Hodie christus natus est lyrics
The rippling harp accompaniment effortlessly carries the singers along their journey during which “ Our Lord harped, our Lady sang. The Ship Carol is a 16th century anonymous Scottish variant of “I Saw Three Ships.” It references the legend of Joseph of Arimathea sailing to England with Jesus, Mary, and various saints in tow, bringing with him the chalice from the Last Supper. ” This lack of sentimentality is apparent in Paulus’s choice of text in the first carol, Jesu’s Lyfelyne, written by a medieval prioress, which resembles more a list describing the genealogy of Jesus than a Christmas carol. In an interview, composer William Mathias described how he (and Paulus) liked “ using medieval words partly because you’re slightly distanced from them, or at least the words are not sentimental. Influenced by his musical heroes, Britten, Messiaen and Poulenc, Paulus’s carols are emotive miniatures based on medieval carols. The arrangement of this beloved song is by Stephen Paulus (1949–2014), a great and highly prolific North American composer in his own right, whose own original work, the Jesu Carols (1985), is next up. The First Nowell is a familiar, traditional classical English/Cornish Christmas carol, most likely dating from the early modern period (first published in 1823), although possibly earlier. The function of life-renewing reflection described above is hinted at in phrases like, “ give the honor to this day … that sees December turn’d to May. The opening harp arpeggios outline a serene, almost pastoral setting that evokes a gentle homecoming, the picture of a community that is gathering to sing carols (“ Awake the voice ! Awake the string !”). 1939) is a modern-day carol, a reflective call to celebrate the Nativity. What Sweeter Music (1970) by North American composer Michael Fink (b. The stories of the Bible naturally lent themselves to such songs, especially the dramatic events surrounding the Nativity. As we know them today, carols are largely a product of the fifteenth century, when religious songs began appearing in the common, everyday languages of the people, instead of in Latin, and familiar folk tunes began replacing the prescribed forms of church music. Times change, however, and today the word carol is exclusively applied to those songs that are sung only at Christmas time. In those days, there were carols for every holiday or special occasion: May Day, Easter, the beginning of Lent, the end of Lent, harvest festivals, all of the individual saints’ days, not to mention the celebrations associated with the coming of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Carols were the popular songs and dances of the time-the folk music, as opposed to the music of the church. The word “carol” is thought to be derived from the medieval French word “ carole ,” which was a round dance in which the dancers formed a close circle.
The A Chorale Christmas program tonight reflects the variegation of impressions that composers of different times and places, all masters of their craft, have created in their own seasonal musings and meditations on Christmas and the Nativity.įirst on our program are some carols. The paradox is that, by joining a community in the pursuit of a common purpose, we stand a good chance of finding ourselves. ” Music adds to the sense of poetry and paradox of the Christmas season in this way. We cling to our individuality, but we experience true ecstasy when we give it up. One becomes a part of something larger than oneself, and something in our makeup rewards us when that happens. As David Byrne recently said about group singing: “ There is a transcendent feeling in being subsumed and surrendering to a group. Choral music is a special form of human expression from a sociological perspective. What’s more, most traditional Christmas music was intended to be sung by more than one singer. Indeed, what better way than music is there to express these complex feelings of joy and sorrow and reverence and humility and symbolism and wonder that is Christmas? We can scarcely imagine Christmas without music. Music has played a vital role in our seasonal celebrations for a long time. Glory, Glory, Glory o the Newborn King – Moses Hogan (1957-2003) In Silent Night – Mitchell Southall (1922-189)
1985)ĭing! Dong! Merrily on High – Howard Helvey (b. Joy to the World – George Frederic Handel (1695-1759) and arr. O Little Town of Bethlehem – Philip Brooks (1831-1908) and arr. Quatre Motets pour le temps de Noël – Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)Īngels We Have Heard on High – Traditional French Carol The First Nowell – Stephen Paulus (1949-2014)