A frosty Christmas Eve (Bridges, set by R. Milford, G. Finzi) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


A frosty Christmas eve
When the stars were shining
Fared I forth alone,
Where westward falls the hill
And from many a village
In the water'd valley,
Distant music reached me
Peals of bells were ringing
The constellated sounds,
Ran sprinkling on earth's floor
As the dark vault above,
With stars was spangled o'er.

Then sped my thoughts to keep,
That first Christmas of all
When the shepherds watching
By their folds ere the dawn,
Heard music in the fields
And marveling could not tell
Whether it were angels
Or the bright stars singing.
 
Now blessed be the towers,
That crown England so fair,
That stand up strong in prayer,
Unto God for our souls:
Blessed be their founders,
And our country folk
Who are ringing for Christ
In the belfries tonight
With arms lifted to clutch
The rattling ropes that race
Into the dark above
And the mark romping din.
 
But to be heard afar
It was [starry]¹ music.
Angels song comforting,
As the comfort of Christ
When He spoke tenderly,
To His sorrowful flock:
The old words came to me,
By the riches of time
Mellow'd and transfigured,
As I stood on the ill,
Hark'ning  in the aspect
Of the eternal silence

View text without footnotes
¹ "heavenly" ?

Input by Ferdinando Albeggiani

Authorship

Robert Seymour Bridges (1844-1930)

The Times

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

Robin Humphrey Milford (1903-1959)

Text is used as part of a longer work

Gerald Finzi (1901-1956)

full setting text

Date added to the website: 2008-07-04.

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