It is winter solstice today. Christina Rossetti wrote a lovely poem for midwinter, which has been set to an equally lovely tune. First the poem, then a youtube video of a choir and congregation in Gloucester Cathedral, in England, singing it (though they omit the third verse). I wonder if Church of England services are really as beautfiul as they always seem on TV. Somehow I doubt it.
If you read the poem aloud before listening to the song, the short final line of each stanza has more impact, I think. (Don't you love the lines: "Snow had fallen, snow on snow / snow on snow"? That repetition, so perfect.)
A Christmas Carol
Christina Rossetti
In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, whom cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.
Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air;
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,--
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.
2 comments:
Jan, I don't know if Church of England services are always as good as on t.v. but the services Cori and I went to at Westminster were awesome. Here's what I wrote in my blog:
Then we went to Evensong. I think that service is one of my favourite things of England so far. It was awesome. We sat in these wooden seats where there are high backs and arms and a bunch of carved arches between each seat, with an angled table for the Psalms book and Order of Worship in front of you that has a cushioned kneeling stool underneath. The priests and the choir filed in at the beginning of the service. Our pews/seats sat in 3 rows facing each other across a wide aisle. The choir (of men and boys in robes with high white collars) sat half on one side, half on the other, also facing each other. They sang most of the service. It was so beautiful. Sometimes they sang in unison, sometimes one side would sing, then the other.
There was no accompaniment (spelling??). One person would hum a beginning note and then they'd sing. There were many parts. You really heard the voices as an instrument. And the acoustics with the high arched ceilings and all were just incredible. When they'd finish a note, it would continue for a minute, like when you hold the pedal down on a piano. Cori said when they started to sing it brought tears to her eyes; mine, too. Sometimes there was a cantor who the choir would answer.
There were two lessons - a new and old testament - and some responsive reading by those of us in the congregation. At several places the Order of Worship instructed us to kneel. Both Cori and I realized how uncomfortable we are when we kneel. Poor Cori's back really suffered. After a while we sat rather than kneeled, as did many others. It was interesting that one of the prayers, right in the Order of Worship, was for the royal family. The priest prayed for the Queen, her husband and Prince Charles of Wales by name. He also prayed for Parliament which has been having long discussions about some laws - late into the early morning hours.
Nice description, Mave. You were a good blogger on that trip, I remember.
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