A Carol

These past two days at work have been amazing.

My students gave a Christmas recital in which they performed infront of their class and many of their parents. I loved hearing their sweet, pure voices sing the wonderful story of the incarnation and what it means for humanity. This is the cool part about my job: because most music written before the 18th century was written in and for the church, it is perfectly acceptable for me to choose a song that completely expounds the Gospel and teach it. Not only teach them how to sing it beautifully, but teach them what the words and context means. I mean, you surely shouldn't sing something that you don't understand....right?

This is why I LOVE teaching Christmas Carols. Good, Gospelly Christmas Carols. I am going to be posting a new Christmas Carol everyday for you to read (if anyone besides Chris reads this). Read all the verses, because so often we only know the first verse, but almost always, the poems grow deeper in meaning and beauty. I hope it will be encouraging to you.

If you want to listen to the song while you read it I suggest:
For a more Classical arrangement download the version by Robert Shaw from iTunes or
for a more original arrangement, try Sujan Stevens.

Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
a Traditional German melody text by Kölner Gesangbuch, 1599
English Translation by Theodore Baker, 1894

"Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming
from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming,
as men of old have sung.

It came, a flow'ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half-spent was the night.

Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind,
With Mary we behold it,
The Virgin Mother kind.

To show God's love aright,
She bore to men a Saviour
When half-spent was the night.

This Flow'r, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness ev'rywhere.

True man, yet very God;
From sin and death He saves us,
And lightens ev'ry load."