The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #47143 Message #703541
Posted By: rich-joy
03-May-02 - 08:36 AM
Thread Name: Help: info on easter carol
Subject: RE: Help: info on easter carol
"O Mary Mother Come and See The first printing of this was in Richard Kele's "Christmas carolles newely inprynted" published c. 1550 in London. It's a small, clumsily printed book containing some heartshaking masterpieces of popular religious poetry - all long since vanished from tradition, alas. We have no tune for the carol so I have fitted a melody belonging to a tune-family that over and again provided airs for solemn texts. The tune has some relation to the melody of the eighteenth century Methodist hymn : "He dies, the Friend of Sinners dies", likewise to the American shape-note hymn curiously titled "French Broad" (no. 256 in Southern Harmony). In some phrases it is reminiscent of versions of "Died for Love", "The Isle of Cloy", and "Lord Bateman". Anyway, a good carol - it seemed worth reviving"
Stewie, I finally found my old photocopy of the liner notes, (1968 release by Topic), but it is barely legible. However, I think the above is correct ... Cheers! R-J