12 Carols for Christmas, No. 12: Love came down at Christmas - French
Quickly becoming the most sought after composer on the West coast of the United States, Jessica French has written this splendid setting of Christina Rosetti's "Love came down at Christmas".
12 Carols for Christmas, No. 10: The Salutation Carol - Gerre Hancock
What makes a Christmas carol? Because composers are writing new ones all the time, and there are lots of cues to make it sound, you know, "Chrismtassy". The words help, of course, but simply having a refrain is a great cue. And in here, Gerre Hancock finds superb vocal agility from his Choristers for the energetic refrain in his Salutation Carol.
12 Carols for Christmas, No. 9: My Lord has come - Todd
I find this lovely little thing by Will Todd simply irresistable in it's quiet, confident joy. I haven't directed it yet, but I'm sure it will find its way on to a music list very soon.
The words are written by the composer:
Shepherds, called by angels, called by love and angels:
No place for them but a stable.
My Lord has come.
Sages, searching for stars, searching for love in heaven;
No place for them but a stable.
My Lord has come.
His love will hold me, his love will cherish me, love will cradle me.
Lead me, lead me to see him, sages and shepherds and angels;
No place for me but a stable.
My Lord has come.
12 Carols for Christmas, No. 6: Shepherd's Cradle Song - Macpherson
The lovely Shepherd's Cradle Song arranged by Charles Macpherson has entered into our Christmas conciousness as it was just sung at the King's Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols this year.
12 Carols for Christmas, No. 4: Long, long ago - Howells
I'm thinking about the carol "Long, long ago" quite differently this year after hearing this wonderful, in-depth look at the piece with Robert Hollingworth and Paul Spicer.
It's like plainchant at the beginning, isn't it? What a wonderful way to evoke the "Long, long ago."
And this carol-anthem, perhaps, gets overlooked somewhat in comparison to the incredibly popular "A spotless rose" and the other two carol-anthems from that set of three: "Sing lullaby" and "Here is the little door".
Yes, indeed, "Long, long ago" stands alone, and it is worth a closer listen this Christmas.
Long, long ago, oh! so long ago
Christ was born in Bethlehem
To heal the world’s woe.
His Mother in the stable
Watched him where he lay
And knew for all his frailty
He was the world’s stay.
While he lay there sleeping
In the quiet night
She listened to his breathing
And oh! her heart was light.
She tended him and nursed him,
Giving him her breast,
And knew that it was God’s son
In her crook’d arm at rest.
Shepherds at the sheepfolds
Knew him for their King;
And gold and myrrh and frankincense
Three wise men did bring.
For he should be the Saviour,
Making wars to cease,
Who gives his joy to all men,
And brings to them peace.
John Buxton
There must be something in the air, because Church of the Advent, Boston, has just posted this very fine live recording of Long, long ago today.
And don't miss this wonderful, in-depth look at the piece with the score for you to sing along at home:
12 Carols for Christmas, No. 3: God would be born in thee - Judith Bingham
Under Stephen Cleobury, the previous director of music at King's College, Cambridge, one new carol was sung in each year's Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols that had never been heard before.
I don't know if I was ready to hear this carol in 2004 when it premiered, but in the years since, this carol has grown on me bit by bit. When I hear it now it stops me in my tracks.
Lo, in the silent night a child to God is Born
And all is brought again that ere was lost or lorn
Could but thy soul, O man, become a silent night,
God would be born in thee, and set all things a-right.
Virgo Maria, non est tibi similis
Orta in mundo inter mulieres,
Florens ut rosa, fragrans sicut lilium
Ora pro nobis Sancta Dei Genitrix
Sancta Maria
A translation of the Latin
Virgin Mary, there is no other
Woman in the world like you,
Flourishing like the rose, fragrant as a lily,
Pray for us, holy mother of God,
Holy Mary
The author of this website is an organist whom the New York Times calls “repeatedly, insisting that he pay for his subscription”.
He likes to read parking meters, music, Indianapolis Monthly, and weather forecasts in Celsius, particularly whilst wearing cassock and surplice.
He serves lasagna, overhand, as an example to many, and on ecclesiastical juries. He mixes salads, drinks, and metaphors. He takes photos, lots of dinner mints, and a little bit of time to get to know.
