Abide, I hope it be the best

MUSICAL PROGRAM
The Carol in pre-Reformation England

Carols were not always simple Christmas songs. During the 15th century and into the 16th, England was becoming a nation, one that would found its own Church. The original carol was a uniquely English musical genre that bore witness to these developments. To lyrics on a wide variety of topics, the late medieval carol was sung by clerics and laity, men and women, professional and amateur musicians alike. With its blend of Latin and English lyrics, it foreshadowed England’s transition from Catholicism to Anglicanism and became a favourite of King Henry VIII. Ensemble Scholastica presents a selection of early English carols for the Yuletide season and beyond.