Twelve Days of Christmas

Day 2 - A Christmas Carol (Christ-child lay on Mary's lap)

Today's carols are settings of a poem by G.K. Chesterton. So . . . a little background on G.K. Chesterton by Mike Piff of the University of Sheffield:

G.K. Chesterton was born in London, England in 1874. Though he considered himself a mere "rollicking journalist," he was actually a prolific and gifted writer in virtually every area of literature (he published 69 books during his lifetime). A man of strong opinions and enormously talented at defending them, his exuberant personality nevertheless allowed him to maintain warm friendships with people such as George Bernard Shaw and H. G. Wells, with whom he vehemently disagreed. His poetry runs the gamut from the comic, to dark and serious. His poem A Christmas Carol was published in the collection The Wild Knight and Other Poems (1900). 

Chesterton's A Christmas Carol (like the poem Away in a Manger), has inspired numerous composers to set its simple, yet profound, words. In true Chesterton fashion, A Christmas Carol invites us to contemplate the Incarnation of Mary with the simplicity and awe of a child, without neglecting the depth of the mystery. (additional notes thanks to the Chesterton Academy)

A Christmas Carol

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s lap,

His hair was like a light.

(O weary, weary were the world,

But here is all aright.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s breast,

His hair was like a star.

(O stern and cunning are the kings,

But here the true hearts are.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s heart,

His hair was like a fire.

(O weary, weary is the world,

But here the world’s desire.)

The Christ-child stood on Mary’s knee,

His hair was like a crown,

And all the flowers looked up at Him,

And all the stars looked down.

Today's music is very different from any other that we've featured to date. Each version is a different musical setting, by a different composer; each a different inspiration, a unique vision of Chesterton's beautiful words.

The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap - Mark Nowakowski / Vos Omnes Virtual Choir

The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap - Colin Mawby / Chamber Choir of Ireland

The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap - John Bradley / Musica Sacra

The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap - Kenneth Leighton / USU Chamber Singers

The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap - Dan Locklair

Twelve Days (Before) Christmas

Day 5 - A Christmas Carol (Charles Ives)

Maybe not the last person, but probably way down on the list of people who you'd think of when considering composers of Christmas music, would be Charles Ives. An "American Iconoclast," "the first American composer to successfully abandon the European music tradition," a "flinty New Englander" with a "stubborn willfulness to grab a moment." These are not descriptions that would lead us to a piece of music suitable for the Christmas season. Yet, as with all things Ives, there's always some surprise to be found in a quiet corner.

Ives' song, A Christmas Carol, probably dates from Christmas 1894. The poem is Ives’s own and the berceuse-like rhythm and devotional atmosphere establish parallels with many another carols. A peaceful, beautiful contemplation.

Little star of Bethlehem!
Do we see Thee now?
Do we see Thee shining
O’er the tall trees?
Little Child of Bethlehem!
Do we hear thee in our hearts?
Hear the Angels singing:
Peace on earth, good will to men!
Noel!

O’er the cradle of a King,
Hear the Angels sing:
In Excelsis Gloria, Gloria!
From his Father’s home on high,
Lo! for us He came to die;
Hear the Angels sing:
Venite adoremus Dominum.

Ives: A Christmas Carol - Ian Howell, countertenor