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Twenty-Five Carols in Twenty-Five Days, Day 12, O Jesus Christ, Your Manger Is
You will probably not hear this carol on the radio (unless you are listening to The Lutheran Hour). O Jesus Christ, Your Manger Is (CW 40) is a hymn by Paul Gerhardt, who was one of the greatest Lutheran hymn writers of all … Continue reading
Twenty-Five Carols in Twenty-Five Days, Day 11, Now Sing We, Now Rejoice / In Dulci Jubilo
Along with Biblical mystery plays, people were taught Bible stories through folk hymns. Some of these folk hymns mixed the Latin phrases people would have heard in church with words in the language of the people. In dulci jubilo / Now … Continue reading
Twenty-Five Carols in Twenty-Five Days, Day 10, Lully, Lullay, Thou Little Tiny Child (Coventry Carol)
Amid all the sweetness there is always some bitterness. So it is in the history of Christ’s birth. Some time after the shepherds depart, the Wise Men (or Magi) come from the east and inform King Herod of their quest … Continue reading
Twenty-Five Carols in Twenty-Five Days, Day 9, Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming / Behold, a Branch is Growing
Ah! One of the sweetest tunes of Christmas! So we’ll start with the tune. The tune was arranged in it’s present form by Michael Praetorius, a German composer who wrote both secular and sacred music about a hundred years before … Continue reading
Twenty-Five Carols in Twenty-Five Days, Day 8, Joy to the World, the Lord is Come
A little hymn history… At the time of the Reformation, many were asking the questions, “What should we do now?” “How should we worship?” There were some like Martin Luther who said, “Any art or music that carries the gospel should … Continue reading
Twenty-Five Carols in Twenty-Five Days, Day 7, In the Bleak Mid-Winter
In the Bleak Mid-Winter is a reflective carol by prolific hymn writer and poet Christina Rosetti. It is reflective both on the Nativity of our Lord and on the state of sin in the world at the time of the birth … Continue reading
Twenty-Five Carols in Twenty-Five Days, Day 6, Go, Tell It on the Mountain
Go, Tell It on the Mountain (CW 57) is an African-American Spiritual carol. Mostly narrative, recalling the shepherds telling what they had heard and seen. I’d say this carol is mostly celebratory. If you’ve ever directed a Christmas program, you … Continue reading
Twenty-Five Carols in Twenty-Five Days, Day 4, From Heaven Above to Earth I Come
From Heaven Above to Earth I Come (CW 38) was written by Martin Luther, and we also know that it was written to be part of a Christmas play. The angel sings to the shepherds, “From heaven above to earth I … Continue reading
Twenty-Five Carols in Twenty-Five Days, Day 3, Cold December Flies Away (Noel X)
Cold December flies away at the rose red splendor. April’s crowning glory breaks while the whole world wonders. At the holy unseen power of the tree which bears the flower. On the blessed tree blooms the saddest flower, On the … Continue reading
Twenty-Five Carols in Twenty-Five Days, Day 2, Away in a Manger
For many years, Away in a Manger (CW 68) was mislabeled as “Luther’s cradle hymn.”* It’s really an American carol first published in the late 1800s. Away in a Manger is a reflective Christmas prayer. “Stay by my side until morning is … Continue reading
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