Dear Friends,
On behalf of the Tallis Choir, let me say that we have missed you. We have missed singing, and we have missed singing for you, our audience. Without exception, we are pleased and excited to be able to return to doing something that we all love to do.
As we are still constrained by the rules and procedures in these pandemic times, this concert will be a little different from the norm. Tonight, there will be no intermission and the amount of singing will be a little less than usual. These changes as well as the fact that the choir is masked are being done for everyone’s protection.
While not ideal, nevertheless,we are confident that you will enjoy this selection of music and readings for the season and with that, may I offer you our very best wishes and our thanks for joining us on this, A Christmas Journey.
Peter Mahon
Artistic Director
Tallis Choir
A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY
Readings and music for the Christmas Season
The Lord Will Come and Not Be Slow, John Milton
O Sapientia Vespers Antiphon for the Magnificat on Dec. 17
O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from one end to the other,
mightily and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence
Matin Responsary David Willcocks (1919-2015); after Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (ca. 1525-1594)
I look from afar:
And lo, I see the power of God coming,
And a cloud covering the whole earth.
Go ye out to meet him and say:
Tell us, art thou he that should come
To reign over thy people Israel?
High and low, rich and poor, one with another,
Go ye out to meet him and say:
Hear, O thou Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep,
Tell us, art thou he that should come?
Stir up thy strength, O Lord, and come to reign over thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
This is the Truth sent from Above Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
This is the truth sent from above,
The truth of God, the God of love;
Therefore don’t turn me from your door,
But hearken all both rich and poor.
The first thing which I do relate
Is that God did man create;
The next thing which to you I’ll tell
Woman was made with man to dwell.
And we were heirs to endless woes,
Till God the Lord did interpose;
And so a promise soon did run
That he would redeem us by his Son.
And at that season of the year
Our blest Redeemer did appear;
He here did live, and here did preach,
And may thousands he did teach.
Thus he in love to us behaved,
To show us how we must be saved;
And if you want to know the way,
Be pleased to hear what he did say
– English folk carol, unknown origin
Holy Sonnet XV, John Donne
O Emmanuel Vespers Antiphon for the Magnificat on Dec. 23
O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.
Adam Lay Ybounden Boris Ord (1897-1961)
Adam lay ybounden
Bounden in a bond
Four thousand winters
Thought he not too long
And all was for an apple
An apple that he took
As clerkes finden written in their book
Nay had the apple taken been
The apple taken been
Nay had never our lady
A been heavene queen
Blessed be the time
That apple taken was
Therefore we moun singen
Deo gracias, deo gracias!
–15th cent. English, unknown origin
Gospel of St. John, 1:1-14
Hodie Christus Natus Est Healey Willan (1880-1968)
Today Christ is born:
Today the Savior appeared:
Today on Earth the Angels sing,
Archangels rejoice:
Today the righteous rejoice, saying:
Glory to God in the highest.
Alleluia.
Nesciens Mater Jean Mouton (1459-1522)
Knowing no man, the Virgin mother
bore, without pain,
the Saviour of the world.
Him, the king of angels,
only the Virgin suckled,
breasts filled by heaven.
Before the Paling of the Stars, Christina Georgina Rossetti
A Hymn To The Virgin Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Of one that is so fair and bright,
velut maris stella, (like a star of the sea)
Brighter than the day is light,
parens et puella. (mother and maiden)
I cry to thee, thou see to me,
Lady, pray thy Son for me,
Tam pia, (such a virtuous one)
That I may come to thee.
Maria! (Mary)
All this world was forlorn
Eva peccatrice, (through Eve, the sinner)
Till our Lord was y-born
de te genetrice. (of thee, the mother)
With ave it went away
darkest night, and comes the day
salutis: (of salvation)
The well springeth out of thee
virtutis. (of virtue)
Lady, flow’r of everything,
rosa sine spina, (rose without thorn)
Thou bare Jesu, heaven’s King,
gratia divina: (by divine grace)
Of all that bear’st the prize,
Lady, queen of paradise,
Electa: (chosen one)
Maid mild, mother es
effecta. (you are made)
–Anon. (c. 1300)
Jesus Christ The Apple Tree Elizabeth Poston (1905-1987)
The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit and always green;
The trees of nature fruitless be,
Compared with Christ the Apple Tree.
His beauty doth all things excel,
By faith I know but ne’er can tell
The glory which I now can see,
In Jesus Christ the Appletree.
For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I have bought;
I missed of all but now I see
‘Tis found in Christ the Appletree.
I’m weary with my former toil –
Here I will sit and rest awhile,
Under the shadow I will be,
Of Jesus Christ the Appletree.
With great delight I’ll make my stay,
There’s none shall fright my soul away;
Among the sons of men I see
There’s none like Christ the Appletree.
I’ll sit and eat this fruit divine,
It cheers my heart like spirit’al wine;
And now this fruit is sweet to me,
That grows on Christ the Appletree.
This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the Appletree.
–attrib. Rev. Richard Hutchins (1698-1781)
Lux Arumque Eric Whitacre (1970-)
Light,
warm and heavy as pure gold
and the angels sing softly
to the new-born baby.
–by Edward Esch (pseudonym for Eric Whitacre)
O Magnum Mysterium Morton Lauridsen (1943-)
O great mystery,
and wonderful sacrament,
that animals should see the newborn Lord,
lying in a manger!
Blessed is the virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear
the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Alleluia!
–Responsorial Chant from Christmas Vespers
Journey of The Magi, T.S Eliot
The Three Kings Healey Willan (1880-1968)
“Who knocks tonight so late?”
the weary porter said.
Three kings stood at the gate,
each with a crown on head.
The serving man bowed down,
the Inn was full, he knew.
Said he, “In all this town
is no fit place for you.”
A light in the manger lit;
there lay the Mother meek.
This place is fit.
Here is the rest we seek.
Come, come. They loosed their latchet strings,
so stood they all unshod
“Come in, come in, ye kings,
and kiss the feet of God.
–Laurence Housman (1865-1959)
The Three Kings Peter Cornelius ( 1824-1874)
1. Three Kings from Persian lands afar
To Jordan follow the pointing star:
And this the quest of the travellers three,
Where the new-born King of the Jews may be.
Full royal gifts they bear for the King;
Gold, incense, myrrh are their offering.
How brightly shines the morning star!
With grace and truth from heaven afar
Our Jesse tree now bloweth.
2. The star shines out with a steadfast ray;
The kings to Bethlehem make their way,
And there in worship they bend the knee,
As Mary’s child in her lap they see;
Their royal gifts they show to the King;
Gold, incense, myrrh are their offering.
Of Jacob’s stem and David’s line,
For thee, my Bridegroom, King divine,
My soul with love o’erfloweth.
3. Thou child of man, lo, to Bethlehem
The Kings are travelling, travel with them!
The star of mercy, the star of grace,
Shall lead thy heart to its resting place.
Gold, incense, myrrh thou canst not bring;
Offer thy heart to the infant King.
Thy word, Jesu, Inly feeds us,
Rightly leads us, Life bestowing.
Praise, O praise such love o’erflowing.
Here is the Little Door Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
Here is the little door,
lift up the latch, oh lift!
We need not wander more,
but enter with our gift;
Our gift of finest gold.
Gold that was never bought or sold;
Myrrh to be strewn about his bed;
Incense in clouds about His head;
All for the child that stirs not in His sleep,
But holy slumber holds with ass and sheep.
Bend low about His bed,
For each He has a gift;
See how His eyes awake,
Lift up your hands, O lift!
For gold, He gives a keen-edged sword.
(Defend with it thy little Lord!)
For incense, smoke of battle red,
Myrrh for the honored happy dead;
Gifts for His children, terrible and sweet;
Touched by such tiny hands,
and Oh such tiny feet.
–Frances Chesterton (1869-1938)
Omnes De Saba Jacob Handl (1550-1591)
All they from Saba shall come,
bringing gold and frankincense:
and shewing forth praise to the Lord.
Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem:
for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
Alleluia
–Gradual Chant for Epiphany