A, my dere son (anon., Fayrfax Manuscript, ca. 1500)
«A, my dere son»
Anonymous (Fayrfax Manuscript, c. 1500)
From «Nowell, nowell» 29.11.20
Barfüsserkirche, Basel Historical Museum
Grace Newcombe – Voice, Clavisimbalum
Amy Farnell – Voice, Bells
Live concert recording: Oren Kirschenbaum
Moderation: Grace Newcombe and Marc Lewon
Modern edition
to sing along
Facsimile to sing along
Picture: Burden (Refrain) from «A my dere son», London, British Library, Add. MS 5465 (Fayrfax Manuscript), f. 51r
«A, my dere, a my dere son»
Said Mary, «A my dere
Kys thi moder, Jhesu
With a lawghyng chere»
This endurs nyght
I sawe a syght
All in my slepe
Mary, that may
She sang lullay
And sore did wepe
To kepe she sought
Full fast abowte
Her Son from colde
Joseph sayd, «Wiff
My joy, my leff
Say what ye wolde.»
«Nothying, my spouse
Is in this howse
Unto my pay.
My Sone, a Kyng
That made all thyng
Lyth in hay.»
«A, my dere ...»
«My moder dere
Amend your chere
And now be styll
Thus for to ly
It is sothely
My Fadir’s will
Derision
Gret passion
Infynytly
As it is fownde
Many a wownd
Suffyr shall I
On Calvery
That is so hye
Ther shall I be
Man to restore
Naylid full sore
Uppon a tre.»
«A, my dere, ...»
The term Carol is so closely associated with Christmas in England that it is often used as a synonym for a Christmas song.
However, the carol has its origins in the Middle Ages and is derived from the old French «carole» or Latin «choraulum», which may refer to a dance tradition.
So-called Carols were also very popular during the Renaissance and were played on festive occasions at the court of the Tudors.
A strong carol theme drawn from medieval poetic meditations is the dialogue between Mary and Christ; in the Middle Ages passion texts and in particular the Planctus Mariae were suitable meditations for anyone.
It is typical of the Renaissance that Jesus’ role in the song is not as an adult on the cross but as a baby: the mother-son passion dialogues and the Marian laments thus often became lullabies or mother-child dialogues such as «A, my dere son».
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