Holst: 4 Carols for A Capella Choir Op.34 No.2 "Lullay My Liking" - wind quintet

"Lullay, mine liking" is a Middle English lyric poem or carol of the 15th century which frames a narrative describing an encounter of the Nativity with a song sung by the Virgin Mary to the infant Christ. 

The refrain is an early example of an English lullaby; the term "lullaby" is thought to originate with the "lu lu" or "la la" sound made by mothers or nurses to calm children, and "by" or "bye bye", another lulling sound (for example in the similarly ancient Coventry Carol)

There are a number of surviving medieval English verses associated with the birth of Jesus which take the form of a lullaby, of which this is probably the most famous example. Written by an anonymous hand, the text is found uniquely in Sloane MS 2593, a collection of medieval lyrics now held in the British Library.

My arrangement is transcribed from Gustav Holst's setting of the text, which he calls Lullay, My Liking.

It is number 2 from Holst's "4 Carols for Unaccompanied Choir Op.34"

Arranged wind quintet

The solo verses are played by oboe, flute, clarinet,oboe and bassoon together and finally horn.

The refrain has been arranged in a different instrumental line up each time it is played.