paul hillier
Carols from the Old and New Worlds: Behold a silly tender babe for choir TOV027-06
Theatre of Voices Edition – a selection of fine choral works handpicked by Paul Hillier. For more information on the composer, supplementary material and the full, updated TOVE catalogue, visit the Edition¡S website. www.edition-s.dk | info@edition-s.dk
Behold a silly tender babe
I
n 2013 I wanted to make a new Christmas carol for Chamber Choir Ireland using the traditional Irish tune The Dawning of the Day. For my text I chose Robert Southwell’s poem Behold a silly tender babe, in the first place because its metre fits the melody, and then for the splendour of the words themselves. The tune is well known in Ireland, and its fame only increased when Luke Kelly and the Dubliners sang it with new words written by the poet Patrick Kavanagh: On Raglan Road. Eventually I adapted my carol setting to the words of On Raglan Road as well. The two versions are essentially the same music, using vocal drones and counter-melodies, though there are several small differences between them, following the variations in rhythm and sense of the words. Both are published by Theatre of Voices Edition. Robert Southwell was born in 1561 to a prosperous Catholic family in Norfolk. In 1576 he was sent abroad to study in the Jesuit school at Douai. He then travelled to Rome and joined the Novitiate at the English College. In 1584 he was ordained, and two years later was sent back to England on the English Mission. For six years he lived the secret life of a Catholic priest, mostly in and around London. In 1592 he was arrested and severely tortured before being consigned to the Tower of London. He was sentenced to death in 1595 – at that time it was treason to be a Catholic priest and administer the sacraments in England. It was during the six years in England before his arrest that the bulk of his poems were written, and they became widely admired. In bars 50 and 52 I have used – the ‘schwa’ sign from the International Phonetic Alphabet. For those not familiar with it, this is the neutral unstressed vowel common to many English words: It’s like the vowel in ‘her’, or the usual pronunciation of ‘the’ before a word beginning with a consonant. e
Vocal Text Behold a silly tender Babe, In freezing winter night, In homely manger trembling lies Alas! a piteous sight. The inns are full, no man will yield This little Pilgrim bed; But forced He is with silly beasts In crib to shroud His head. Despise Him not for lying there, First what He is inquire; An orient pearl is often found In depth of dirty mire. Weigh not His crib, His wooden dish, Nor beasts that by Him feed; Weigh not His mother’s poor attire, Nor Joseph’s simple weed. This stable is a prince’s court, This crib His chair of state; The beasts are parcel of His pomp, The wooden dish His plate. With joy approach, O Christian Wight! Do homage to thy King; And highly praise this humble pomp Which He from heaven doth bring.
Behold a silly tender babe Robert Southwell (1561-1595)
Paul Hillier
1 p
Solo ad lib.*
° # 4 S. I & # 2 ∑
Ó
Œ œ œ ˙™
œ ˙™
Be - hold
a sil
œ ˙™
œ œ ˙™
œœ
œ œ ˙™
˙™ ly
-
ten - der babe
In
œ
freez - ing win - ter
pp S. II A.
## 4 2 WW & ¢
WW
WW
W W
(hum)
5
° # S. I & # w
Œ Œ œ ˙™ œ
night,
S. II A.
œ ˙ ˙
˙
In home - ly man - ger
## & ¢ W W
œ œ ˙™ œ œ ˙™
˙™
tremb - ling lies:
W W
A - las,
W W
Œ œ œ
w™
˙
a pit - eous
sight.
The
W W
W W
10
° # S. I & # ˙ ™
˙ œ ˙
inns
S. II A.
are full,
œœ˙
œ ˙™ ˙™ no
## & W ¢ W
œ œ œ ˙™
man
will
yield
This
W W
lit
-
tle
™ Ó
Œ
œ w
œœ
pil - grim bed;
W W
But
˙™
w W
œ
2
14
p tutti
à ° # S. I & # ˙™
œ ˙™
œ ˙™
œ œ ˙™
Ó œœ ˙™
forced
he is
with
sil
-
ly beasts
In
crib
œ œ ˙™
œ w
to
his head.
shroud
Œ œœ Des -
â S. II col gli altri
## &
S. II A.
w W
WW
w w W
w W W p
# &# ‹
T.
Ú
Ú
Ú
Ó œ œ Des
p
? ##
B.
Ú
Ú
Ú
∑
^ w w
¢ (hum)
*If solo, then a few sopranos also hum the melody very softly, "ghosting" it. © 2018 Theatre of Voices Edition, Copenhagen Engraving by Danijel Legin
-
18 3
S.
° ## & ˙™
œ ˙™
pise
him not
˙ ˙™
œœ w for
ly - ing
there;
Ó œ œ ˙™
œ œ ˙™
œ w
First what
he
in - quire:
is
˙ An
p
# &# W
A.
W
W
W à
# & # ˙™ ‹ pise
T.
him not
œ for
ly -
? ## W W
B.
œ ˙™
˙™ œ ˙™
ing there;
œ œ ˙™ First what
W W
w œœ˙ ˙ he
in -
is
w quire:
An
w™ W
W W
˙
¢
22
(mp) mf 3
S.
° ## ˙ ™ & or
w -
## : & W
A.
˙™
œ
œ ˙™ ient pearl
is
of
˙ ˙™ -
ten found
Œ œ
œ œ ˙™
œ
In
of dirt
depth
-
œ
w™
y
mire.
Weigh
; mf Ah
ww W
w™ œ W
w˙™ Ah
˙
Ah
mf
(mp) 3
T.
B.
## & ˙™ œ ˙ ˙ ‹ or - ient pearl is : ; ? ## WW ¢
w of
˙ ˙™ -
ten found
Œ œ œ œ ˙™
œ ˙™
In
of dirt
depth
-
w™ œ y
mire.
Weigh
W W
W Ah
26
S.
° ## ™ & ˙
œ
œ
˙™
œ ˙™ ˙™ œ
™ œœ˙
œ w™
œœ
that by
Him feed;
Weigh
Œ
˙™ not
his
# &# w
A.
crib.
His wood - en
dish,
Nor beasts
˙ ˙
W
W W
W 1º
# & # ˙™ ‹
T.
not
˙™ œ œ ˙™ his
crib.
œ œ ˙™
œ ˙™ ˙™
œœ œœ ˙˙
˙˙
w w ™™
Nor beasts
that by
Him
feed;
œ His wood - en
dish,
> œ
œ
Weigh
mf
? ##
B.
¢
W
W
W
W 2
3
30
mp S.
° ## & ˙™ not
œ œ ˙™
œ ˙™
œ ˙™
his Mo - ther's poor
at - tire,
W w
w
# &# W W
A.
p
œ œ ˙™ Nor
Jo
simply
Ó œ œ ˙™ -
œ œ
œ w
seph's sim - ple weed. p
W W
This
W W
(hum)
mp
# & # ˙™ ‹ not
T.
p
œ œ ˙™
œ ˙™
his Moth - er's
poor
œ w w
W
at - tire,
(hum)
W p
? ##
B.
w W
¢
simply
œ œ
Ó
w w
W (hum)
This
34
S.
° ## & ˙™
œ ˙™
œ œ ˙™
sta - ble is
a
# &# W
A.
? ## ˙ ™
B.
Prin - ce's Court, The
crib
Ó œ ˙
˙™
W
# &# W ‹
T.
à œ ˙ ˙
˙
His chair
of
w ˙ state,
The
W w
W
W
w
W w™
˙™ œ ˙
œ ˙™
œ œ
àœ œ
Ó ˙
˙™
œ œ ˙™
œ w
crib
His chair
of state,
Ó
¢ sta - ble is
a
Prin - ce's Court,
The
The
38
S.
° ## & ˙™
w3 ˙ œ ˙
˙ ˙™ œ œ ˙™
beasts are par - cel
A.
# &# ∑
˙™
of
His
pomp,
œ ˙
The wood - en dish
œœ W
w ˙ His
plate;
W w
W
œ Œ ˙ The
w
Ah
T.
B.
# W &# ‹ ? ## ˙™ ¢
W Ú ˙ œ ˙
beasts are par - cel
3
3
˙™ of
œ œ œ ˙™ His pomp, The
w
œ œ ˙™
W
˙ œ ˙™ Œ Ó
wood - en
dish
His plate;
The
mf
42
3
S.
° ## & ˙™ per
œ œ ˙™
œœ˙
˙
that
at - tire
His
œœw -
sons in
poor
˙™ œ ˙ roy - al
˙
w
liv - ries
œ Œ œ œ
wear;
The
mf
# &# W
A.
W
w w W w
w
mf T.
B.
# W &# ‹ ? ## ˙™ ¢ per
W
W W w™
˙
mf
˙ œ ˙ - sons in
that
œ ˙™
˙™
œ œ ˙™
poor
at - tire
œ œ ˙™
His roy - al
liv
œ w ries
-
œ Œ œ œ
wear;
The
4
46
S.
° ## mp & ˙™
p
˙ œ ˙
Prince Him - self mp
is
come from
# &# W
A.
œ œ ˙™
heav'n,
This pomp
W
## mp & W ‹
T.
˙™ ˙
˙
Ó œœ˙ is
˙ priz - ed
W
Œ
w
œœ
there. p
Be -
W p
∑ w
∑ w
œ œ
w™
Be
-
3
mp
? ## ˙ ™
B.
p
œ œ ˙™
œ ˙™
œ w
œ œ ˙™
œ œ ˙™
œ w
w
¢ Prince Him - self
is
come
from heav'n, This
pomp
is
priz
-
ed there.
(hum)
50
S.
° ## & ˙™ hold
a
sil
-
ly
# &# W
A.
œ ˙™
œ œ ˙™
œ ˙™
ten
-
der babe
œ œ ˙™ In
Ó œ œ ˙™
freez - ing win
˙ œ w -
ter night,
W
In
w WW
Ww
(open gradually to ǝ)
# & # ˙™ ‹ hold
T.
? ## W
B.
a
sil
œ ˙™
œ œ ˙™
œ ˙™ -
ly
ten
-
der babe
œœ ˙™ In
˙ œ œ ˙™
freez - ing win
œ w™ -
ter night,
W
In
w WW
Ww
¢ (open gradually to ǝ)
4
mf 54
S.
° ## ˙ ™ &
˙ œ ˙
œ ˙™
home - ly man - ger mf
A.
tremb - ling lies:
# &# W W
œœ˙
˙™
œ œ ˙™ A -
W W
las,
a
˙ w™
˙
pit - eous
sight.
With
w™ W
W W
˙ With
(to Ah)
mf T.
# & # ˙™ ‹ home
œ œ ˙™
™ œœ˙
A -
a
˙ œ ˙ ˙™ - ly man - ger
œ œ ˙™
tremb - ling lies:
las,
pit
˙ œ w™ eous sight.
-
With
mf B.
?# W ¢ # W
W W
w™ W
W W
˙
(to Ah) With
58
S.
° ## f˙ ™ &
mp
˙ œ ˙
T.
## &
Œ œ ˙™
joy f
A.
ap - proach, O
˙ ˙™ W
œ ˙
joy f
ap - proach, O
œ
œœ
Christ - ian wight,
˙™ W
œ
Œ ˙™ ˙
w™
œœ
mage to
thy
King;
And
˙ Do
ho
-
˙™ W
œ
m ˙ ˙
W W
ho -
mage to
thy
King;
˙ Œ œ
Christ - ian wight,
Do
mp
## ˙ & ˙ ™ ‹
˙˙ œ ˙
joy
ap - proach, O
f B.
˙
œ ˙
? # ˙™ ¢ #W joy
˙ ap - proach, O
˙™ ˙™
œ ˙ œœ˙
™ Œ œœ œ ˙˙™
Christ - ian wight,
˙™ W
œœ˙
Do
> ˙
ho
-
ho
œ w ™™
Œ œ Ó œ
mage to
thy King;
And
œœ˙
˙™ W
Christ - ian wight, Do
œ œ ˙ ™™ œœ
-
mage to
˙
W W
thy
King;
p 62
S.
° ## & ˙™ high
œ ˙™ -
ly praise
œ œ ˙™ His
≈ œ ˙™
hum - ble pomp,
pp
œœ ˙™
œ œ ˙™
Which He p
from heav'n
œ
W
doth bring. pp
mp A.
w W
≈ w
œ œ ˙™
≈ œ ˙˙ ™™
## & WW
w W
˙ ˙
W W
(hum)
p
T.
# &# W ˙™ ‹ T. II: (hum)
œ ˙™
high - ly praise
pp T. II: (hum) II.
œ œ W˙™ Œ
œ œ ˙™
W W
œ I.
His
hum - ble pomp,
Which He p
from heav'n
doth bring.
pp mp B.
?# ¢ # W W (≈ = very slight pause)
5
≈ W w
W W Δ∑
(hum)
WW