Love it!
By Richard Rodney Bennett (I just read that he passed away yesterday)
BPMC Handbell Choir
Mitt Hjerte Alltid Vanker
Arve Moen Bergset, voice
The translation is below. Note the inclusion of more than Christmas … at least for me. The palm leaves speak to me of what is to come.
My heart doth always wander
To Jesus’ manger bed.
His lowly birth I ponder;
To Him my thoughts are led.
My yearning finds assurance,
And faith renews so bright,
When I recall with reverence
That blessed Christmas night.
Ah come, dear Lord, be with me.
And in my heart reside.
Sweet comfort Thou shalt give me;
Come, Jesus, here abide.
To my heart be no stranger–
Thy home it e’er shall be.
And as within the manger
My love shall cradle Thee.
Thy holy crib I’ll honor
And round it palm leaves lay.
To Thee alone, dear Savior,
I give my life each day.
Come, grant me heav’nly pleasure
And true delight impart.
For Thou art my soul’s treasure,
Born deep within my heart.
Straight from the YouTube page:
Sir Colin Davis conducts the London Symphony Orchestra, Susan Gritton, Sara Mingardo, Mark Padmore, Alastair Miles and the Tenebrae choir performing Handel’s Messiah. bit.ly/OSVpV Recorded in December 2006.
Dan Forrest: There is Faint Music
University of Utah Singers
There is faint music in the night,
And pale wings fanned by silver flight;
A frosty hill with tender glow
Of countless stars that shine on snow.
A shelter from the winter storm,
A straw-lined manger, safe and warm,
And Mary crooning lullabies,
To hush her Baby’s sleepy sighs.
Her eyes are rapt upon His Face,
Unheeded here is time and space;
Her heart filled with blinding joy,
For God’s own Son–her little Boy!
Nancy Buckley
Z. Randall Stroope: All My Heart This Night Rejoices
Concert Choir: University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
I mean it!
From the site:
How does he do it? Composer of Performance Today’s Piano Puzzler Bruce Adolphe answered an unusual request from the brass section of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra: write a special piece of music that combines our favorite Christmas tunes and our favorite opera arias. He called it Santa & Isolde. How many melodies do you recognize?
If you aren’t familiar with the piano puzzler you really should check it out. Bruce Adolphe is amazing!
A Take Six cover:
Straight from the YouTube page:
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Accent! Cedric Dent arranged this masterpiece for Take 6′s 1991 release, “He Is Christmas.” It is a BEAST, needless to say. It was tough to turn down a special request for this video because the requester, John McMahon, transcribed the arrangement and sent it to us. His transcription was so spot-on that we couldn’t wait to record it. Thanks, John!
We shifted the singers around a bit for this one:
Tenor 1 – Jean-Baptiste Craipeau, France
(www.youtube.com/jbcraipeau)
Tenor 2 – Danny Fong, Canada
(www.youtube.com/daniscool99)
Tenor 3 – Sam Robson, United Kingdom
(www.youtube.com/traanncce)
Tenor 4 – Andrew Kesler, Canada
(www.youtube.com/andrewkesler)
Baritone – James Rose, United Kingdom
(www.youtube.com/jrosejazz)
Bass – Evan Sanders, USA
(www.youtube.com/strad43)
We are an international virtual sextet. We’ve never sung together in person.
Download this track for free!
Straight from the YouTube page:
Matthew Culloton, Conducts The Singers, as they perform Abbie Betinis’ arrangement of In the Bleak Midwinter. Soloists are Sarah Frederickson, soprano; Lynette Johnson, alto;
Min Kim, Harp. Uploaded by permission of the publisher, Abbie Betinis Music Co. (www.abbiebetinis.com).
Still, Still, Still – arr. Matthew Culloton
Silent Night
KIEV-BRASS
O. Gjeilo: Magnum Mysterium
Sofia Vokalensemble; Sergej Bolkhovets
O great mystery,
and wonderful sacrament,
that animals should see the new-born Lord,
lying in a manger!
Blessed is the Virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear
Christ the Lord.
Alleluia!
Ryan Zwahlen, English horn
Sakura Tsai, violin
Dave Mergen, cello
Stephen Pfeifer, bass
Jeanette Louise Yaryan, piano/arranger
it’s so sweet!
Cherry Tree Carol
Joseph Carrillo, instruments
