Merry Christmas
Coventry Carol
(16th Century English Christmas Carol)
Copyright Douglas Niedt, All Rights Reserved. This Christmas music for classical guitar may be reprinted, but please be considerate and give credit to Douglas Niedt.
I usually try to make these Christmas songs easy to play (but still sound full and interesting) so they can be learned by Christmas. I have also included an MP3 of me playing it that you may download.
The Story Behind the Christmas Carol
The Coventry Carol, originating in medieval Coventry, England, is a haunting and deeply somber lullaby rooted in the Nativity plays performed annually by the Shearmen and Tailors’ guild. Composed in the early 16th century, the song reflects the tragic event known as the Massacre of the Innocents, where King Herod orders the killing of male infants in Bethlehem. While the Gospel of Matthew provides the biblical foundation for this story, many historians doubt its historical accuracy, viewing it as a symbolic retelling of various scriptural events.
Originally sung during the summer festival of Corpus Christi, the carol stands out for its melancholic melody and lyrics that convey the despair of mothers who are about to lose their children. Despite its dark theme, the Coventry Carol was likely received with less gravity by its medieval audience, as plays of the period often blended tragic and comedic elements. In the pageants, Herod was portrayed as an exaggerated, almost comic villain, and the audience—often inebriated—would have found his antics entertaining.
The song itself uses a minor key, which modern listeners associate with sadness, but Renaissance ears may not have interpreted it this way. Additionally, its use of a Picardy third, where a major chord concludes a section in a minor key, adds to the unsettling yet harmonious nature of the music. This distinctive structure, combined with its alternating time signatures, further sets the song apart from other traditional Christmas carols.
The Coventry Carol fell out of popular performance after the Protestant Reformation but gained renewed significance during World War II. In 1940, following the bombing of Coventry by the German Luftwaffe, the ruins of Coventry Cathedral became the backdrop for a broadcast where the choir performed the carol, imbuing it with a new sense of poignancy. Since then, it has been recognized as one of the more somber and reflective Christmas songs, encapsulating both the fragility of life and the enduring hope of the Nativity story.
The carol’s preservation is thanks to Thomas Mawdycke, who transcribed it in 1591, and Thomas Sharp, an antiquarian who published it in the early 19th century. Without their efforts, the Coventry Carol—and much of Coventry’s rich theatrical heritage—would have been lost to history. The carol remains a poignant reminder of both historical and spiritual vulnerability, serving as a bridge between medieval traditions and modern sensibilities.
Listen to me play it:
The Christmas Sheet Music for Guitar of Coventry Carol
Here is the free Christmas sheet music for guitar of Coventry Carol.
Included are three versions:
- Standard Notation
- Standard Notation and Tab
- Tab only
Also included is an mp3 of me playing the carol. You may download it to all your devices.
Be sure to check out the other Christmas music, free technique tips, and more on this website!
Be sure to check out the other Christmas music, free technique tips, and more on this website!