Christmas Wexford Carol - Ilse de Ziah Irish Cello cover

The sheet music for this arrangement is available at http://playcellomusic.com/product/christmas-carols-for-solo-cello-ebook/ Thank you for watching the vid! Would you like to be amazing and support me making more? Visit my patreon site to be a patron for just $1 a video; https://www.patreon.com/ilse http://ilsedeziah.com http://playcellomusic.com performed by Ilse de Ziah, cello sheet music available in the book "Christmas Carols for Solo Cello" on http//playcellomusic.com The Wexford Carol Christmas Carols from Ireland are quite rare, but in County Wexford there is a 300 year old tradition of a Carol being entrusted to a family who then passes it down through the generations. They were sung at Christmas in homes and churches by an unaccompanied choir of six men. Caroling, also known as wassailing, began in medieval times as a pagan ritual. Wassail was a hot beverage made with hot ale or mulled cider. In the middle of winter the wassailers would travel from orchard to orchard, and to ensure a good crop for the next year, would pour wassail on the roots of the trees and sing and dance loudly. The noise was intended to scare off evil spirits who were the cause of such short and cold days. The Wexford Carol was collected from a local singer in Enniscorthy by W.G. Flood (1859 -- 1928) who was an organist and musical director of St Aiden's church Enniscorthy. He had it published in the Oxford Book of Carols where it became a well known Carol. The lyrics trace back to the 12th century, but the tune is certainly older than that. It is one of the oldest surviving Carols in Ireland, and in the whole of Europe. Apparently only men were allowed to sing it until quite recently. This melody is simple and is played slowly. Keep the tone warm and add as many ornamentations as you feel necessary. You can listen to other versions and then add your own style to it. These are beautiful alternative lyrics by John Renbourne. "Lulay lulay, my tiny child Too soon you'll know the world so wild Yes all too soon you will be grown And I'll bide here alone, alone. The rushing bellows you shall ride And the light of the North Star will be your guide But yet awhile, I'll have you stay Lulay my tiny child, lulay. For you shall run in meadows green And sport with otters all in the stream And you shall chase the dapple deer And swim with salmon in the waters clear. To pluck the small birds from the sky On the tail of the South wind, you shall fly And take the high hills for your home Blood of my blood, bone of my bone. The moon must sleep beyond the tree So weep sweet maid of Galilee The sun must rise before the cross To dry your tears and share your loss. The darkest hour of the starless night Must bow to the power of the Eastern light That heals the earth and makes us whole Heart of my heart, soul of my soul. And when at last your course is run Joy of my joy, my little son Beneath the sky you'll stand alone Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone. Yes you shall stand on the coal-black sands To cross o'er the waters of the Western lands But now I have you at my breast Lulay my sweet one, gently rest"