Just for Fun: Isn't There Anyone Who Knows What Christmas Is All About?

Special thanks to facebook friend Terry who posted this to my wall.

All for Hymn Christmas Vigil

Beginning tomorrow at 9:00 am CST, All for Hymn will have continuous posts every three hours through 9:00 pm on Christmas Day.

Highlights include:

• Hymns of the Day for all four Christmas Services
  
• Selections from Messiah based on the historic lectionary
• Britten: Ceremony of Carols
• Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Christmas Carols
• Holst: Christmas Day

To all who read All for Hymn here on blogspot and to all who follow All for Hymn on facebook, have a very blessed and peaceful Christmas.  If you need a break from your gatherings, stop on by and have a listen.

Sound of Majesty: Lessons and Carols from King's College in Cambridge

Recorded in 1978, Sound of Majesty will broadcast Lessons and Carols from Cambridge, England on December 24, 2009.

Some local stations have elected to run wall-to-wall Christmas music apart from their regular programming, but if you are reading this you can probably listen via the on-line archive, which is already posted for your convenience.

You can find a direct link to the broadcast here, and a direct link to the program list here.

Adam lay ybounden

Bounden in a bond;

Four thousand winter,

Thought he not too long.

And all was for an apple

An apple that he took.

As clerkes finden,

Written in their book.

Ne had the apple taken been

The apple taken been,

Ne had never our ladie,

Abeen heav'ne queen.

Blessed be the time

That apple taken was,

Therefore we moun singen.

Deo gracias!

2 Cute 2 Wait!

In general, I have been holding back on Christmas songs until, you know, Christmas!

With many of the day school and Sunday school children's programs taking place prior to Christmas Eve, here's a little snippet in advance of one of my favorite children's carols. PS: I still sing along!

Weinachtslieder: The Ones I Didn't Know

There were a couple of German carols Sunday Night that I didn't know.

These are probably well-known in some circles (plenty of youtube videos available), but I think even those fluent in German struggled with this one.

Ich steh an deiner Krippe hier,

O Jesu du mein Leben;

Ich komme, bring und schenke dir,

Was du mir hast gegeben.

Nimm hin, es ist mein Geist und Sinn,

Herz, Seel und Mut, nimm alles hin

Und laß dir's wohlgefallen.

I remain here by Your cradle,

O Jesus my Life;

I come and bring and give to you

What you would have me give

Take it, it is my spirit and senses,

Heart, soul and strength, take all of it

And leave what is pleasing to you.

I believe this it the tune they used Sunday evening.

I am more familiar with this tune, which you might know as "The Day Is Surely Drawing Near." It's an interesting mix for me, a "baby Jesus" text with an "end times" tune. It places one both at the manger and at the second coming. His incarnation and His return meet up this way.

Weinachtslieder: German Christmas Songs

Lieder von "Liederfest zu Weihnachten," Sankt Johannes Kirche, Chicago, Illinois.

Songs featured at the German Christmas Hymnfest at St. John's Lutheran Church (LCMS) Chicago, IL.

These are rough translations. Corrections are welcome in the comment box.

~~~~~

Ihr Kinderlein, kommet, o kommet doch all!

Zur Krippe her kommet in Bethlehems Stall

und seht, was in dieser hochheiligen Nacht

der Vater im Himmel für Freude uns macht!

You little children, come! O come all of you

to the cradle here in Bethlehem's stall! Come

and see, in this holiest night, what

joy the Father in heaven makes for us!

~~~~~

Von Himmel hoch da komm ich her,

Ich bring euch gute neue Maehr;

Der guten Maehr bring ich so viel,

Davon ich sing unt sagen will.

I come here from high heaven,

I bring you good new message;

I bring such a good message

That I will say and sing it!

Es ist der Herr Christ, unser Gott,

Der will euch führ'n aus aller Not,

Er will eu'r Heiland selber sein,

Von allen Sünden machen rein.

This is the Lord Christ, our God,

Who will for you fulfill all needs,

He will always be our Savior

From all sins He makes [us] pure.

~~~~~

Still, still, still,

Weil's Kindlein schlafen will.

Die Englein tun schön jubilieren,

Bei dem Kripplein musizieren.

Still, still, still,

Weil's Kindlein schlafen will.

Quiet, quiet, quiet,

Because baby wants to sleep.

The angels carol beautifully,

Making music by the cradle.

Quiet, quiet, quiet,

Because baby wants to sleep.

~~~~~

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,

Alles schläft; einsam wacht

Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.

Das im stalle zu Bethlehem war,

Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

Quiet night, holy night,

All are sleeping; there is a lone watch

Only by the faithful, holiest couple.

You, in that stall at Bethlehem,

Sleep in heavenly peace!

Sleep in heavenly peace!

~~~~~