CURRENT PERFORMANCE
CANDLELIGHT:
Voices of Concinnity
DIGITAL PROGRAM
(Click for a pdf)
TEXT & TRANSLATIONS
We Look for You
(Evensong – Raag Hamsadhwani)
from A Winter Breviary
Composed by Reena Esmail
Text by Rebecca Gayle Howell
Eventide, our single star,
One looking star, this night.
Next to me, the sparrow hen,
Two pilgrims small and bold.
Dusking hour, that lonely hour
The sky dims blue to grey.
Our forest road will fade,
We look for You.
Pines glisten wet with sleet,
She looks with me,
We look for You.
Fog falls in
So close, my breath,
She looks with me,
We look for You:
Great Silent One Unseen,
We look for You.
Eventide, our single star,
One looking star, this night.
We look for You,
Forgiving light, our guide.
The Year’s Midnight (Matins – Raag Malkauns)
from A Winter Breviary
Composed by Reena Esmail
Text by Rebecca Gayle Howell
The longest night is come,
A matins for beasts, they low, they kneel,
O, their sleep, their psalm sung.
A matins for trees, they slow, they stem,
O, their reach, their psalm won.
Hush, hush,
Can I hear them?
Can I hear what is not said?
Hush, hush,
Can I hear You?
Ev'ry need met.
To light, the path is dark,
Our star has gone.
Beneath my feet a year of leaves fallen, frozen, done.
I walk these woods,
The longest night is come,
Above me, the sparrow,
She brings our new seed home.
Brown true sparrow,
Take tomorrow home.
Northern Lights
Composed by Ola Gjeilo
Latin Text:
Pulchra es amica mea,
suavis et decora sicut Jerusalem,
terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata.
Averte oculos tuos a me
quia ipsi me avolare fecerunt.
Translation:
Thou art beautiful, O my love,
sweet and comely as Jerusalem,
terrible as an army set in array.
Turn away thy eyes from me,
for they have made me flee awa
Shchedryk
Composed by Mykila Leontovych
Ukrainian Text:
Щедрик, щедрик, щедрівочка,
Прилетіла ластівочка,
Стала собі щебетати,
Господаря викликати.
Вийди, вийди, господарю,
Подивися на кошару.
Там овечки покотились,
А ягнички народились.
В тебе товар весь хороший,
Будеш мати мірку грошей, ]
Хоч не гроші, то полова,
В тебе жінка чорноброва.
Translation:
Carol, carol, little carol:
a little swallow has flown in.
She perched herself to chirp,
and to call out the master of the house.
"Come out, come out, master of the house,
take a look in your sheep stall.
There ewes have rolled over,
and lambkins have been born.
You have goods aplenty,
you'll have lots of money.
And if not money, then you’ll have grain:
You have a dark-eyed wife.”
Carol, carol, little carol,
a little swallow has flown in.
Audience sings this song with Concinnity:
Carol of the Bells
Composed by Mykola Leontovich
arr. by Peter J. Wihousky
Hark! how the bells, sweet silver bells
All seem to say "Throw cares away."
Christmas is here, bringing good cheer
To young and old, meek and the bold
Ding, dong, ding, dong, that is their song
With joyful ring, all caroling
One seems to hear, words of good cheer
From ev'rywhere, filling the air
Oh, how they pound, raising the sound
O'er hill and dale, telling their tale
Joyf'ly they ring, while people sing
Songs of good cheer, christmas is here
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
On-on they send, on without end
Their joyful tone to ev'ry home
O nata lux
Composed by Thomas Tallis
Latin Text:
O nata lux de lumine,
Jesu redemptor saeculi,
Dignare clemens supplicum
Laudes precesque sumere.
Qui carne quondam contegi
Dignatus es pro perditis,
Nos membra confer effici
Tui beati corporis.
Translation:
O Light born of Light,
Jesus, redeemer of the world,
with loving-kindness deign to receive
suppliant praise and prayer.
Thou who once deigned to be clothed in flesh
for the sake of the lost,
grant us to be members
of thy blessed body.
Ave regina coelorum
Composed by Isabella Leonarda
Latin Text:
Ave Regina coelorum,
Ave Domina Angelorum:
Salve radix, salve porta, [or Salve, radix sancta,]
Ex qua mundo lux est orta:
Gaude Virgo gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa,
Vale, o valde decora,
Et pro nobis Christum [semper] exora.
Translation:
Hail, Queen of Heaven.
Hail, Lady of Angels
Hail, root, hail, gate [hail, holy root]
From whom unto the world a light has arisen:
Rejoice, glorious Virgin,
Lovely beyond all others,
Farewell, most beautiful maiden,
And [ever] pray for us to Christ.
O nata lux
Composed by Anna Lapwood
Latin Text:
O nata lux de lumine,
Jesu redemptor saeculi,
Dignare clemens supplicum
Laudes precesque sumere.
Qui carne quondam contegi
Dignatus es pro perditis,
Nos membra confer effici
Tui beati corporis.
Translation:
O Light born of Light,
Jesus, redeemer of the world,
with loving-kindness deign to receive
suppliant praise and prayer.
Thou who once deigned to be clothed in flesh
for the sake of the lost,
grant us to be members
of thy blessed body.
Peace, gentle peace
from Coronation Ode, Op. 44
Composed by Edward Elgar
Text by Arthur Christopher Benson
Peace, gentle Peace, who, smiling through thy tears, Returnest, when the sounds of war are dumb, Replenishing the bruised and broken earth,
And lifting motherly her shattered form;
When comest thou? Our brethren long for thee.
Thou dost restore the darkened light of home, Give back the father to his children’s arms; Thou driest tenderly the mourner’s tears, And all thy face is lit with holy light;—
Our earth is fain for thee! Return and come!
Audience sings part of this song with Concinnity:
Alleluia, Rejoice!
arr. J. Edmund Hughes
O come, O come, Emmanuel
Hodie Christus Natur est
And ransom captive Israel
Hodie Salvator apparuit
That mourns in lonely exile here
Hodie in terra canunt Angeli
Until the Son of God appear
Hodie exultant justi dicentes
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Gloria in excelsis Deo, Alleluia.
Shall come to thee, O Israel
When invited by the tenors, the audience sings:
Jul, jul, strålande jul
Composed by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustaf_Nordqvist
Swedish Text:
Jul, jul, strålande jul, glans över vita skogar,
himmelens kronor med gnistrande ljus,
glimmande bågar i alla Guds hus,
psalm som är sjungen från tid till tid,
eviga längtan till ljus och frid!
Jul, jul, strålande jul, glans över vita skogar!
Kom, kom, signade jul! Sänk dina vita vingar,
över stridernas blod och larm,
över all suckan ur människobarm,
över de släkten som gå till ro,
över de ungas dagande bo!
Kom, kom, signade jul, sänk dina vita vingar!
Translation:
Christmas, Christmas, glorious Christmas: shine over white forests,
heavenly crowns with sparkling lights,
glimmering arcs in the houses of God,
hymns that are sung throughout the ages,
eternal longing for light and peace!
Christmas, Christmas, glorious Christmas, shine over white forests!
Come, come, blessed Christmas: lower your white wings,
over the battlefield’s blood and cry,
over the breaths from the bosoms of men,
over the loved ones who’ve gone to their rest,
over the daybreak of newborn life!
Come, come, blessed Christmas: lower your white wings!
How splendid shines the morning star
Adapted by Gregory W. Brown
for Voices of Concinnity
Text and tune: The Southern Harmony (Lowry)
How splendid shines the morning star,
God's gracious light from darkness far,
The root of Jesse blessed.
Thou David's ons of Jess's stem,
my bridegroom, King, and wondrous Lamb,
Thou hast my heart possessed.
Sweetly, friendly O thou handsome,
Precious ransom full of graces
Set and kept in heavenly paces.
Though circled by the hosts on high,
He deigned to cast a pitying eye,
Upon his helpless creature.
The whole creation's head and Lord,
By the highness seraphim adored.
Assumed our very nature.
Jesus grant us through they merit,
To inherit thy salvation,
Hear, O hear, our supplication.
Rejoice ye heavens, thou earth reply,
With praise, ye sinners fill the sky,
For this his Incarnation.
Incarnate God, put forth thy power
Ride on, ride on great conqueror.
Till all know thy salvation.
Amen Alleluia, praise be given by earth and heaven.
Bethlehem Down
Composed by Peter Warlock
Text: Bruce Blunt
When He is King we will give him the King's gifts,
Myrrh for its sweetness, and gold for a crown,
"Beautiful robes", said the young girl to Joseph
Fair with her first-born on Bethlehem Down.
Bethlehem Down is full of the starlight
Winds for the spices, and stars for the gold,
Mary for sleep, and for lullaby music
Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold.
When He is King they will clothe Him in grave-sheets,
Myrrh for embalming, and wood for a crown,
He that lies now in the white arms of Mary
Sleeping so lightly on Bethlehem Down.
Here He has peace and a short while for dreaming,
Close-huddled oxen to keep Him from cold,
Mary for love, and for lullaby music
Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold.
The Lamb
Composed by Melinda Bargreen
Text: William Blake
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Gave thee life & bid thee feed.
By the stream & o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing wooly bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice!
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Little Lamb I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb I'll tell thee!
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb:
He is meek & he is mild,
He became a little child:
I a child & thou a lamb,
We are called by his name.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
Coventry Carol
arr. by B.E. Boykin
from the Pageant of the Shearmen & Tailors (16th c.)
Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child
Bye, bye, lully, lullay
Lullay, thou little tiny Child
Bye, bye, lully, lullay
O sisters too, how may we do
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we do sing
Bye, bye, lully, lullay
Herod, the king, in his raging
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his owne sight
All young children to slay
That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever mourn and say
For thy parting neither say nor sing
Bye, bye, lully, lullay
Audience sings this song with Concinnity:
My Guardian Angel
Composed by Judith Weir
Text by William Blake
The Angel that pressed o'er my birth
Said, "Little Creat, form'd of Joy & Mirth,
Go Love without the help of anything on earth."
Audience will repeat this throughout the whole song:
Love came down at Christmas
Composed by Eleanor Daley
Text by Christina Rossetti
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.
Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, love divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?
Love shall be our token,
Love shall be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and to all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.