Medieval Influences and England role in Prog Rock

Saperlipopette! wrote: All this inspired me to look through my collection of medieval and renaissance music to see if I could find out if anything was based on more than just the words. Of course most confirms that the actual music is mostly educated guesses based on later versions and knowledge of instruments used etc.  The exception (in my collection) is perhaps Llibre Vermell de Montserrat - Catalonian Pilgrimage songs & dances from the 14th century - which was actually written down by monks in that period of time with note sheets. It has been recorded many times (by Jordi Savall/Hespèrion XX, Ensemble Unicorn, New London Consort...) but my favorite remains Atrium Musciae's 1972 recording. Beautiful music mostly praising Virgin Mary but also contains five dances and not purely a religious mass.     The monks had a mission from writing them down: "As it happens that the pilgrims, while holding night vigil in the church of the Blessed Virgin from Montserrat, sometimes desire to sing and to dance and even so during the day, in the Church Square, where only virtuous and pious songs may be sung, some suitable songs have been written down here for this need. These should be used in a respectful and moderate manner, so as not to disturb those who wish to continue their prayers and religious contemplations." - to replace the alarmingly secular songs so to speak.

 Excellent. 

Dean wrote: Most of the written manuscripts that have survived are of religious music, not secular and all of it from the middle and late Medieval (i.e. the last 300 years or so of that 1000 year period). Also the music notation used back then was not as informative as modern notation so were more a memory aide to "by ear" learning than a means of documenting and preserving tunes and music.

When thou from hence away art past,
Every nighte and alle,
To Whinny-muir thou com'st at last;
And Christe receive thy saule.

If ever thou gavest hosen and shoon,
Every nighte and alle,
Sit thee down and put them on;
And Christe receive thy saule.

If hosen and shoon thou ne'er gav'st nane
Every nighte and alle,
The whinnes sall prick thee to the bare bane;
And Christe receive thy saule.

From Whinny-muir whence thou may'st pass,
Every nighte and alle,
To Brig o' Dread thou com'st at last;
And Christe receive thy saule.

If ever thou gav'st silver and gold,
Every nighte and alle,
At t' Brig o' Dread thou'lt find foothold,
And Christe receive thy saule.

But if silver and gold thou never gav'st nane,
Every nighte and alle,
Down thou tumblest to Hell flame,
And Christe receive thy saule.

From Brig o' Dread whence thou may'st pass, Every nighte and alle,
To Purgatory fire thou com'st at last;
And Christe receive thy saule.

If ever thou gav'st meat or drink,
Every nighte and alle,
The fire sall never make thee shrink;
And Christe receive thy saule.

If meat or drink thou ne'er gav'st nane,
Every nighte and alle,
The fire will burn thee to the bare bane;
And Christe receive thy saule.

This ae nighte, this ae nighte,
Every nighte and alle,
Fire and fleet and candle-lighte,
And Christe receive thy saule.

Translation:

SteveG wrote: In all sincerity, I think we all benefit from you "having a little fun", as you put it. Please carry on, my dear chap.

I'd carry on with or without your permission 

SteveG wrote: Quite right on all accounts with Lyke Wake directly related to the German Lijkwake, as is the song's first documentation in the late 1600's. The Germanic pagan influences are primarily in the verse "if thou ever gave Silver and Gold", a common commodity of dark ages Germanic peoples. So, the song is believed by scholars to be, in part, pre-medieval.  I'm personally not so convinced, but who am I to argue with those more learned than I?