1. |
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Gabriel, from Heaven’s King sent to the maiden sweet, brought her blissful tidings, and fairly began to greet her: ‘Hail be thou, full of grace aright!
For God’s only Son, this Heaven light,
through love-of-man will man become,
human flesh of thee, fair maiden-mother bright, to free mankind of sinning
and Satan’s deathly might.’
The gentle maiden gently answered, in this way she began:
“In what way should a child be borne by a maid not known to a man?” The angel said to her, “Fear nought;
through the Holy Ghost shall be brought
to pass this very thing of which I now will gladly tell:
mankind will be redeemed,
the goodness of thy mothering
conquers the power of hell.”
When the maiden understood and heard the angel’s tiding, gently, in calmer mood, to Gabriel confiding:
“I am the handmaid of the Lord
who dwells on high, in heaven above;
thy prophesy of me, let it now be fulfilled, that I, since it is His wish,
might as an honest maiden
receive a mother’s bliss.”
Then the angel went away, vanished from her sight;
the Holy Spirit planted in her the Christ child, Lord of light. In her precious womb Jesus was grown,
true God and true man in flesh and bone,
and was of mother Mary in due time born.
So hope into the world came:
He saved us from a fate forlorn
by suffering human pain.
Matchless maiden-mother, in mercy’s grace abounding, pray to Him who rules above with holiness surrounding, that He forgive us every sin,
cleanse us from evil thoughts within,
prepare us when our time is near to go to Him, to serve that we may partake
of Heavenly bliss, and be with Him,
for Jesus Christ, His sake.
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2. |
Sonata: the Darkness
01:45
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3. |
Scene: The Annunciation
03:17
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ANGEL
Hail, Mary, full of grace! Our Lord God is with thee; He has chosen thee for his, Blessed might thou be.
MARY
Almighty God, save me now,
I am distressed, and know not how.
ANGEL
Maiden, do not be afraid of this;
From heaven above I have been sent To bring tidings from the King of bliss To thee, sweet lady most reverend.
Of all women thou art honoured most: Thou shalt conceive and bear a child Through the blessings of the Holy Ghost; He shall be Jesus, the holy and mild.
MARY
I marvel sore how that may be, Man’s company is not known to me.
ANGEL
He shall be God and called God’s son, And with his Father will be one.
MARY
If this be true what you have voiced My soul and spirit should rejoice That I, the simplest girl on earth, Am chosen for this Holy birth.
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4. |
Carol: There is no rose
03:37
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There is no rose of such virtue as is the rose that bore Jesu. Alleluia.
For in this rose was contained
both heaven and earth unconstrained. Res miranda.
By that rose we may well see that He is God in persons three. Pari forma.
The angels sang to shepherds below, “Gloria in excelsis Deo.” Gaudeamus.
Let us leave this worldly mirth and follow this joyful birth. Transeamus.
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5. |
Magnificat
03:27
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MARY
My soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded : the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth : all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me : and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him : throughout all generations.
He hath shewed strength with his arm :
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel : as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.
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6. |
Carol: A new creation
05:23
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A new creation now to hand
To save the lost of every land
Through the power and grace of God is sent; Now are free that were in torment.
We may well sing: ‘Alleluia.’
It was by Gabriel begun;
As glass lets through the rays of sun, Lord Jesus Christ was so conceived When Mary God’s own Spirit received.
So let us sing: ‘Alleluia.’
‘Alleluia,’ this sweet song
From greenest branches has just sprung. God send us life that will last long!
May joy and bliss now be among
Them that sing: ‘Alleluia.’
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7. |
Scene: The confrontation
03:51
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JOSEPH
Mary, please, open your door! Who is in there? Tell me more!
MARY
Welcome in, my husband dear.
JOSEPH
Who has been with you in here?
MARY
Neither man nor woman, it is so.
JOSEPH
Whose is the child? I need to know. (A cuckold I, and full of woe.)
MARY
None but yours, am not defiled.
JOSEPH
I am misled. I am beguiled.
Behold! What have I said all my life?
It would do me no good to take on a wife! I have only my suffering self to blame that she bears a child in another’s name. Yet - touch wood - it’s hard to believe That she’d do any deed to deceive me.
ANGEL
Gabriel, God’s angel I,
Joseph, why do you cry?
I tell thee: God will of Mary be born
To save mankind, that is forlorn.
Bring her to Bethlehem this very night,
To shine through the world the brightest of lights.
JOSEPH
Forgive me, wife, dear and kind: Jealousy had made me blind.
I will thy child both understand And adore with great affection; and therefore tell me, do expand the holy nature of thy conception.
MARY
It was the work of God, now you can tell how blessed the Lord has made us be.
JOSEPH
Now I thank God and Gabriel That, Mary, I am wed to thee. God will in us abide and dwell with the Holy Ghost, as I well see.
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8. |
Sonata: The Adoration
03:48
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9. |
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Of one that is so fair and bright,
Velut maris stella,
Brighter than the day is light,
Parens et puella,
I cry to thee through grace of thee, Lady, pray thy son for me,
Tam pia,
That I might come near to thee,
Maria.
Lady, flower of every thing,
Rosa sine spina,
Thou bore Jesu, heaven’s king,
Gratia divina.
Of all maids thou bearest the prize, Lady, queen of Paradise
Electa,
Maiden mild and mother is
Effecta.
Of care and sorrow thou art best,
Felix fecundata,
To all the weary thou art rest,
Mater honorata.
Pray to him with gentle mood That for us all did shed his blood
In cruce,
That we might come near to him
In luce.
All this world it was forlorn
Eva peccatrice,
Till our Saviour he was born
Ex te genetrice;
With “Ave” it went away
Banished night and cometh the day
Salutis.
The well it springeth out of thee
Virtutis.
Well thou knowest he is thy son
Ventre quem portasti;
He will not deny thee thy prayer,
Parvum quem lactasti.
So gracious and so good he is, He hath brought us to his bliss
Superni,
And hath saved us from the abyss
Inferni.
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10. |
Carol: Nowell!
02:55
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Nowell!
Out of your sleep arise and awake,
for in His glory will God mankind take, born of the best of maids, for His sake: in the highest heaven to dwell.
Nowell!
And through a maiden fair and wise
mankind in worthiness will rise;
the angels brought Earth God’s greatest prize; at Christmas time all this befell.
Nowell!
Now man is brighter than the sun;
we shall all dwell on high as one
with God the almighty, whose will be done; to that we sing a loud ‘Nowell’.
Nowell!
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