When the editors of the Praise to God parish hymnal, stepped away from the major prior hymn books for inspiration, they frequently turned to the Weston Priory and Gregory Norbet.
From their collection Locusts and Wild Honey they found four songs. I’ve blogged the title track here, and this Christmas song is one of the other three. The songbook is still in print and available from the priory. The lyrics, which I got from their site, have a fifth verse not in PTG.
Refrain:
A child is born for us today, alleluia.
He is our Saviour and our God, alleluia.
- Let our hearts resound with joy
and sing a song of gladness
for the Lord our brother is come
and we are redeemed.- Tell the world of our good news:
Jesus the Christ is among us,
and his presence we celebrate
offering peace and our joy to all.- Christ is born, the Christ has come!
Sing everyone: Alleluia!
Caught in wonder at this birth
we worship God become man for us.- Glory to God, born today
of the Virgin Mary,
in a cave at Bethlehem.
Is there room in our lives for him?- His name shall be Emmanuel:
God who lives among us.
Angels sing and shepherds cry:
born is the savior our Lord.
Copyright © (1971), from the recording “Locusts and Wild Honey”,
The Benedictine Foundation of the State of Vermont, Inc.,
Weston Priory, Weston, Vermont.
The instructions on the music say “lively”, and I’ll leave you to decide if they measured up to that in any of the versions they performed:
This is one of my favourites from the folk era. I think the versions not on “Winter’s Coming Home” are lively and come with glorious arrangements! It would have been well known previously, because it was included in some mainstream hymnals including Australia’s New Living Parish Hymn Book and OCP’s Glory and Praise, 2nd ed. I certainly remember singing this with organ at Mass back in the 80s.
There were eight verses, the last three (from GP2):
The Magi went and worshipped him
with gifts so precious and costly.
In the fervour of their faith
they sought the child who is Lord and king.
The Lord will make integrity
and peace to grow in our times,
a covenant he offers us.
Lasting joy will be ours to share.
Arise, shine out, Jerusalem!
The glory of Yahweh has come to you,
Lift up your eyes and look around!
Radiant is your salvation.
It becomes a whole pageant with the extra verses, Chris.
I’m grateful for the context as none of this crossed over to the Presbyterian church I attended when young.
Thanks for the information.
Geoff