Herod the king, in his raging
Chargèd he hath this day
His men of might in his own sight
All young children to slay
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That woe is me, poor child, for thee
And ever mourn and may
For thy parting neither say nor sing
“Bye bye, lully, lullay.”
Day 4…
The Coventry Carol, dated from around the 16th century, is one of our most harmonious of carols and, as such, our saddest…
It’s a heartfelt lament, a mother’s tears, a parent’s anguish. The lyrics of this song portray a mother weeping for her dead child, killed on Herod’s orders.
The 28th of December (or the 29th, in the Eastern Church), marks the Feast of the Holy Innocents, a day remembering the Massacre of the Innocents mentioned in Matthew 2.
The song sets a dark tone because, as much as we celebrate the coming of light at Christmas, that light comes into a dark world, where horrors happen and nightmarish landscapes exist. Not everyone is rejoicing this year. Loved ones have been taken. Disease has ravaged. Abuse has taken place. Hardships have been burdensome. Conflict has raged, and still rages. Many have been displaced. The blood of innocent lives has been spilled, and has stained.
To sing in harmony, in empathy with others, often requires us to sing a lament. And this requires the ability to listen.
‘The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.”’ (Genesis 4:10 NIV).
TRISTAN SHERWIN 
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