Obscure Carols: Truth from Above

Rather than focus on the Christmas account in Luke 2, this carol starts with creation and lays the foundation for the coming Messiah.  There is no mention in this carol of shepherds, wise men, angels, mangers, stables, inns, etc.  Rather, the focus is on why we need a Savior.

I was able to locate nine verses of this carol.  Most settings do not use all of them.

~~~~~

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 will both rich and poor

The first thing that 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 after that, 'twas God's own choice
To place them both in Paradise,
There to remain of evil free
Except they ate of such a tree.

But they did eat, which was a sin,
And so their ruin did begin,
Ruined themselves, both you and me,
And all of their posterity.

Thus we were heirs to endless woes
Till God and 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 blessed Redeemer did appear
He here did live and here did preach
And many 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

Go preach the Gospel new, He said,
To all the nations that are made
And he that does believe in me,
From all his sins I’ll set him free.

God grant to all within this place
True saving faith—that special grace,
Which to His people doth belong—
And thus I close my Christmas song.

0:00 Creator Alme Siderum (Plainsong Chant)

1:28 Truth From Above (Setting by Ralph Vaughan Williams)

3:49 An Early Tree (Setting by William Byrd)

Obscure Carols: The Old Year Now Hath Passed Away

The old year now hath passed away;

We thank Thee, 0 our God, today

That Thou hast kept us through the year

When danger and distress were near.

We pray Thee, 0 eternal Son,

Who with the Father reign'st as One,

To guard and rule Thy Christendom

Through all the ages yet to come.

Take not Thy saving Word away,

Our souls' true comfort, staff, and stay.

Abide with us and keep us free

From errors, following only Thee.

Oh, help us to forsake all sin,

A new and holier course begin!

Mark not what once was done amiss;

A happier, better year be this,

Wherein as Christians we may live

Or die in peace that Thou canst give,

To rise again when Thou shalt come

And enter Thine eternal home.

There shall we thank Thee and adore

With all the angels evermore.

Lord Jesus Christ, increase our faith

To praise Thy name through life and death.

~~~~~

One tune associated with this text is "Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns bend."

~~~~~

Das alte Jahr vergangen ist,

wir danken dir, Herr Jesu Christ,

dass du uns hast in großer G'fahr

so gnädiglich behüt' dies Jahr.

Wir bitten dich, ewigen Sohn

des Vaters in dem höchsten Thron,

du wollst dein arme Christenheit

ferner bewahren allezeit.

Entzieh uns nicht dein heilsamWort,

das ist der Seelen Trost und Hort,

vor falscher Lehr, Abgötterei

bewahr uns, Herr, und steh uns bei.

Hilf, dass wir von der Sünde Bahn

und fromm zu werden fangen an.

der Sünd im alten Jahr nicht denk,

ein gnadenreiches Jahr uns schenk,

Christlich zu leben, seliglich

zu sterben und hernach fröhlich

Am Jüngsten Tage aufzustehn,

mit dir im` Himmel einzugehn,

Zu danken und zu loben dich

mit allen Engeln ewiglich.

O Jesu, unsern Glauben mehr

zu deines Namens Lob und Ehr.

~~~~~

The tune used in Bach's Orgelbuchlein is "Das alte Jahr vergangen ist."

Obscure Carols: Gabriel's Message

Among liturgical traditions Gabriel's Message (also known as The Basque Carol) has had somewhat of a resurgence and found its way into hymnals and hymnal supplements of the last 10 or 15 years.  In the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod the carol appeared in Hymnal Supplement '98 and Lutheran Service Book (2006).

The carol is most appropriate for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, as the Gospel reading for that day is Gabriel's appearance to Mary.

~~~~~

The angel Gabriel from Heaven came, 

His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame; 

All hail,said he,thou lowly maiden Mary, 

Most highly favored lady, Gloria! 

For know a blessèd mother thou shalt be, 

All generations laud and honor thee, 

Thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold, 

Most highly favored lady, Gloria! 

 Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head, 

To me be as it pleaseth God, she said, 

My soul shall laud and magnify His holy name. 

Most highly favored lady, Gloria! 

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born 

In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn, 

And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say— 

Most highly favored lady,Gloria!

Obscure Carols: The Huron Carol

"The Huron Carol" is a new carol to me, courtesy of Facebook friend Jeffrey "The Aslan."

Here's some bullet points from the Wiki article:

• Canada's oldest Christmas song
• Written in 1643 by Jean de Brébeuf
• Brébeuf was a Jesuit missionary at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons in Canada
• Lyrics were in the native language of the Huron/Wendat people
• Original Huron title is "Jesous Ahatonhia" ("Jesus, he is born")
• Melody based on a traditional French folk song, "Une Jeune Pucelle" ("A Young Maid")
• English lyrics were written in 1926 by Jesse Edgar Middleton
• English lyrics derived from Brebeuf's original song and Huron religious concepts
• The hymn also uses a traditional Algonquian name, Gitchi Manitou, for God. 
• The song remains a common Christmas hymn in Canadian churches of many Christian denomination

So there's the interesting one to me. My parents live in Michigan just south of the Huron National Forest. I had never heard of it before this year.  I guess I thought this one would have drifted into Michigan along with Canadian coins.

So here's a video followed by the English lyrics. As I was writing this morning, I couldn't find the original tongue. If you know them, feel free to drop them in the comments.  Finally, look for concepts that may be from the Huron tribe instead in lieu of the biblical account.

~~~~~ 

~~~~~

’Twas in the moon of wintertime,

When all the birds had fled,

That mighty Gitchi Manitou

Sent angel choirs instead;

Before their light the stars grew dim,

And wondering hunters heard the hymn:

 Jesus your King is born,

Jesus is born,

In excelsis gloria.

Within a lodge of broken bark

The tender babe was found,

A ragged robe of rabbit skin

Enwrapped His beauty round;

But as the hunter braves drew nigh,

The angel song rang loud and high:

 Jesus your King is born,

Jesus is born,

In excelsis gloria.

The earliest moon of wintertime

Is not so round and fair

As was the ring of glory on

The helpless Infant there.

The chiefs from far before Him knelt

With gifts of fox and beaver pelt.  

Jesus your King is born,

Jesus is born,

In excelsis gloria.

O children of the forest free,

O seed of Manitou,

The holy Child of earth and Heav’n

Is born today for you.

Come kneel before the radiant Boy,

Who brings you beauty, peace and joy.

 Jesus your King is born,

Jesus is born,

In excelsis gloria.

Obscure Carols: Noel by Brad Holmes

This carol comes from the Congo region and can be heard on the 2011 Christmas broadcast from St. Olaf College. Special thanks to Jonathan Tan at Cantus Mundi for posting this video and the translation. Below is the honors choir from the Michigan School Vocal Music Association. You can check out 2 other groups over on Jonathan's post.

~~~~~

~

Noel! Noel!

Yesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto.

Noel! Noel!

Yesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto

Kana nge zola ku zaba mwana,

Nge fwiti kwisa ku fukama.

Kana nge zola ku zaba mwana,

Nge fwiti kwisa ku fukama.

~

Noel! Noel!

Jesus has come to live with us.

Noel! Noel!

Jesus has come to live with us.

If you want to know the Child,

You have to come kneel.

If you want to know the Child,

You have to come kneel.

Commemoration of the Holy Innocents

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

By, by, lully, lullay.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do,

For to preserve this day

This poor Youngling for Whom we sing

By, by, lully, lullay?

Herod the king, in his raging,

Charged he hath this day

His men of might, in his own sight,

All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!

And ever morn and day

For Thy parting neither say nor sing,

By, by, lully, lullay.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

By, by, lully, lullay

Today marks the Commemoration of the Holy Innocents

~~~

Then Herod,
when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men,
became furious,
and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem
and in all that region who were two years old or under,
according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

(Matthew 2:16-18 ESV)

500th Post: St. John the Evangelist

Well, I've reached the 500th post here on All for Hymn on the Commemoration of St. John the Evangelist.

Around this site you will find a few things of interest for today's commemoration.

First, the complete Passion according to St. John begins here and you can hit "Newer Post" to take you to the next section.

Second, two posts on John 3:16 can be found here and here.

~~~~~

God so loved the world

that He gave His only-begotten Son

that whoso believeth in Him

should not parish

but have everlasting life.

For God sent not His Son 

into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world through Him

might be saved.

God so loved the world

that He gave His only-begotten Son

that whoso believeth in Him

should not parish

but have everlasting life.

~~~~~

~~~~~

Thanks to everyone who has been following the blog.  Have a blessed Christmas Season and New Year.  Daily posts can be found on my personal facebook page. If you "friend" me on facebook, please send a PM along with the request noting that you read the blog.