Kingsfold

Description

Deborah Baker Monday presents this traditional English melody first in the low strings with ethereal tremolos in the upper voices. The modal tune is then shifted to the Violins and Violas with the dark harmony carried on by the Cellos and Basses.

Program Notes

“Kingsfold” is a folk tune which has been set to a variety of texts in England and Ireland. It is thought to date back to the Middle Ages. It was published in an anthology in 1893, English Country Songs, and in 1906 in The English Hymnal. In English, it is popular as the hymn “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say” and in Ireland, it was popularized and changed slightly in “The Star of County Down”. The tune’s modal character and simple beauty have made it a favorite in both sacred and secular settings.