little over two years later they met again in similar circumstances - this time an eighteenth century Quaker Meeting House near Bristol - to make this record.
It comes as a surprise to discover that many of our `traditional English carols' are neither traditional nor English in origin. Less than half the songs on this record fall into that category. Of the others, some are translations of Christmas songs from other European countries and some are tunes which originally had nothing to do with Christmas but were appropriated by nineteenth century hymn-writers. Ding Dong Merrily On High, a dance tune, is a good example. Nevertheless they have won an unrivalled place in our affections because like the best of all popular culture the words and tunes have a freshness and vitality with speak directly to us.
In making this record, Maddy Prior and The Carnival Band deliberately shut out all memories of cathedral choirs, brass bands, and supermarket jingles. We took the tunes and words just as we would any other song and allowed them to dictate the style, speed, harmonies and instrumentation. The result surprised us.
Of course our own experience and backgrounds affected the arrangements and we have taken liberties too. These are not authentic versions. Somewhere along the line Angels From the Realms got changed from a French folk tune into a mixture of Cajun fiddle and New Orleans marching band, but we have always tried to follow the spirit of the original. In this way we trust we have been true to the carols and to the meaning of Christmas.
Texts
Now the Holly Bears a Berry (The Sans Day Carol)
Cornish trad.
Flemish bagpipes, violin, mandolin, bass, tambourin provencal
Now the holly bears a berry as white as the milk,
And Mary she bore Jesus all wrapped up in silk.
And Mary she bore Jesus, our saviour for to be,
And the first tree in the greenwood it was the holly
Holly, holly,
And the first tree in the greenwood it was the holly
Now the holly bears a berry as green as the grass,
And Mary she bore Jesus who died on the cross.
And Mary she bore Jesus, our saviour for to be,
And the first tree in the greenwood it was the holly
Holly, holly,
And the first tree in the greenwood it was the holly
Now the holly bears a berry as black as the coal,
And Mary she bore Jesus who died for us all.
And Mary she bore Jesus, our saviour for to be,
And the first tree in the greenwood it was the holly
Holly, holly,
And the first tree in the greenwood it was the holly
Now the holly bears a berry as blood it is red,
Then Mary bore Jesus who rose from the dead.
And Mary she bore Jesus, our saviour for to be,
And the first tree in the greenwood it was the holly
Holly, holly,
And the first tree in the greenwood it was the holly
In Dulci Jubilo
German 14th century, trans. R.L. Pearsall
recorders, lute, antique cymbals
In dulci julibo, now sing with hearts aglow
Our delight and pleasure lies in praesepio
Like sunshine is our treasure matris in gremio.
Alpha es et O,
Alpha es et O
O Jesu parvule, for thee I long alway
Comfort my heart's blindness, o puer optime
With all Thy loving kindness, o princeps gloriae
Trahe me post te
Trahe me post te
O Pareis caritas, o nati lenitas
Deeply were we stained, per nostra crimina;
But thou for us hast gained coelorom gaudia.
O that we were there
O that we were there
Ubi sunt gaudia, in any place but there
There are angels singing nova cantica
And there the bells are ringing in Regis curia:
O that we were there
O that we were there
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
English trad.
violin, baroque guitar, bassoon, bass, Basel trommel
God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Saviour
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray;
- Chorus
- O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy!
In Bethlehem in Jewry
this placid babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The Virgin mother Mary
Did nothing taking scorn,
Chorus
From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed angel came.
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same,
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name:
Chorus
"Fear not," then said the angel,
"Let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Saviour,
Of virtue, power, and might;
So frequently to vanish all
The friends of Satan quite";
Chorus
The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding,
In tempest, storm and wind,
And went to Bethlehem straightway
This blessed babe to find:
Chorus
But when to Bethlehem they came,
Whereat this infant lay
They found him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His mother Mary kneeling,
Unto the Lord did pray:
Chorus
Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
Is drawing on apace:
Chorus
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Tune English trad., Words E. H. Sears 1810-76
recorder, cittern, curtal, small bells
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold!
“Peace on the earth, good will to men,
From heaven's all gracious King!”
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing.
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
Yet with te woes of sin and strife
The world hath suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love song which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.
For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When, with the ever-circling years,
Comes round the Age of Gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And thou all world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.
The Holly and the Ivy
English trad.
recorder, cittern, curtal, small bells
Ding Dong Merrily on High (Branle de l'Officiel)
Words: G. R. Woodward (1848-1934), Tune: Thoinot Arbean (1520-95)
recorder, violin, lute, bass, glockenspiel
Ding dong! Merrily on high
In heav'n the bells are ringing;
Ding dong! Verily the sky
Is riv'n with angels singing.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
E'en so here below, below,
Let steeple bells be swungen,
And “i-o, i-o, i-o”,
By priest and people sungen.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Pray you, dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers!
May you beautifully rime
Your eve-time song, ye singers!
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
The Angel Gabriel (Birjina gaztettobat zegoen)
Tune Basque trad., Words S. Baring-Gould 1834-1924
bass
The angel Gabriel from heaven came
His wings a drifted snow, his eyes a flame
“All hail,” said he, “thou lowly maiden Mary”
Most highly favoured lady! Gloria!
“For known a blessed Mother thou shalt be;
All generations laud an honour thee:
Thy son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold”
Most highly favoured lady! Gloria!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
“To me be as it pleaseth God!” she said.
“My soul shall laud and magnify His holy name.”
Most highly favoured lady! Gloria!
Of her Emmanuel, the Christ, was born,
In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn;
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:
Most highly favoured lady! Gloria!
Angels From the Realms of Glory (Les anges dans nos campagnes)
Tune French trad., Words J. Montgomery
violin, clarinet in C, guitar, bass, triangle, large tabor
Infant Holy (W zlobie Lezy)
Polish trad.
mandocello, bass
Infant holy,
Infant lowly,
For his bed a cattle stall;
Oxen lowing,
Little knowing,
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Swift are winging,
Angels singing,
Nowells ringing,
Tidings bringing,
Christ the babe is Lord of all,
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Flocks were speeping,
Shepherds keeping
Vigil till the morning new
Saw the glory.
Heard the story,
Tidings of a gospel true,
Thus rejoicing
Free from sorrow,
Praises voicing,
Greet the morrow,
Christ the babe was born for you!
Christ the babe was born for you!
A Virgin Most Pure
English trad.
recorder, violin, lute, bass
A virgin most pure, as the prophets do tell,
Hath brought forth a baby, as it hath befell,
To be our Redeemer from death, hell and sin,
Which Adam's transgression hath wrapped us in.
- Chorus
- Aye, and therefore be you merry,
Rejoice and be merry,
Set sorrows aside!
Christ Jesus, our Saviour,
Was born on this tide.
In Bethlehem in Jewry a city there was,
Where Joseph and Mary together did pass,
And there to be taxed with many a one more,
For Caesar commanded the same should be so.
Chorus
But when they had entered the city so fair,
The number of people so mighty was there
That Joseph and Mary, whose substance was small,
Could find in the inn there no lodging at all.
Chorus
Then were they constrained in a stable to lie,
Where horses and asses they used for to tie;
Their lodging so simple they took it no scorn
But against the next morning our Saviour was born.
Chorus
The King of all kings to this world being brought,
Small store of fine linen to wrap him was sought;
When Mary had swaddled her young son so sweet,
In an ox's manger she laid him to sleep.
Chorus
Then God sent an angel from heaven so high,
To certain poor shepherds in fields where they lie,
And bid them no longer in sorrow to stay,
Because that our Saviour was born on this day.
Chorus
Then presently after, the shepherds did spy
A number of angels appear in the sky.
Who joyfully talked, and sweetly did sing,
“To God be the Glory, Our Heavenly King.”
Chorus
Unto Us a Boy Is Born (Puer nobis nascitur / Uns ist geboren ein Kindelein)
German medieval
recorders, gittern, glockenspiel
Unto us a boy is born!
King of all creation
Came he to a world forlorn,
The Lord of every nation.
Cradled in a stall was he
With sleepy cows and asses;
But the very beast could see
That he all men surpasses.
Herod the with fear was filled:
“A prince,” he said, “in Jewry!”
All the little boys he killed
At Bethelehem in his fury.
Now may Mary's son, who came
So long ago to love us,
Lead us all with hearts aflame
Unto the joys above us.
Omega and Alpha he!
Let the organ thunder,
While the choir with peals of glee
Doth render the air assunder.
Rejoice and Be Merry (The Gallery Carol)
English trad.
violin, clarinet in C, banjo, bass, side drum, wood block, cowbell
Joseph Dearest (Joseph, lieber Joseph mein)
German 16th cent.
recorder, bassoon, lute, bass
Personent Hodie
German 14th cent. and Piae Cantiones 1582
shawm, recorder, mandocello, bass, medium tabor
Personent hodie voces puerulae
Laudantes jucunde qui nobis est natus
Summo deo datus
Et de virgineo
In mundo nascitur pannis in volvitur
Praesepi ponitur stabulo brutorum
Rector supernorum
Perdidit spolia princeps infernorum
Magi tres venerunt parvulum inquirunt
Parvulum inquirunt stellulam sequendo
Ipsum adoranto
Aurum thus et myrrham ei offerendo
Omnes clericuli pariter pueri
Cantent ut angeli adventisti mundo
Laudes tibi fundo
Ideo gloria in excelsis deo
On Christmas Night (The Sussex Carol)
English trad.
Flemish bagpipes, violin, mandolin, bass, tambourine