related works
The Coventry Carol (Taken from the Two Princes in the Tower) : for mixed choir / William Knight
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir
Scoring:
GK4
Human being : mixed choir, windinstruments and percussion, 1977 / Wim van Ligtenberg
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir and instruments
Scoring:
recit GK8 0100 4340 perc
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir and organ; Mixed choir and instruments
Scoring:
GK4 (3trp ad lib.) org
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir; Mixed choir and instruments
Scoring:
sopr alt ten bas GK4 (instr ad lib.)
composition
The Two Princes in the Tower : for large choir and ensemble / William Knight; texts by William Shakespeare; Anonymous; William Knight
Other authors:
Shakespeare, William
(Text writer/Librettist)
Knight, William
(Composer)
Description:
'Guardian' has a double meaning. It directly refers to Richard III as Lord Protector of the two princes Edward V of England and Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York. However, it also refers to God, specifically for Edward who is praying to God to absolve his sins as he waits for death. The Dies Irae chant is Edward's prayer to God to absolve his own sins as well as condemning Richard III for his.
'Lully lu lily lily lily' is a play on words of the beginning of the Coventry Carol. This idea comes from an Old Wives Tail where a Lily and a Rose is offered to a woman who is expecting a child. The one she chooses will determine the sex (Male for Lily, Female for
Rose). The Lily is a prominent symbol for masculinity and also for Christ (as is the Rose - with its 5 petals representing the 5 wounds of Christ). This is why the Lily suffers for us and for our sins. Also, the Rose represents the House of York (Richard III), and the lilies the Two Princes.
The Coventry Carol is a mirror image to the Two Princes in the Tower story, which is why it is presented as a Chorale at the end of the piece.