Medieval English Carols

 DL 79418 

PROVLUSICA 

AND ITALIAN DANCES 

RECORDS 

GOLD LABEL 

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: R 62-1210 

Other DECCA® GOLD LABEL Albums by the 

NEW YORK 

PROVIUSICA 

THE PLAY OF DANIEL A Twelfth-Century Musical Drama DL 9402, DL 79402 (Stereo) 

ELIZABETHAN AND JACOBEAN AYRES, MADRIGALS AND DANCES DL 9406, DL 79406 (Stereo) 

MUSIC OF THE MEDIEVAL COURT AND COUNTRYSIDE DL 9400 

SACRED MUSIC OF THOMAS TALLIS DL 9404, DL 79404 (Stereo) 

SPANISH MEDIEVAL MUSIC DL 9416, DL 79416 (Stereo) 

SPANISH MUSIC OF THE RENAISSANCE DL 9409, DL 79409 (Stereo) 

Music of the Early German Baroque—HEINRICH SCHUTZ * MELCHIOR FRANCK DL 9412, DL 79412 (Stereo) 

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC 

FROM THE COURTS OF QUEEN ELIZABETH AND KING JAMES DL 9415, DL 79415 (Stereo) 

JOSQUIN DES PREZ: Missa pange lingua + Motets and Instrumental Pieces 

New York Pro Musica Motet Choir and Wind Ensemble DL 9410, DL 79410 (Stereo) 

HEINRICH ISAAC: Music for the Court of Lorenzo the Magnificent - JACOB OBRECHT: Missa fortuna 

desperata * New York Pro Musica Motet Choir and Wind Ensemble DL 9413, DL 79413 (Stereo) 

WILLIAM BYRD: Keyboard Music * Paul Maynard, Harpsichord and Organ DL 10040, DL 710040 (Stereo) 

Printed in U.S.A. 

NEW YORK 

SIDE A 

Band 1 

Band 2 

Band 3 

SIDE B 

Band 1 

Band 2 

Band 3 

PRQGVIUSICA 

MEDIEVAL 

NOWEL SYNG WE BOTHE AL AND SOM 

duo and instruments 

Charles Bressler, Robert White 

LULLAY, LULLOW,. LUELY, DULLAY duos and men’s voices 

Gordon Myers, Arthur Burrows, John Ferrante, Robert White 

AVE MARIA GRACIA DEI PLENA 

duo and ensemble 

Charles Bressler, Robert White 

TWO ITALIAN DANCES 

Saltarello regal, 2 recorders, viol, percussion 

Istampita “Palamento” viol, krummhorn, recorder, psaltery and percussion 

THER IS NO ROSE OF SWYCH VERTU bass and viol 

Brayton Lewis 

trio and men’s voices 

Charles Bressler, Gordon Myers, Arthur Burrows 

AVE, REX ANGELORUM 

solo, men’s voices and bells 

Gordon Myers 

NOVA, NOVA 

duo and ensemble 

John Ferrante, Charles Bressler 

MAKE WE JOYE NOWE IN THIS FEST 

duo and ensemble 

Sheila Schonbrun, Charles Bressler 

HAYL, MARY, FUL OF GRACE 

MERVELE NOGHT, JOSEP, ON MARY MYLDE men’s trio 

Robert White, Charles Bressler, Brayton Lewis 

TWO ITALIAN DANCES 

Saltarello schryari, recorder, viol, regal and percussion 

Saltarello viol, 2 recorders, portative organ and percussion 

solo and men’s voices 

~ Charles Bressler 

NOWELL, NOWELL, NOWELL 

SALVE, SANCTA PARENS trio, duo and men’s voices 

David Dodds, Arthur Burrows, Marvin Hayes, Robert White, Charles Bressler 

duo and ensemble 

DEO GRACIAS ANGLIA (The Agincourt Carol) 

Gordon Myers, Ronald Roseman (shawm ) 

ENGLISD CAROLS 

AND ITALIAN DANCES 

The Late Medieval English Carol 

Nowadays a carol may appear in any one of a number of 

forms—perhaps as a hymn, a gospel song, a sacred or even 

a secular song—and it may come from any place in the 

Western world or from any period of time. In late medieval 

England the story was less complicated, for the carol was a 

work completely predictable as to form, and it was composed 

by Englishmen. It was distinguished by a responsorial frame- 

work, with a chorus or “burden” sung by the group, and 

verses or stanzas sung by the soloist or soloists. The chorus 

began the carol, alternated with the verses, and closed it. 

Just as these carols are English, so also is their pedigree. 

For decades, it has been thought that they were related—at 

a distance of a century or so, to be sure—to the French 

carole, a round dance, whose form was similar and whose 

movement was to some degree retained in the forward ad- 

vance of the church procession. Now it seems more logical to 

look for its relatives closer home. Many carols were used in 

procession, and it now appears clear that they took the form 

of the traditional processional hymn and enlarged its reper- 

tory. (See Rossell Hope Robbins’ “Middle English Carols 

as Processional Hymns” in Studies in Philology, v. 56, Oct. 

1959, p. 559-82, or either of these secondary sources in 

the field: Greene, Richard L.: The Early English Carol, 

New York, Oxford University Press, 1935, for the poems; 

Stevens, John, ed.: Mediaeval Carols, 2nd ed., London, 

Stainer and Bell, 1958, for the musical settings. ) It is still pos- 

sible to urge that both carol and hymn were somehow related | 

to the round dance, but it is probably just as helpful to turn the 

argument inside out and judge that the carol form (ABACA, 

etc. ) was simply a part of a network of formes fixes (rondeau, 

carole, virelai, villancico, and others ) which resembled each 

other as well as parts of the Catholic Church service, such as 

the processional hymn. Then, as now, Rome was the power 

behind the structure of the service and regularized it to some 

extent throughout Christendom. The poetic ABACA 

scheme, then, was a part of the common heritage and thought 

of the West, appearing and reappearing in a multitude of ways 

and contexts down the centuries. The processional hymn and 

the early English carol represented two of them, and it was 

no accident that they were alike in form and function. 

Given the plan of alternating chorus and soloist, the chance 

for various treatments was a feature of the carol form. The 

length of the sung carol depended upon any number of cir- 

cumstances and technical devices: the poetic forms of the 

verse and chorus themselves, the number of verses used, the 

repetition of the burden perhaps with variants, and so on. 

The whole could easily be shortened or extended because 

none of its sections were long, and because any bore repeat- 

ing. The importance of this elasticity to processional use is 

obvious: music and procession could come to a close together. 

This factor gives great latitude to present-day performances 

as do also the alternatives for the musical setting. In late 

medieval English churches and courts, the singers, usually a 

small trained group, were men and boys, and the instruments 

were those at hand. The nature and amount of instrumental 

color certainly depended upon the type of carol to be per- 

formed. An intimate, simple work such as Lullay, lullow 

needed little or none at all. But a big open-air carol like Deo 

gracias, Anglia called for a good deal. Between the two— 

depending upon poem, musical range and texture, tempo, 

and other considerations—lies an area in which the oppor- 

tunity for variety was enormous. Since the instruments were 

never designated or notated, the judgment of today’s per- 

formers must be depended upon in the matter. 

Many carols are simple and touching. Some, such as 

Nova, nova and Nowell, nowell—T ydynges trew, indicate 

the possibility that congregations, rather than choirs, sang the 

rousing burdens. Still others, such as Mervele noght, Josep, 

could only have been performed by highly trained singers, so 

sophisticated are they from the standpoint of rhythm. As a 

rule, carol rhythm is based on the medieval first rhythmic 

mode (2. ld J ), but subtleties of accentuation and the 

alternation of triple and duple notes sometimes account for 

highly complicated, free-sounding passages. The monodic 

carols give evidence of the continued cultivation of music 

easily understood by all, while the polyphonic carols with 

their full texture and involved sound bespeak the composer 

and his personal drive to produce the best he knew how, as 

well as his access to a group that could make it come off in 

performance— probably the choir he directed himself. 

Most carols are in conductus, or chordal, style—at least 

in part—recalling their processional function. Two or three- 

voice sections are the norm, but a few are monodic or even 

four-voice. Carol-sound is somehow familiar to our harmony- 

trained ears, for the English favored thirds and sixths, some- 

times in parallel succession. Frequently verse and burden are 

related by a refrain which repeats a line of the text, the music, © 

or both, sometimes in variation. 

An ornament of church and ceremonial life in fifteenth- 

century England, the carol also instructed the faithful in 

matters of dogma and attitude. The Christmas use of the 

form, which is its most extensive and important, stems from 

the length of the medieval celebration, the three months from 

Advent to Candlemas, as well as from the primacy of its 

subject to the Christian. All but one of the carols on this 

record were either written for the Christmas season or are 

appropriate to it. The last, Deo gracias, Anglia, is a true 

carol of state, rich in political overtones and pride of country. 

Carols were set in the vernacular, in Latin, or in a mixture 

of the two: the macaronic. In the latter, such as in Make we 

joye nowe in this fest, the thought behind the words moves 

easily from English to Latin and back again, just as in other 

parts of the service. The Latin lines of these carols were, 

in fact, already familiar to the congregation from hymns, 

antiphons, the Scriptures, and other churchly sources. 

It all came to an end with the ascendancy of the Church 

of England under Henry VIII. The sudden changes in the 

service meant that the carol no longer had a role to play. 

Composers ceased writing them. Some of the manuscripts 

containing them were lost. A few of those that outlasted the 

excesses of the Reformation are the sources of the carols on 

this record. 

Four Fourteenth-Century Italian Dances 

All four of these monophonic Italian dances from the four- 

teenth century come from the same manuscript, now pre- 

served in the British Museum. The istampita (French: es- 

tampie ) was a gliding dance of courtly character in duple time 

(6/8 being its modern equivalent). It was comprised of a. 

succession of four or more different sections, or puncti, each 

repeated twice and ending first with a half-cadence and then 

with a full cadence. The Italian saltarello was a lively step- 

ping dance in duple time, 6/8 or 2/4 being its modern 

equivalents. 

Knowledge of fourteenth-century instruments and their 

uses lies behind the present solution of the performance prob- 

lems posed by these simple one-voice trecento melodies. 

CATHERINE Keres MILLER 

Nowel syng we bothe al and som, 

Now Rex Pacificus ys ycome. 

Exortum est in love and lysse; 

Now Cryst hys grace he gan us gysse, 

And with hys body us bought to blysse, 

Bothe alle and summe. 

De fructu ventris of Mary bryght; 

Bothe God and man in here alyght; 

Owte of dysese He dyde us dyght, 

Bothe alle and summe. 

Puer natus to us was sent, 

To blysse us bought, fro bale us blent, 

And ellys to wo we hadde ywent, 

Bothe alle and summe. 

Lux fulgebit with love and lyght, 

In Mary mylde his pynon pyght, 

In here toke kynde with manly myght, 

Bothe alle and summe. 

Gloria tibi, ay and blysse; 

God unto his grace He us wysse, 

The rent of heven that we not mysse, 

Bothe alle and summe. 

“Lullay, lullow, lully, lullay, 

Bewy, bewy, lully, lully, 

Bewy, lully, lullow, lully, 

Lullay, bew, bew, my barne, 

Slepe softly now.” 

I saw a swete semly syght, 

A blisful birde, a blossom bright, 

That murnyng made and mirth of mange: 

A maydin moder, mek and myld, 

In credil kep a knaue child 

That softly slepe; scho sat and sange: 

hee thee athe 

Ave Maria, gracia Dei plena. 

Hayl, blessid flour of virginite, 

That bare this time a child so free, 

That was and is and ever shall be, 

Ave Maria, gracia Dei plena. 

Ther is no rose of swych vertu 

As is the rose that bare Jhesu. 

Ther is no rose of swych vertu 

As is the rose that bare Jhesu, 

Alleluya. 

Be that rose we may weel see 

That He is God in Personys Thre, 

Pari forma. 

The aungelys sungyn the sheperdes to: 

“Gloria in excelsis Deo.” 

Gaudeamus. 

Ave, Rex angelorum, 

Ave, Rexque celorum, 

Ave, Princepsque polorum. 

~~ die athe fe, 

Nowell sing we both all and some, 

Now the peace-bringing King has come. 

It is risen in love and joy; 

Now Christ His grace He did us prepare, 

And with His body brought us to bliss, 

Both all and some. 

Of the fruit of the womb of Mary bright; 

Both God and man in her descend; 

Out of disease He did us bring, 

Both all and some. 

A boy new-born to us was sent, 

To bliss us brought, from evil turned us away, 

And else to woe we had come, 

Both all and some. 

The light will shine with love and light, 

In Mary mild his pennon fixed, 

In her took beginning with manly might, 

Both all and some. 

Glory be to Thee, ay and bliss; 

God unto His grace He us guide, 

The reward of heaven that we not miss, 

Both all and some. 

°° * 4 

“Lullay, lullow, lully, lullay, 

Bewy, bewy, lully, lully, 

Bewy, lully, lullow, lully, 

Lullay, bew, bew, my babe, 

Sleep softly now.” 

I saw a sweet seemly sight, 

A blissful maiden, a blossom bright, 

That mourning made and mirth meanwhile: 

A maiden mother, meek and mild 

In cradle kept a boy child 

That softly slept; she sat and sang: 

eR, the he ihe 

*;“° ®, 

Hail Mary, full of the grace of God. 

Hail, blessed flower of virginity, 

That bore this time a child so free, 

That was and is and ever shall be, 

Hail Mary, full of the grace of God. 

dhe dhe ath, 

ye Me aN. 

There is no rose of such virtue 

As is the rose that bore Jesu. 

There is no rose of such virtue 

As is the rose that bore Jesu, 

Alleluia. 

By that rose we may well see 

That He is God in Persons Three, 

Of like nature. 

The angels sang, the shepherds too: 

“Glory to God in the highest.” 

Let us rejoice. 

S th th ah 

he Pe ae 

ese ase 

Hail, King of the angels, 

Hail, King of the heavens, 

Hail, Prince of the ends of the earth. 

Hayl, most myghty in thi werkyng, 

Hayl, thou Lord of all thing, 

I offre The gold as to a kyng, 

Ave, Rex angelorum. 

Nova, nova: 

A-V-E fitt ex E-V-A. 

Gabriell of hygh degre, 

He cam down from the Trynyte, 

From Nazareth to Galalye, 

With nova. 

He mete a maydyn in a place; 

He kneled down before her face; 

He sayd, “Hayle, Mary, full of grace.” 

With nova. 

When the mayden sawe all this, 

She was sore abashed, ywys, 

Lest that she had done amys; 

With nova. 

Then sayd the angell, “Dred not you; 

Ye shall conceyve in all vertu 

A chyld whose name shall be Jhesu.” 

With nova. 

Then sayd the mayd, “How may this be, 

Godes Son to be born of me? 

I know not of manys carnalite.” 

With nova. 

Then said the mayd, anon a-hye, 

“I am Godes own, truly; 

Ecce, ancilla Domini.” 

With nova. 

——e 

Hail, most mighty in Thy works, 

Hail, Thou Lord of all things, 

I offer Thee gold as to a king, 

Hail, King of the angels. 

3 oa fe, oa 

OF ae 

News, news, 

A-V-E is made from E-V-A. 

Gabriel of high degree, 

He came down from the Trinity, 

From Nazareth to Galilee, 

With news. 

He met a maiden in a place 

He knelt down before her face; 

He said, “Hail, Mary, full of grace.” 

With news. 

When the maiden saw all this 

She was sore abashed, certainly, 

Lest she had done amiss; 

With news. 

Then said the angel, “Dread you not; 

You shall conceive in all virtue 

A child whose name shall be Jesu.” 

With news. 

Then said the maid, “How may this be, 

God’s Son to be born of me? 

I know not of man’s carnality.” 

With news. 

Then said the maid, anon a-hye, 

“I am God’s own, truly; 

Behold, the handmaiden of the Lord.” 

With news. 

(The news is that A-V-E (Hail!), Gabriel’s salutation, stems from the same letters as does the word 

E-V-A; the wonder is that a woman is to bring forth the Saviour of the world, for the first woman 

brought sin into it.) 

Make we joy nowe in this fest, 

In quo Christus natus est. 

Eya! 

A Patre unigenitus 

Thorw a maiden is com to us. 

Synge we to here and sey, “Welcome! 

Veni, Redemptor gencium.” 

Agnoscat omne seculum: 

A bryght sterre thre kynges made come 

For to seke with there presens 

Verbum supernum prodiens. 

A solis ortus cardine, 

So myghty a Lord was none as he, 

For to oure kynde He hath yeue gryth, 

Adam parens quod polluit. 

Maria ventre concepit; 

The Holy Gost was ay here with. 

In Bedleem yborne He ys, 

Consors paterni luminis. 

O Lux, beata Trinitas! 

He lay bytwene an oxe and asse. 

Thou moder and maiden fre, 

Gloria tibi, Domine. 

je ee 

+ + + 

Make we joy now on this feast, 

On which Christ was born. 

Eya! 

The only-begotten of the Father 

Through a maiden has come to us. 

Sing we to her and say, “Welcome! 

Come, Redeemer of the nations.” 

Let every age acknowledge 

A bright star made three kings come 

For to seek with their presence 

The celestial word proceeding. 

From whence the sun arises 

So mighty a Lord was none as He, 

For to our kind He hath given peace 

Which Adam our parent defiled. 

Mary has conceived in her womb; 

The Holy Ghost was ever with her. 

In Bethlehem is He born, 

Consort of the Father’s light. 

O Light, blessed Trinity! 

He lay between an ox and an ass. 

Thou mother and maiden free, 

Glory be to Thee, O Lord. 

(The Latin lines are taken from eight Office hymns used during the Christmas season.) 

Hayl, Mary, ful of grace, 

Moder in virgynyte. 

The Holi Goste is to the sent 

From the Fader omnipotent; 

Now is God withyn the went 

Quan the angel seide, “Ave.” 

Whan the angel “Ave” byganne, 

Flesh and blode togedre ranne; 

Mary bare bothe God and manne 

Thorw vertu and thowr dyngynyte. 

And the prophete Jeremye 

Told in his prophecie, 

That the Sone of Marie 

Schuld deye for us on rode tre. 

Moche joye to us was graunth, 

And in erthe pees yplaunte, 

Whan that born was this faunte 

In the londe of Galile. 

i, i. i 

ae eS 

“Mervele noght, Josep, on Mary mylde; 

Forsake hyr not tho she be with chylde. 

Mervele noght, Josep, on Mary mylde; 

Forsake hyr not tho she be with chylde.” 

“I, Josep, wonder how hit may be, 

I, Josep, wonder how hit may be, 

That Mary wex gret when Y and she 

Ever have levyd in chastite; 

Iff she be with chylde, hit ys not by me.” 

“Marvell not, Joseph; 

Marvell not, Joseph.” 

“Josep, thow shalt here mayde and moder fynde, 

Here Sone Redemptor of all mankynde, 

Thy forefaderes of paynes to unbynde; 

Therefor muse not this mater in thy mynde; 

Marvell not, Joseph.” 

whe adh dhe 

i: i 

177 

“Nowell, nowell, nowell 

This is the salutacion off the aungell, Gabriell. 

Tydynges trew ther be cum new, 

sent frome the Trinite 

Be Gabriel to Nazaret, cite off Galile: 

A clene mayden and pure virgyn, 

thorow hyre humilite, 

Hath conceyvyd the Person second in deyte. 

Whan he fyrst presentid was before hyre 

fayere visag, 

In the most demuere and goodly wys he ded 

to hyre omag 

And seid, “Lady, frome heven so hy, 

that Lordes herytag, 

The wich off the borne wold be, 

I am sent on messag.” 

Sodenly she, abashid truly, but not al 

thyng dysmaid, 

With mynd dyscret and mek spyryt to the 

aungel she said, 

“With what maner shuld I chyld bere, 

the wich ever a maid 

Have lyvid chast al my lyf past and 

never mane asaid?” 

ty) fe ashe sore 

“se age” 

Hail, Mary, full of grace 

Mother in virginity. 

The Holy Ghost is to thee sent 

From the Father omnipotent; 

Now has God within thee come 

When the angel said, “Ave.” 

When the angel “Ave” began, 

Flesh and blood together ran; 

Mary bore both God and man 

Through virtue and through dignity. 

And the prophet Jeremiah 

Told in his prophecy, 

That the Son of Mary 

Should die for us on the cross tree. 

Much joy was granted to us, 

And on earth peace was planted, 

When this child was born 

In the land of Galilee. 

wv 

“Marvel not, Joseph, on Mary mild; 

Forsake her not though she be with child. 

Marvell not, Joseph, on Mary mild; 

Forsake her not though she be with child.” 

“I, Joseph, wonder how it may be, 

I, Joseph, wonder how it may be, 

That Mary wax great when I and she 

Ever have lived in chastity; 

If she be with child, it is not by me.” 

“Marvel not, Joseph; 

Marvel not, Joseph.” 

“Joseph, thou shalt her maid and mother find, 

Her Son Redeemer of all mankind, 

Thy forefathers of pains to unbind; 

Therefore muse not this matter in thy mind; 

Marvel not, Joseph.” 

f. 

fe, the «= ash dhe 

,° y | 

“Nowell, nowell, nowell!”’ 

This is the salutation of the angel Gabriel. 

Tidings true there be come new, 

sent from the Trinity 

By Gabriel to Nazareth, city of Galilee: 

A clean maiden and pure virgin, 

through her humility, 

Hath conceived the second Person of the deity. 

When he was first presented before her 

fair face, 

In the most demure and goodly way 

he did homage to her 

And said, “Lady, from heaven so high, 

that Lord’s heritage, 

Who of thee would be born, 

I am sent with a message.” 

Suddenly she, abashed truly, but not at all 

dismayed, 

With discreet mind and meek spirit to the 

angel she said, 

“In what manner should I bear a child, 

who ever a maid 

Have lived chastely all my life past and 

' never man assayed?” 

Than ageyne to hire certeyn answered 

the aungell, 

“O lady dere, be off good chere, 

and dred the never a dell; 

Thou shalt conceyve in thi body, mayden, 

very God hymeelf, 

In whos byrth heven and erth shal joy, 

callid Emanuell.” 

Thane ageyne to the aungell she answered 

womanly, 

“Whatever my Lord commaund me do, 

I wyll obey mekely. 

Ecce, sum humillima ancilla 

Domini; 

Secundum verbum tuum,” she said, 

“fiat mihi.” 

Salve, sancta parens, 

Enixa puerpera Regem. 

Salve, sancta parens, 

Enixa puerpera Regem. 

Salve, porta paradisi, 

Felix atque fixa, 

Stella fulgens in sublimi 

Sidus enixa. 

Then again to her certainly answered 

the angel. 

“O lady dear, be’of good cheer, and dread 

thee not at all; 

Thou shalt conceive in thy body, maiden, 

very God Himself, 

In Whose birth heaven and earth shall joy, 

called Emanuel.” 

Then again to the angel she answered 

womanly, 

“Whatever my Lord command me do, 

I will obey meekly. 

Behold, I am the lowliest handmaiden 

of the Lord; 

According to thy word,” she said, 

“be it unto me.” 

K, wh, sh wh, 

Hail, holy parent, 

Who hast borne a King. 

Hail, holy parent, 

Who hast borne a King. 

Hail, gate of paradise, 

Happy and secure, 

Star shining on high 

Who hast brought forth a Glory. 

The Agincourt Carol 

Deo gracias Anglia, 

Redde pro victoria. 

Owre kynge went forth to Normandy 

With grace and myght of chyvalry; 

Ther God for hym wrought mervelusly; 

Wherfore Englonde may calle and cry, 

“Deo gracias.” 

He sette a sege, for sothe to say, 

To Harflu toune with ryal aray; 

That toune he wan and made a fray 

That Fraunce shal rywe ty] domesday; 

“Deo gracias.” 

Than went hym forth owr kyng comely, 

In Agincourt feld he faught manly; 

Thorw grace of God most myghty 

He had bothe the felde and the victory; 

“Deo gracias.” 

There lordys, eerlys, and barone 

Were slayn and takyn, and that ful sone, 

And summe were browth into Lundone 

With joye and blysse and grete renone; 

“Deo gracias.” 

Almythy God he kepe oure kynge, 

His peple, and alle his wel-wyllynge; 

And yeue hem grace withoutyn endyng, 

Than may we calle and savely synge, 

“Deo gracias.” 

Render thanks to God, O England, 

For the victory. 

Our king went forth to Normandy 

With grace and might of chivalry; 

There God for him wrought marvelously 

Wherefore England may call and cry, 

“Thanks be to God.” 

He set a siege, in truth to say, 

To Harfleur town with royal array; 

That town he won and made a fray 

That France shall rue till doomsday; 

“Thanks be to God.” 

Then went he forth, our comely king, 

In Agincourt field he bravely fought; 

Through the grace of God most mighty 

He won both the field and the victory; 

“Thanks be to God.” 

There lords, earls, and barons 

Were slain and taken, and that full soon, 

And some were brought into London 

With joy and bliss and great renown; 

“Thanks be to God.” 

Almighty God, may He keep our king, 

His people, and all his well-wishers; 

And give him grace without ending, 

That we may call and safely sing, 

“Thanks be to God.” 

(Presumably composed in celebration of Henry V’s victory at Agincourt in 1415 and sung in public 

ceremony. The king had forbidden songs in his praise, insisting that all thanks be to God. The writer 

or writers of this carol managed to have it both ways.)