Julian of Norwich

©Sydney Carter

        dney Carter's songs, recorded by himself and various other English singers. Carter is the one who gave us "Silver in the Stubble (which may be heard on Cliff Haslam's Folk-Legacy recording, The Clockwinder, FSB-93) and the words to "The Lord of the Dance." According to Carter, Julian lived at about the time of Chaucer, in a cell (she was a hermit and a mystic) in what is now the Chapel of Julian in Norwich, England. According to my differing sources, Julian spoke to her God in a vision, asking why evil was necessary in the world. The answer she got was that it was indeed necessary, but that "All will be well; all manner of things shall be well." (Loosely remembered.) That then became her message, and she apparently brought peace to the troubles of her area at one time by repeating that message. (GB)

Loud are the bells of Norwich
and the people come and go.
Here by the tower of Julian
I tell them what I know.

Ring out, bells of Norwich,
and let the winter come and go.
All shall be well again, I know.

Love, like the yellow daffodil,
is coming through the snow;
Love, like the yellow daffodil,
is Lord of all I know.

Ring out, bells of Norwich,
and let the winter come and go.
All shall be well again, I know.

Ring for the yellow daffodil,
the flower in the snow.
Ring for the yellow daffodil
And tell them what I know.

Ring out, bells of Norwich,
and let the winter come and go.
All shall be well again, I know.

All shall be well, I'm telling you,
let the winter come and go.
All shall be well again, I know.

(repeat first verse and last chorus)

Julian of Norwich is recorded on the CD All Shall Be Well Again