It Came upon a Coventry Carol

This medley was created by Bill Calhoun. It was published this year, which might explain why there are no versions yet on YouTube. Here's a link to the publisher's audio file of the piece.

This piece combines two Christmas carols. It Came upon a Midnight Clear started out as a poem written in 1849 by Edmund Sears. The poem has been set to two different melodies. In North America, we are most familiar with the melody written by Richard Storrs Willis in 1850. This was a piece called Carol,and that is the melody used in this medley.

The second carol used in the medley is The Coventry Carol.  This carol is much older, originating in England in the 16th century. This haunting song is a mother's lament, as she fears for the life of her child, based on the biblical story of the Massacre of the Innocents.

Do you find it helpful when you're practising to know how the words fit the melodies? If so, here are a couple of videos that might help.

This is It Came upon a Midnight Clear by Kutless http://youtu.be/GaxB0xEbO0c.


And here's The Coventry Carol performed by Annie Lennox http://youtu.be/ltVWs4jDYsw


Now a question for you. What do you think of the combination of these two pieces in the medley we're playing. One is hopeful, the other is mournful. Do they work together?