Balulalow
Commissioned by Royal Holloway Chapel Choir

Balulalow was commissioned by Royal Holloway Chapel Choir for the Nine Lessons & Carols Service that took place on the 9th December 2007.

Work began on the piece on the 10/10/07 when the first section was written (the first stanza). This idea was initially abandoned in favour of another version which was composed on the 12/10/07 - however, this second version was scrapped and the original idea was returned to on the 17/10/07 when the first section (organ-soloists-choir bb1-67) were composed using fragments from the work carried out on the 10th. The second stanza and ending were written on the 21/11/07 with the final typesetting and editing being completed on the 23/10/07.

The text was taken from a poem by James, John, & Robert Wedderburn (c1567). The word Balulalow is in fact old Scottish for lullaby:

Oh my dear heart young Jesus sweet,
Prepare thy cradle in my spirit,
And I shall rock thee to my heart
And never more from thee depart.

And I shall praise thee ever more
With songs sweet unto thy glory;
The knees of my heart shall I bow,
And sing that right Balulalow!

Recent Performances:
-(9/12/07) Egham, UK. First performance by Royal Holloway Chapel Choir, conducted by Rupert Gough