Song Cycle by John Rutter (1945-)

1. Angelus ad virginem

Authorship

by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , 14^th century

Angelus ad virginem Subintrans in conclave,
Virginis formidinem Demulcens inquit
« Ave! Ave, regina virginum;
Caeli terraeque Dominum Concipies
Et paries Intacta Salutem hominum;
Tu porta caeli facta, Medela criminum. »
 
Th'angel to the Virgin said, Ent'ring into her bower,
For dread of quaking of this maid,
He said "Hail" with great honoure.
"Hail!" be thou queen of maidens mo,
Lord of heaven and earth also,
Conceive thou shalt,
And bear with al the Lord of might,
Heal of all mankind.
He will make the gate of heaven bright,
Med'çine of all our sin."
 
"Quo modo conciperem Qyae virum non cognovi?
Qualiter infringerem
Quod firmamente vovi?"
Spiritus Sancti gratia
Perficiet haec omnia;
Netimeas, Sed gaudeas, se curea Quod castimonia
Manebit in te pura, Dei potentia."

2. A virgin most pure

Authorship

by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , traditional

A virgin most pure, as the prophets do tell,
Harth brought forth a baby, as it hath befel,
To be our Redeemer from death, hell, and sin
Which Adam's transgression hath wrapped us in.
 
Aye and therefore be merry, rejoice and be you merry
Set sorrows aside;
Christ Jesus our Saviour was born on this tide.
 
At Bethlem in Jewry a city there was,
Where Joseph and Mary together did pass,
And there to be taxed with many one mo',
For Caesar commanded the same should be so:
Aye and therefore be merry, rejoice and be you merry
Set sorrows aside;
Christ Jesus our Saviour was born on this tide.
 
But when they had ent'red the city so fair,
A number of people so mighty was there,
That Joseph and Mary, whose substance was small,
Could find in the inn there no lodging at all.
Aye and therefore be merry, rejoice and be you merry
Set sorrows aside;
Christ Jesus our Saviour was born on this tide.
 
Then they were constrain'd in a stable to lie,
Where oxen and asses they used for to tie;
Their lodging so simple, the held it no scorn,
But against the next morning our Saviour was born:
Aye and therefore be merry, rejoice and be you merry
Set sorrows aside;
Christ Jesus our Saviour was born on this tide.
 
The King of all glory to the world being brought,
Small store of fine linen to wrap him was sought;
And when she had swaddled her young son so sweet,
Within an oxmanger she laid him to sleep:
Aye and therefore be merry, rejoice and be you merry
Set sorrows aside;
Christ Jesus our Saviour was born on this tide.
 
Then God sent an angel from heaven so high,
To certain poor shepherds in fields where they lie,
And bade them no longer in sorrow to stay,
Because that our Saviour was born on this day.
Aye and therefore be merry, rejoice and be you merry
Set sorrows aside;
Christ Jesus our Saviour was born on this tide.
 
Then presently after, the shepherds did spy
A number of angels that stood in the sky;
They joyfully talked, and sweetly did sing,
To God be all glory, our heavenly King.
Aye and therefore be merry, rejoice and be you merry
Set sorrows aside;
Christ Jesus our Saviour was born on this tide.

3. Personent hodie

Authorship

by Bible or other Sacred Texts , from Piae Cantiones, published 1582

Personent hodie Voces puerulae,
Laudantes jucunde Qui nobis est natus, Summo Deo datus,
Et de vir, vir, vir, Et de virgineo ventre procreatus.
 
In mundo nascitur, Pannis involvitur, Praesipi ponitur
Stabulo brutorum, Rector supernorum.
Perdidit, -dit, -dit, Perdidit, -dit, dit, spolia princeps infernorum.
 
Magitres venerunt, Parvulum inquirunt, Bethlehem adeunt,
Stellulam sequendo, Ipsum adorando,
Aurum thus, thus, thus, Aurum thus, thus, thus,
Aurum, thus, et myrrham ei offerendo.
Omnes clericuli, Pariter pueri, Canent ut angeli:
Advenisti mundo, Laudes tibi fundo.
Ideo, -o, -o, Ideo, -o, -o,
Ideo gloria in excelsis Deo.

4. There is no rose

Authorship

by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist

See other settings of this text

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.

[ ... ]

5. Coventry carol

Authorship

by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , from the Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors, 15^th century

Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child,
By, by lullay, thou little tiny child,
By, by, lully, lullay
 
Os, sisters too, How may we do
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling
For whom we do sing,
By, by, lully lullay?
 
Herod the king, In his raging,
Charged he hath this day His men of might,
In his own sight, All young children to slay.
That woe is me, Poor child for thee!
And ever morn and day, For thy parting,
Neither say nor sing By by, lully lullay!
Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child,
By, by lullay, thou little tiny child,
By, by, lully, lullay

6. Tomorrow shall be my dancing day

Authorship

by Volkslieder (Folksongs) , a Cornish carol from Sandys, Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern, published 1833

See other settings of this text

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day,
I would my true love did so chance
To see the legend of my plays, 
To call my true love to the dance.
Sing oh my love, oh my love, my love, my love,
This have I done for my true love.

Then was I born of a Virgin pure,
Of her I took fleshly substance:
Then was I knit to man's nature,
To call my true love to my dance.
Sing oh my love, oh my love, my love, my love,
This have I done for my true love.

In a manger laid and wrapp'd I was,
So very poor this was my chance,
Betwixt an ox and a silly poor ass,
To call my true love to the dance.
Sing oh my love, oh my love, my love, my love,
This have I done for my true love.

[ ... ]

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