'O Birgitta myrrhae gutta': singalonga medieval song lyrics

Singing 'O Birgitta myrrhae gutta', the Sopranos from the choir Magdala (from Magdalen College, Oxford, directed by Dr David Skinner) serenaded the team at the end of Day Two. The song was originally published in 1530 and was written specially to be sung by the followers of St Brigittae. You would never guess that such a beautiful sound actually contained lyrics about rotting bodies.

Here's a sample from the second verse:

Myrre ys a bytter gomme in taste but in smell yt is swete and yt kepyth deade bodyes from rottynge and therefore yt betokened penaunce that is bytter in felynge of sorrow and of sharpenes but smellyth swete in goddess sygthe.'

Text only

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