Adam Lay Ybounden For SATB a cappella choir David N. Childs
Text: Anon. (Middle English)
F bb 3 & 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
˙
œ
˙
With energy { q = c 96}
Soprano
b 3F b & 4 œ Ad
Alto
-
am lay y - bound-en,
F b V b 43 œ œ œ
Ad - am
Tenor
Bass
œ
S.
A.
b &b œ &
bb
thoughte he not
œ thoughte
T.
b Vb œ
thoughte B.
œ œ
? bb œ thoughte
œ not
œ
not
œ
˙
˙
œ
œ
not
too
P ‰ œj œ
˙
œ
too
œ
long.
œ
œ
Œ
long.
˙
Œ
long.
œ œ
bond;
˙.
in a
bond;
œ œ œ
œ œ
˙.
bound - en
in a
bond;
œ
bound - en
œ
œ œ
was
P œ œ
for an
Al
P œ œ
for an
Al
P œ œ
for an
Al
for an
And al
Œ
œ
was
was
was
œ œ œ œ œ œ
,
˙.
bound - en
œ
lay y - bound - en,
long.
œ
œ
lay y - bound-en,
too
too
bound - en in a
lay y - bound-en,
œ œ ˙
Ad - am
7
œ œ œ œ œ œ
Ad - am
F ? b b 43 œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ ˙. in a
œ.
œ
œ.
,
Four thou - sand
win
œ
˙
,
Four thou - sand
win
œ
˙
œ
œ
œ œ œ
j œ œ
œ
j œ œ
œ
an
ap - ple,
œ
Four thou - sand win
an
œ
ap - ple
ap - ple
œ
œ œ
ap - ple
œ
œ
œ
ap - ple, an
œ œ
win
ter
œ œ
-
ter
œ -
ter
œ -
ter
,
˙.
œ œ œ œ œ that he
œ œ
˙.
œ œ ˙ that he
© 2017 David N. Childs / River Avon Productions This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
took.
, ,
took.
that he took.
œ
ap - ple
œ
-
that he took.
œ
ap - ple, an
œ
œ
Four thou - sand
ap - ple,
œœœ œ
,
bond;
œ
œ J
œ.
œ
œ
,
2
Adam Lay Ybounden
b &b œ
œ
b &b œ
œ
œ
b œ
œ
œ
13
S.
œ
As clerk - es
A.
As clerk - es
T.
B.
Vb
As clerk - es
? bb œ
œ
œ
As clerk - es
b &b œ
-
ap
b Vb œ
-
ap
-
ap
A.
T.
B.
? bb œ 25
bb
sempre
S.
&
œ
A.
b &b œ
T.
b Vb œ
f f
f
? bb œ
B.
f
2 œ œ 4 œ œ
43 ˙ .
œ
œ
œ œ
œ
. 43 ˙
œ
Bless - ed
in their
,
˙.
book.
œ
book.
œ
œ
œ
, œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
that
œ
˙
that
œ
˙
be the time
that
˙
be the time that
œ
ap - ple
œ
œ
ap - ple
œ
œ
ap - ple
œ
œ
ap - ple
Ne
hadde the ap - ple
œ
tak - en been,
tak - en been,
the
œ œ œ
œ
œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ
tak - en been,
the
Oure
La - dy
œ
œ
œ œ.
j œ œ
œ œ œ œ
œ
œ
œ
La - dy
œ
La - dy
˙.
tak -en
was:
œ œ #˙.
was:
œ œ
˙.
tak -en
was:
œ œ
˙.
tak -en
was:
,
œ
piu
f f
œ œ
There - fore
,
There - fore
,
œ
œ
piu
f
œ œ
There - fore
œ
piu
f
œ œ œ
œ
œ
There - fore
œ
˙
˙.
Queen.
œ
œ
we mown sing - en:
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
we mown sing - en:
œ
we mown sing - en:
œ
œ
œ
œ
we mown sing - en:
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
,
Queen.
œ œ œ œ
,
Queen.
y - been he-ven - e
,
piu
˙.
y - been he-ven - e
œ œ œ
œ œ
tak -en
œ
,
Queen.
y - been he-ven - e
œ œ œ
,
˙.
y - been he-ven - e
La - dy
œ
tak - en been, the
œ œ.
œ
the
œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ
j œ
œ œ œ.
j œ œ
œ
Ne hadde nev - ere Oure
œ
,F œ
hadde the ap - ple
Ne
book.
Ne hadde nev - ere
œ
Ne
Ne hadde nev - ere Oure
˙
œ
œ
Ne
Ne hadde nev - ere Oure
be the time
œ œ
œ
, œ
been.
book.
in their
,
˙.
be the time
œ œ
œ œ œ
œ œ 42 œ œ
ple tak - en been.
œ œ
œ
œ œ 2 œ œ 4
œ œ œ œ ˙.
œ
œ œ œ
hadde the ap - ple
in their
find - en writ -en
œ œ
œ
,F 34 œ œ œ œ
ple tak - en been.
œ
œ œ œ
hadde the ap - ple
find - en writ -en
œ
œ
, F
in their
find - en writ -en
œ œ œ œ
Bless - ed
sempre
œ
ple tak - en
Bless - ed
sempre
œ
œ
œ ˙ œ œ œ œ
Bless - ed
sempre
, F œ
ple tak - en been.
-
ap
43 ˙ .
find - en writ -en
œ œ œ œ
b &b œ
19
S.
œ
œ œ 2 œ œ 4
,
œ œ
,
De - o
,
De - o
œ œ œ œ De - o
, œ œ De - o
b bœ. b &
œ ˙ J œ œ
31
S.
gra
A.
b & b bœ.
gra
T.
B.
-
œ J œ
˙
œ
˙
b œ œ Vb gra
? bb
ci - as;
-
b˙
-
gra
-
ci - as;
ci - as;
œ
˙
ci - as;
,
Adam Lay Ybounden
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
,
De - o gra
,
De - o gra
œ œ œ
œ
œ œ œ
œ
,œ œ œ
-
De - o gra
De - o gra
ci - as;
-
-
œ
-
œ
ci
-
œ œ ˙.
œ œ œ œ œ
rit.
,
De - o
,
De - o
gra
-
-
-
,
De - o
gra
-
-
-
gra
-
-
-
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ as;
œ œ ˙ ci - as;
œ
,
3
˙
ci - as;
-
œ
De - o gra
œ
-
˙.
ci - as.
-
ci - as.
œ -
U
-
˙ -
˙.
ci - as.
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ ˙.
U
-
U ˙. U
˙.
ci - as.
Text (Childs)
Middle English original spelling (Thomas Wright)
Middle English converted (Edith Rickert)
Boris Ord text (Benjamin Britten?)
Adam lay ybounden, Bounden in a bond; Four thousand winter thoughte he not too long.
Adam lay i-bowndyn, bowndyn in a bond, Fowre thowsand wynter thowt he not to long.
Adam lay ybounden, Bounden in a bond; Four thousand winter, Thought he not too long.
Adam lay ybounden, Bounden in a bond; Four thousand winter, Thought he not too long.
And al was for an apple, an apple that he took. As clerkes finden writen in their book.
And al was for an appil, an appil that he tok. As clerkes fyndyn wretyn in here book.
And all was for an apple, An apple that he took. As clerks finden, Written in their book.
And all was for an apple, An apple that he took. As clerkes finden, Written in their book.
Ne hadde the apple taken been, the apple taken been. Ne hadde nevere Oure Lady ybeen hevene Queen.
Ne hadde the appil take ben, the appil taken ben, Ne hadde never our lady a ben hevene quen.
Nay had the apple taken been, The apple taken been, Nay had never our lady, Of been heaven queen.
Ne had the apple taken been, The apple taken been, Ne had never our lady, Abeen heavené queen.
Blessed be the time that apple taken was: Therefore we mown singen: Deo gracias.
Blyssid be the tyme that appil take was! Therefore we mown syngyn Deo gratias!
Blessed be the time That apple taken was, Therefore we maun singen: Deo gratias!
Blessed be the time That apple taken was, Therefore we moun singen: Deo gratias!
The original version of Adam Lay Ybounden (composed in Middle English), and credited to Thomas Wright, (1) has been provided above simply for the sake of comparison to the text which has been set by the composer, Childs. Additionally, the Middle English ‘converted’ version - one of several in existence – and a third version from Boris Ord (with possible assistance from Benjamin Britten), are included. It is upon the ‘converted’ version of Edith Rickert’s (2) text that this Childs choral setting is based. Those familiar with the Boris Ord (3) setting will notice several differences to the Childs text, as well as slight variations to the converted version. The initial Adam Lay Ybounden text first appeared in England during a significant period of change in pronunciation, which has since come to be known as the Great Vowel Shift. This era of linguistic evolution took place in southern England, principally between c.1350 and the 18th century. Essentially, all long vowel sounds in Middle English were altered during such an age. Therefore, it must be taken into consideration that there is, in fact, no definitive or “correct” pronunciation of the above text(s). More than likely even the original text itself was pronounced differently by individual speakers of the ‘day’ immediately following its writing. In recent times, singers and directors have attempted to recreate an ‘authentic’ rendition of the text, which may prove to be nothing more than an exercise in futility. Not even modern scholars appear to agree on the exact pronunciation of the original text. It is even likely that Boris Ord intuited a particular interpretation of pronunciation that may not have aligned with scholars of the Middle English language. That being said, recordings from well-established and reputable English cathedral choir schools can often be used as good guides or resources, especially those from King’s College, Cambridge. 1 Thomas Wright, Songs and carols from a manuscript in the British Museum of the fifteenth century, (London: T. Richards, 1856), pp.32–33 2 Edith Rickert, Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400–1700 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1914), p.163 3 Boris Ord (1897-1961) was the Organist and Choirmaster of King’s College, Cambridge, between 1929 and 1957. During WWII he served in the Royal Air Force. Adam Lay Ybounden was the only choral work of his ever published.
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.