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10 Feb 97 - 03:17 AM (#2066) Subject: Lyr Add: BULALOW (trad Scottish) From: Missing in DT: BALULALOW (Traditional Scottish) I come from hevin which to tell The best nowells that e'er befell To you thir tythings threw I bring And I will of them say and sing This day to you is born ane child Oh Marie meik and Virgin mild That bliss it bairn benign and kind Sall you rejoyce baith hart and mind Lat us rejoys and be blyth And with the Hyrdis go full swyth And see what God of his grace hes done Throu Christ to bring us to his throne My saull and life stand up and see Wha lyis in ane cribbe of tree What babe is that, sa gude and fair It is Christ, God's son and Air O my deir hart, yung Jesus sweit Prepare the creddill in my spreit! And I shall rock thee in my hart And never mair fra thee depart Bot I sall praise thee evermoir With sangis sweit unto thy gloir The kneis of my hart sall I bow And sing that rycht Balulalow (recorded by Loreena McKennitt at Glenstal Abbey, Ireland) Greetings Ezio, Italy |
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10 Feb 97 - 07:39 PM (#2097) Subject: RE: LYR SEND - Balulalow From: Susan of DT Thank you, Ezio |
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20 Oct 06 - 11:21 PM (#1864828) Subject: RE: LYR SEND - Balulalow From: John E I've heard two very distinct tunes for this song: one bright and cheery, the other very haunting and minor-y. Can anyone shed any light on the origins of either one? |
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21 Oct 06 - 12:56 PM (#1865130) Subject: RE: LYR SEND - Balulalow From: leeneia I'm willing to bet that the haunting, minor-y one is from Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols. The words are old, the music is by Britten. It is a work for choir and harp. |
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21 Oct 06 - 06:13 PM (#1865285) Subject: Lyr Add: I COME FROM HEUIN TO TELL From: Q (Frank Staplin) Lyr. Add: I COME FROM HEUIN TO TELL (English, 16th C.) 1. I come from heuin to tell The best nowellis that euer be fell, To yow thir tytyinges trew I bring, And I will of them say and sing. 2. This day to yow is borne ane childe, Of Marie meike and Virgine mylde; That blissit barne, bining and kynde, Sall yow rejoyce baith heart and mynd. 3. It is the Lord Christ, God and man, He will doe for you quhat hee can; Himselfe your Sauiour hee will bee, Fra sinne and hell to make zow free. 4. Hee is our richt saluation From euerlasting damnation, That ze may ring in glorir and blis, For euer mair in heuin with his. 5. Ze sall him find but marke or wring, Full sempill in ane cribe lying; So lyis hee quhilk zow hes wrocht, And all this warld made of nocht. 6. Let vs rejoyce and bee blyth, And with the hyrdes goe full swyth, And see quhat God of his grace hes don Throw Christ to bring vs to his throne. 7. My saull and lyfe, stand vp and see Quha lyes in ane cribe of tree; Quhat babe is that so gude and faire It is Christ, God's Sonne and Aire. 8. Welcum now, gracious God of mycht, To sinners vyle, pure and vnricht; Thou come to saue vs from distresse, How can wee thank thy gentilnesse? 9. O God that made all creature, How art thow becom so pure, That on the hay and stray will lye, Amang the asses, oxin and kye? 10. And were the warld ten tymes so wide, Cled ouer with gold and stanes of pride, Unworthy zit it were to thee, Under thy feit and stule to bee. 11. The sylke and sandell, thee to eis, Are hay and sempill swelling clais, Quhairin thow gloiris, greitest King, As thow in heuin were in thy ring. 12. Thow tuke like paines temporall, To make me riche perpetuall: For all this warldis welth and gude, Can nothing richt thy celsitude. 13. O my deir hert, zoung Jesus sweit, Prepare thy creddill in my spreit, And I sall rocke thee in my hert, And neuer mair from thee depart. 14. But I sall praise thee euermoir, With sangs sweit vnto thy gloir; The knees of my hert sall I bow, And sing that richt Balulalow. 15. Gloir bee to God eternally, Quhilk gaif his only Sonne for mee, The angels joyes for to heir, The gratious gift of this new zeir. Finis. From "Ane Compendiovs Booke of Godly and Spiritvall Songs, collectit, &c. for avoyding of Sinne and Harlotrie," reprinted in "Scottish Poems of the Sixteenth Century," Edinburgh, 1801, vol. i, pp. 47-49. "Followis ane Sang of the birth of Christ, with the tune of Baw lulalaw." The song was not included with the text. Source: William Sandys, "Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern," London, Richard Beckley, 1833. The more familiar form, "I Come From Heavin to Tell," appeared in Edith Rickert, 1914, "Ancient English Christmas Carols, 1400-1700," Chatto & Windus, p. 82. I will post this later today. Material extracted from www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com |
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21 Oct 06 - 08:53 PM (#1865366) Subject: Lyr. Add: I COME FROM HEAVEN TO TELL From: Q (Frank Staplin) Lyr. Add: I COME FROM HEAVEN TO TELL (Rickert, 1914) 1. I come from Heaven to tell The best nowells that ever befell; To you thir tidings true I bring, And I will of them say and sing. 2. This day is born to you ane child, Of Mary meek and virgin mild; That blessed bairn, benign and kind, Sall you rejoice, baith heart and mind. 3. It is the Lord Christ, God and man, He will do for you what he can; Himself your Saviour, He will be, Fra sin and hell to make you free. 4. He is our richt salvation From everlasting damnation, That he may sing in glory and bliss For ever mair in heaven with His. 5. Ye sall Him find but(2) mark or wring,(3) Full simple in ane crib lying; So lies He whilk you has wrocht, And all this warld made of noch. 6. Let us rejoice and be blithe, And with the herds go full swithe,(4) And see what God of His grace has done, Through Christ to bring us to His throne. 7. My soul and life, stand up and see Wha lies in ane crib of tree. What babe is that so gude and fair? It is Christ, God's Son and Heir. 8. Welcome now, gracious God of micht, To sinners vile, puir and unricht; Thou came to save us from distress; How can we thank Thy gentleness? 9. O God that made all creature, How art thou become so puir, That on the hay and stray(5) will lie, Amang the asses, oxen and kye? 10. And were the warld ten times to* wide, [*too] Clad over with gold and stanes of pride, Unworthy yet it were to Thee, Under Thy feet ane stool to be. 11. The silk and sandal,(6) Thee to ease, Are hay and simple swaddling claes, Wherein Thou glories, greatest King, As Thou in heaven were in thy ring. 12. Thou took like pains temporal, To make me rich perpetual; For all this worldës wealth and gude Can nothing richt Thy celsitude.(7) 13. O my dear heart, young Jesus sweet, Prepare Thy cradle in my sprite, And I sall rock Thee in my heart, And never mair from Thee depart. 14. But I sall praise Thee evermore, With sangës sweet unto Thy glory; The knees of my heart sall I bow, And sing that richt 'Balulalow'. 15. Glory be to God eternally, Whilk gave His only Son for me, The angels' joys for to hear, The gracious gift of this New Year. (2) without; (3) defect; 4) quickly; (5) straw; (6) thin silken stuff; (7) lofty carriage. "Words and Music: English Traditional "about 1567"" Edith Rickert, 1914, "Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400-1799," Chatto & Windus, London, p. 82. From Hymns and Carols of Christmas: http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/HTML/The_hymns_and_carols_.htm |
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21 Oct 06 - 09:21 PM (#1865374) Subject: RE: LYR SEND - Balulalow From: Q (Frank Staplin) "Ane Compendious Buik of Godly and Spirituall Sangis..." 1567, was written by the brothers James, John and Robert Wedderburn. The poem "I Come from Heuin to Tell," is a translation of the Christmas Eve Carol which Luther wrote for his son, Hans, "Vom Himmel hoch," first published in 'Geistliche Lieder," 1535. Luther's tune is in "Songs of Praise," No. 365. Note on p. 395, "The Oxford Book of Carols," Percy Dearmer, R. Vaughan Williams and Martin Shaw, Sixteenth Impression, 1947 (There are newer editions and pagination and content may be different). The Oxford Book of Carols has the music for "Balulalow' in an arrangement by Peter Warlock, arranged for soprano solo, with only two verses: O my dear heart, young Jesus sweet, Prepare thy cradle in my spreit, And I sall rock thee in my heart, And never mair from thee depart. But I shall praise thee evermore, With sangis sweet unto thy gloir; The knees of my heart sall I bow, And sing that richt 'Balulalow.' stonejohn mentions hearing two tunes. One may be 'Balulalow.' the other Luther's. |
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21 Oct 06 - 10:26 PM (#1865397) Subject: RE: LYR SEND - Balulalow From: Malcolm Douglas The tune in the Oxford Book of Carols was written by Peter Warlock, and is certainly of the "minor-y" rather than cheerful sort. Loreena McKennitt's recording (mentioned above, back in 1997) is so mannered that I can't tell if she used Warlock's melody or not (the midi, though a valiant effort in the circumstances, isn't much help); she merely described it as "Scottish traditional", which as we've seen isn't really accurate. I haven't heard the tune printed in Songs of Praise. |
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21 Oct 06 - 11:10 PM (#1865411) Subject: RE: LYR SEND - Balulalow From: John E The bright major tune that I heard is definitely not Luther's "Vom Himmel hoch." I'll keep looking around for notation (standard or tab)of the tunes you've suggested. |
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22 Oct 06 - 09:57 PM (#1866126) Subject: RE: LYR SEND - Balulalow From: John E Also I checked out the link above and the Benjamin Britten tune. Alas, niether are the tunes I've heard. |
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16 Nov 06 - 09:52 PM (#1886637) Subject: RE: LYR SEND - Balulalow From: John E Now that makes four tunes I've heard for this song. the mysteries multiply |
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25 Feb 08 - 08:26 AM (#2271706) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Balulalow (trad Scottish) From: GUEST,giles earle A couple more tunes, possibly. Musica Britannica vol XV (Music in Scotland 1500-1700, ed. Kenneth Elliott) has the original tune, plus bass, for "I come from Hevin [hecht] to tell". The notes add that, during the eighteenth century, the song was often sung to Lady Bothwell's Lament. I don't know if this is what I know as Lady Anne Bothwell's Lament("Baloo my boy, lie still and sleep / It grieves me sair to hear thee weep"), which looks decidedly eighteenth century to me. Anyway, it fits the Luther/Wedderburn poem quite neatly; I usually just do the two 'Balulalow' verses, 13 & 14, not the whole thing. |