Merry Christmas!

Joy to the World!

December 24

Once in Royal David's City has become famous as the processional hymn since 1919 for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College Chapel, Cambridge, which is performed on Christmas eve (today at 10 am EST). The first verse is sung as a solo by one of the boy choristers, the second by the whole choir and on the third and following the congregation joins in. The choristers do not know who will sing the solo until immediately before they sing...

It is precisely 10 seconds to air for A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College, Cambridge. The college’s director of music, Stephen Cleobury, looks one boy chorister directly in the eye and gestures for him to step forward. Only then does the soloist learn that he has the honour of singing, unaccompanied, the opening verse of Once in Royal David’s City.

“The boys might speculate on which one of them I’ll pick, but not actually telling them until seconds beforehand is the only way to avoid nerves,” says Cleobury. “This way the boy performs in the heat of the moment. I always have three or four candidates in mind, but if I revealed their identity even a day before, the pressure would be far too great.”

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/6840413/Carols-from-Kings-Cambridge-prepares-for-Christmas.html)

Performance at the opening of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College Chapel.

Once in Royal David's City lyrics
1. Once in royal David's city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.

2. He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy.

3. And through all His wondrous childhood
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.

4. For he is our childhood's pattern;
Day by day, like us He grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew;
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.

5. And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above,
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.

6. Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high;
Where like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.

The poem on which the song is based was written by an Irish woman, Cecil Frances Alexander, around 1848. She also wrote another well know hymn text, All Things Bright and Beautiful (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_in_Royal_David%27s_City). 

December 23

Anti-Santy Ranty...

They say there’s a big man who lives far away,
Supposedly jolly but it’s hard to say.
I’ve never seen him, and neither have you.
But the children believe, and I spose that’ll do....

December 22

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (French traditional carol)

Evidence suggests that the Greek text of "Let All Mortal Flesh" may date back to the fifth century. The present text is from the Liturgy of St. James, a Syrian rite thought to have been written by St. James the Less, first Bishop of Jerusalem. It is based on a prayer chanted by the priest when the bread and wine are brought to the table of the Lord. (https://hymnary.org/text/let_all_mortal_flesh_keep_silence) 

Gerard Moultrie's translation from Greek was arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams to the tune "Picardy", a French medieval folk melody.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_all_mortal_flesh_keep_silence)

This duet provides a simple rendition of the carol.

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,

And with fear and trembling stand;

Ponder nothing earthly minded,

For with blessing in His hand,

Christ our God to earth descending

Comes our homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,

As of old on earth He stood,

Lord of lords, in human vesture,

In the body and the blood;

He will give to all the faithful

His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven

Spreads its vanguard on the way,

As the Light of light descendeth

From the realms of endless day,

Comes the powers of hell to vanquish

As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six winged seraph,

Cherubim with sleepless eye,

Veil their faces to the presence,

As with ceaseless voice they cry:

Alleluia, Alleluia

Alleluia, Lord Most High!

December 21

He Came Down... a video showing the Christmas story to be good and joyful news for all people.

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. (Luke 2:10 NIV)

December 20

In the Bleak Midwinter is based on a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti. The poem was published under the title "A Christmas Carol" in the 1872 and first appeared in The English Hymnal in 1906 with a setting by Gustav Holst.

In verse one, Rossetti describes the physical circumstances of the Incarnation in Bethlehem. In verse two, Rossetti contrasts Christ's first and second coming. The third verse dwells on Christ's birth and describes the simple surroundings, in a humble stable and watched by beasts of burden. Rossetti achieves another contrast in the fourth verse, this time between the incorporeal angels attendant at Christ's birth with Mary's ability to render Jesus physical affection. The final verse shifts the description to a more introspective thought process. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Bleak_Midwinter)

Rendition by Choir of King's College, Cambridge. 

In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan;
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain,
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty —
Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom Cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom Angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.

Angels and Archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air;
But only His Mother
In her maiden bliss
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am? —
If I were a Shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part, —
Yet what I can I give Him, —
Give my heart.

December 19

Meet the Nativity 
A time-travelling comedy where 21st and 1st century Christmases magically collide.

Part 4 of 4 - The Father