Anonymous (English)

Ave rex angelorum

This carol is found in British Library manuscript Egerton 3307 and dated c. 1450 by John Stevens’ in his edition of ‘Medieval Carols”, ‘Musica Britannica’ volume 4. He is inclined to attribute the source of the manuscript to St. George’s, Windsor.

Refrain:

Ave rex angelorum, ave rexque celorum, ave princepsque polorum.

Verse:

Hail, most mighty in Thy working, Hail, thou Lord of allë thing; I offer Thee gold as to a king; Ave rex angelorum.

Refrain: Ave rex angelorum . . .

Refrain:

Hail, King of angels, and hail King of the heavens, and hail Prince of the skies.

Candens lilium

Denis Stevens continues the important work of John Stevens reviving Medieval music and introducing it to today’s musicians and audiences in modern editions. This 13th century motet is found in Denis Stevens’, ‘The Treasury of English Church Music, vol 1’ transcribed from manuscript sources at Oxford and Cambridge.

A characteristic of these motets is that of two or more different but similar texts being sung simultaneously–a kind of verbal heterophony.

Text:

Countertenor:

Candens lilium columbina, fons nostri generis,Rosa crescens sine spina, mater diceris,
Ave regina virginum, pariens Christum Dominum,
dulcis est invitus, Tu lumen es luminum, et salvatrix hominum,dulci est exitus,Ad te clamant cuncti rei, cum indulgentia. Ut vitalis requiei fruamur venia. Tuum natum precibus rogites simplicibus, ut vitae gloria  Concedantur omnibus, tibi servitutibus sua gratia.
Ad te clamant cuncti rei, cum indulgentia.Ut vitalis requiei fruamur venia.

Tenor:

Candens crescit lilium, virginale gremium,
mundo profert filium,
Creatorem omnium regem regnantium.
Ut Adae debitum, quod per pomum vetitum
erat olim subditum,
Per serpentis monitum, redimeretur pretioso regis sanguine

Et ut Adam abstraheret de terra voragine,
Patriarchas et prophetas natos ex semine
Ut vita caelica redderetur pristinus
pace magnifica,
Ideo psallemus hodie canticum laetitiae
de rege gloriae,
Ut in caelorum acie fruamur requie sine varia.

White lily, dove, fountain of our race,
Rose growing without a thorn, thou art called Mother.
Hail, Queen of Virgins, bearing Christ the Lord,
sweet is the beginning.  Thou art the light of lights and savior of men, sweet is the ending.
All sinners call upon thee with indulgence
That we may enjoy the pardon of life-giving rest.
Beseech thy Son with sincere prayers that the
glory of life  Be granted to all that serve thee by His grace.
All sinners call upon thee with indulgence
That we may enjoy the pardon of life-giving rest.

Tenor:

White grows the lily: the virginal womb
Brings forth into the world a Son,
Creator of all things, King of ruling kings:
So that Adam’s debt, formerly contracted through the forbidden fruit,
By the serpent’s guile, might be redeemed by the precious blood of the King,

And that He might rescue Adam from the earth’s maw,
And the patriarchs and prophets born of his seed,
So that the heavenly life might be restored to the ancients in magnificent peace.
Therefore let us sing today a song of gladness
about the King of glory,
That we may enjoy ageless repose in the ranks of Heaven.

(Translation by Denis Stevens)

Comedentes convenite

This carol is also from the British Library Egerton 3307 by way of John Stevens’ ‘Musica Britannica’ Vol. 4. It is one of the few carols in the collection entirely in Latin rather than English or macaronic English/Latin.

Stevens refers to R. L. Greene for help with interpretation and translation, and he suggests this may be a song of welcome to a group of pilgrims by the members of a convent or monastery. A translation by our resident Latinist, Msgr. Richard Schuler, is as follows:

“Come and feast; refresh yourselves morn and eve. Be friendly and celebrate in song. Tell all your people to come and eat their fill. Be frugal but do not become thin”.

Text:

Burden:
Comedentes, convenite,
Sero mane sepectite.
Este dulces et condite;
Crebro gentes sint petite.

Repeat burden: Comedentes . . .

Verse:
Cibis alvos enutrite
Crescentes sacre,
Crescentes sacre.

Burden: Comedentes . . .

Verse:
Parce vivendo nolite
Effici macre,
Effici macre.

Burden: Comedentes . .

Greensleeves

Departing from the accustomed period and idiom of Concentus Musicus, this set of variations partakes of the virtuosity found more prevalent after the early-17th century. It was published in The Division Flute, 1706 by John Walsh; and edited by Arnold and Carl Dolmetsch in a 1957 Edition Schott. Although the 16th century was not devoid of instrumental virtuosity as evidenced by the 1553 Diego Ortiz ‘Trattado de glosas’.

A version with virginals instead of lute (and without the coughs) can be heard on Musical Heritage Society MHC 7436. Rodney Shewan’s virtuosity can also be heard in many of the dances recorded by the Dance Ensemble Musicians.

Hey trolly lolly lo

John Stevens transcribed and edited three major manuscripts from around 1500 in England–‘The Ritson Manuscript’, ‘The Fayrfax Manuscript’ and ‘The Henry VIII Manuscript’. The last of these is published in his ‘Music at the Court of Henry VIII’, ‘Musica Britannica Vol. 18’. As seems fitting for that Court and Monarch it contains many pieces one might call rowdy and bawdy. “Hey trolly lolly” betrays the attitude a contemporary “gentleman” might adopt towards a young peasant woman.

Verse:
He: Hey trolley lolly lo, maid whither go you?

She: I to the meadow go to milk my cow.

He: Then at the meadow I shall you meet,
To gather the flowers both fair and sweet.

Refrain:
She: Nay God forbid, that may not be, that may not be;
Iwis my mother then shall us see.

Verse:
He: Now in the meadow fair and green
We may us sport and not be seen;
And if ye will, I shall consent.
How say ye maid? Be ye content?

Refrain:
She: Nay, in good faith, I will not mell with you.
I pray you sir, let me go milk my cow.
He: Why, will ye not give me no comfort,
That in the fieldes we may us sport?

Refrain: She: Nay God forbid . . .

Verse:
He: Ye be so nice and so meet of age,
That ye greatly move my corage;
Sith I love you, love me again,
Let us make one, though we be twain.

Refrain:
She: Nay, in good faith . . .

Verse:
He: Ye have my heart, say what you will,
Wherefore ye must my mind fulfil,
And grant me here your maidenhead, your maidenhead,
Or else I shall for you be dead

Refrain:
She: Nay, in good faith . . .

Verse:
He: Then for this once I shall you spare,
But the next time ye must beware
How in the meadow ye milk your cow, your cow!
Adieu, farewell, and kiss me now!

Refrain:
She: Nay, in good faith . . .

He that will an alehouse keep

This is the first of the ‘Country Rounds’ in Thomas Ravenscroft’s ‘Melismata’ of 1611, a collection of songs for Court, city and country.  It is indeed a round, and, keeping our priorities straight, it was the first item in our ‘Book of Trades’ . . . that of the publican.

Ivy is good

The inclusion of the carol, “Ivy is good”, makes clear that much of the manuscript, Egerton 3307, was not for liturgical use, but perhaps for other gatherings of a secular college like St. George’s, Windsor, or monastic community like Meaux Abbey, Yorkshire as per Bukofzer’s suggestion. It is intriguing to speculate on the kind of gathering where the medicinal qualities of ivy would be thus advocated. This performance uses modern English pronunciation.

Refrain:
Ivy is good and glad to see,
Ivy is fair in his degree. Ivy is good
and glad to see, Ivy is fair in his degree.

Verse:
Ivy is both fair and green
In winter and in summer also;
And it is medicinable I ween,
Who knew the virtues that long thereto:
Ivy. Ivy. It is good and lusty
And in his kind a well good tree.

Refrain: Ivy is good . . .

Verse:
Ivy hath virtues full good;
Namely, spreading over the ground;
Whether it be in town or wood,
It helpeth the sore and maketh sound:
Ivy. Ivy. In book is found full sikerly
That green is gladsome to see

Refrain: Ivy is good . . .

Jesu fili virginis

John Stevens mentions in his ‘Medieval Carols’ that the provenance of British Library add. ms 5665, ‘The Ritson Manuscript’, is the “West country”, quite likely Exeter, and dated in the late 15th century. The vicars choral of the Cathedral lived in 20 houses in the Close with a communal Hall (bombed 1942). It is easy to imagine them singing carols such as “Jesu fili virginis” in the Hall at Christmas celebrations. Certainly few if any other choirs in the area would have had the ability to sing this music . . . possibly the colleges at Crediton or Ottery St. Mary.

Refrain:
Jesu, fili virginis,
Miserere nobis. Jesu, fili virginis,
Miserere nobis.

Verse:
Jesu of a maid thou wouldest be born
To save mankind that was forlorn,
And all for our miss; miserere nobis.

Refrain: Jesu, fili virginis . . .

Verse: Born thou were of Mary free,
And thou diedest upon the rood-tree
And all for our miss; miserere nobis.

Refrain: Jesu, fili virginis . . .

La bounette

Denis Stevens again provides us with a varied array of material for performance in his edition of ‘The Mulliner Book’, a manuscript of keyboard pieces collected and copied by a mid-16th century organist named Thomas Mulliner.  The edition comprises the first volume of the ‘Musica Britannia’ series published by Stainer and Bell in 1966, and contains keyboard arrangements of vocal works and dances (of which “La bounette is an example), as well as legitimate keyboard pieces both sacred and secular.  Mulliner may have been organist at Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

Madame d’amours

Contrasting with “Hey, trolly lolly” in the Henry VIII manuscript is “Madame d’amours”, a sober and heartfelt love song.  The three voices supporting  the soprano melody appear in their contrapuntal complexity more suitable for instruments.  But since two of them have text underlay, a four-part vocal interpretation on the second stanza seemed appropriate.  Complexity of vocal line is not entirely foreign to the period.

Nonesuch

This music for a line dance is found in John Playford’d ‘Dancing Master’ . . . 1st edition published in 1651.  Like Arbeau’s ‘Orchésographie’ the ‘Dancing Master’ includes instructions for the dance as well as melodies; unlike Arbeau, Playford’s work presents mostly folk- or country-dances.

Nowell sing we

Another of the six manuscripts that John Stevens drew upon for his ‘Medieval Carols’ is the Selden Manuscript found in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. The carols in this ms. can be dated c. 1450.

‘Nowell Sing We’ was the signature tune and title of the annual Christmas program of Concentus Musicus for many years. This rendering is from the recording session for the Musical Heritage Society LP record released in 1986.

Refrain:
Nowell sing we both all and some;
Now Rex pacificus is y-come.

1. Exortum est in love and liss;
Now Christ his grace he gan us giss;
And with his body us bought to bliss,
Both all and some.

Refrain: Nowell sing we . . .

2. De fructu ventris of Mary bright;
Both God and man in her alight;
Out of disease he did us dight,
Both all and some.

Refrain: Nowell sing we . . .

3. Puer natus to us was sent,
To bliss us bought, fro bale us blent,
And else to woe we had y-went,
Both all and some.

Refrain: Nowell sing we . . .

4. Lux fulgebit with love and light,
In Mary mild his pennon pight,
In her took kind with manly might,
Both all and some.

Refrain: Nowell sing we . . .

5. Gloria tibi ay and bliss:
God unto his grace he us wiss,
The rent of heaven that we not miss,
Both all and some.

Refrain: Nowell sing we . . .

The old yeare now away

 The hit-tune “Greensleeves” is used here as “A Carroll for New-yeares Day” from ‘New Christmas Carols’ printed in London in 1642.

This day day daws

John Stevens, editor of Volume 36 of ‘Musica Britannica’ places the  compilation of the ‘Fayrfax Manuscript’ at about 1500 . . . just 15 years after the Tudor coup that ended the Plantagenet Yorkist reign of Richard III.  Rather surprising then is the sentiment in the second verse that “The white rose is most true this garden to rule by righteous law.”  The white rose is of course the heraldic symbol of the Yorkist Dukes and Monarchs.  Henry VII still scrambling to establish Tudor legitimacy could hardly have been pleased with such a sentiment, yet it is the Royal Chapel . . . composers and performers . . . that are most likely responsible for the creation and performance of this fine collection of part-songs.

Up I arose

‘Musica Britannica Vol.36’ contains the modern edition of two early 16th century manuscripts edited by John Stevens– the ‘Ritson Manuscript’ and the ‘Fayrfax Manuscript’. The first part of the volume includes 20 secular songs from the Ritson ms., #18 being “Up I arose”. The 4 stanzas here are enough to give the impression that misogyny ran freely through early Tudor society; one can imagine an audience of male students with a smattering of Latin nudging and snickering.

1. Up I arose in verno tempore
And found a maiden sub quadam arbore,
That did complain in suo pectore,
Saying, ‘I feel puerum movere.

2. Adieu, pleasure antiquo tempore:
Full oft with you solebam ludere;
But for my miss michi deridere
With right good cause incipeo flere.

3. Now what shall I say meis parentibus
Because I lay with quidam clericus?
They will me beat cum virgis ac fustibus
And me sore chast coram omnibus.

4. With the said child, quid faciam?
Shall I it keep vel interficiam?

If I slay it, quo loco fugiam?
I shall lose God et vitam eternam.’

What remedy?

This song for 3-voices from the Henry VIII Manuscript has the form of a carol, ie. verse and refrain.  All 109 songs of the Manuscript were transcribed and edited in ‘Musica Britannica’ vol. XVIII by John Stevens in 1969, published by Stainer and Bell.  The editor attributes the contents to the early years of Henry’s reign.  The text can scarcely refer to the monarch who seems to have had lots of remedies for unrequited love.  Perhaps he is trying to decide which one.

Refrain: What remedy, what remedy?  such is fortune what remedy?

Vs. 1  A thorn hath pierced my heart right sore,  Which daily increaseth more and more  Thus without comfort I am forelore:

Refrain: What remedy . . .

Vs. 2  Bewail I may mine adventure  To see the pains that I endure  Insatiately without recure;

Refrain: What remedy . . .

Worldes blis ne last

This arrangement of one of the few 13th century monodic songs to survive in English is based on the manuscript in the British Library, Arundel 248. The importance of religion to Medieval society is here starkly portrayed.

What first did break

Text: