1. Procession
Language:
English
Authorship
Based on
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Today Christ is born;
Today the Saviour has appeared;
Today the angels sing,
The archangels rejoice,
Today the righteous rejoice, saying:
Glory be to God in the highest.
Alleluia!
Input by Tom White
2. Wolcum Yole!
Language:
English
Authorship
Wolcum be thou hevenè king. Wolcum Yole!
Wolcum, born in one morning. Wolcum for whom we sall sing.
Wolcum be ye Stevene and Jon. Wolcum Innocentes everyone.
Wolcum, Thomas marter one. Wolcum, be ye, Good Newe Yere.
Wolcum, seintes lefe and dere, Wolcum Yole! Wolcum!
Candelmesse, Quene of bliss. Wolcum bothe to more and lesse.
Wolcum be ye that are here. Wolcum Yole!
Wolcum alle and make good cheer. Wolcum alle another yere.
Wolcum Yole! Wolcum!
Input by Tom White
3. There is no rose
Language:
English
Authorship
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There is no rose of such virtue
As is the rose that bare Jesu:
Alleluya.
For in this rose contained was
Heaven and earth in little space:
Res miranda.
By that rose we may well see
That he is God in person three:
Pari forma.
The angels sung the shepherds to:
"Gloria in excelsis Deo",
Gaudeamus.
Leave we all this worldly mirth,
And follow we this joyful birth:
Transeamus.
Input by Thomas Jaenicke
4a. That yongë child
Language:
English
Authorship
That yongë child when it gan weep
With song she lulled him asleep;
That was so sweet a melody
It passèd alle minstrelsy.
The nightingalë sang also:
Her song is hoarse and nought thereto:
Whoso attendeth to her song
And leaveth the first then doth he wrong.
Input by Tom White
4b. Balulalow
Language:
English
Authorship
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O my deir hert, young Jesus sweit,
Prepare thy creddil in my spreit,
And I sall rock thee in my hert
And never mair from thee depart.
But I sall praise thee evermoir
With sangis sweit unto thy gloir;
The knees of my heart sall I bow,
And sing that richt Balulalow!
5. As dew in Aprille
Language:
English
Authorship
I sing of a maiden that is makèles1:
King of all kings to her son she ches2.
He came al so stille there his moder was,
As dew in Aprille that falleth on the grass.
He came al so stille to his moder bour3,
As dew in Aprille that falleth on the flour4.
He came al so stille there his moder lay,
As dew in Aprille that falleth on the spray.
Moder and mayden was never none but she;
Well may such a lady Goddes moder be.
View text without footnotes
1 matchless
2 chose
3 bower
4 flower
Input by Tom White
6. This little babe
Language:
German
Authorship
This little Babe so few days old is come to rifle Satan's fold;
All hell doth at his presence quake though he himself for cold do shake;
For in this weak unarmèd wise the gates of hell he will surprise.
With tears he fights and wins the field, his naked breast stands for a shield;
His battering shot are babish cries, his arrows looks of weeping eyes,
His martial ensigns Cold and Need and feeble Flesh his warrior's steed.
His camp is pitchèd in a stall, his bulwark but a broken wall;
The crib his trench, haystacks his stakes; of shepherds he his muster makes;
And thus, as sure his foe to wound, the angels' trump alarum sound.
My soul, with Christ join thou in fight, stick to the tents that he hath pight.
Within his crib is surest ward, this little Babe will be thy guard.
If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy, then flit not from this heavenly Boy
Input by Tom White
7. Interlude (Harp Solo)
[--- Tacet ---]
8. In freezing winter night
Language:
English
Authorship
Behold, a silly tender babe in freezing winter night,
In homely manger trembling lies; alas, a piteous sight!
The inns are full, no man will yield this little pilgrim bed.
But forced he is with silly beast, in crib to shroud his head.
This stable is a Prince's court, this crib his chair of State;
The beast are parcel of his pomp, this wooden dish his plate.
The persons in that poor attire his royal liveries wear;
The Prince himself is come from Heav'n; this pomp is prizèd there.
With joy approach o Christian wight, do homage to thy King;
And highly praise his humble pomp, wich he from Heav'n doth bring.
Input by Tom White
9. Spring carol
Language:
English
Authorship
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Pleasure it is to hear iwis, the birdís sing.
The deer in the dale, the sheep in the vale, the corn springing.
God's purveyance for sustenance, it is for man, it is for man.
Then we always to Him give praise, and thank Him then.
Input by Ted Perry
10. Deo gracias
Language:
English
Authorship
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Adam lay ybounden1,
Bounden in a bond,
Four thousand winter
Thought he not too long;
And all was for an apple,
An apple that he took,
As clerkës finden
Written in their book.
Né had [one]2 apple taken been,
The apple taken been,
Né had never Our Lady
A been Heaven's Queen.
Blessèd be the time
That apple takèn was.
Therefore we moun singen:
Deo gratias!
View text without footnotes
1 Britten uses "Deo gracias! Deo gracias!" as the opening line and repeats it throughout.
2Ireland: "the"
11. Recession
Language:
English
Authorship
Based on
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Today Christ is born;
Today the Saviour has appeared;
Today the angels sing,
The archangels rejoice,
Today the righteous rejoice, saying:
Glory be to God in the highest.
Alleluia!
Input by Tom White
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