Ah, the Russians! You can always rely on them for cheery music and uplifting lyrics! Today’s Advent piece is allegedly Tchaikovsky’s notion of a Christmas Carol. Myself, I would put it in Lent or maybe on Good Friday, but I’m no theologian, and if the Music Director\u00a0thinks it\u2019’s good enough for Christmas, then I think it\u2019s good enough for Advent.<\/p>\n
Besides, it’s gorgeous. I first sang this in Grade 4 or 5 \u2013 presumably in a different arrangement, but since I was a soprano at the time, that’s the part I have in my brain forever. But oh dear, those lyrics\u2026. I mean, they really are beautiful, but for\u00a0Christmas<\/i>?<\/p>\n
(incidentally, this is as close as you are going to get from me to anything by Rutter. He conducts this choir.)<\/p>\n
[youtube https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OM3j4RzUrgY&w=560&h=315]<\/p>\n
Lyrics:<\/p>\n
When Jesus Christ was yet a child<\/em> Now once as summertime drew nigh<\/em> \u201cDo you bind roses in your hair?\u201d<\/em> Then of the thorns they made a crown<\/em> (and Merry Christmas to you, too, Mr Tchaikovsky)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ah, the Russians! You can always rely on them for cheery music and uplifting lyrics! Today’s Advent piece is allegedly Tchaikovsky’s notion of a Christmas Carol. Myself, I would put it in Lent or maybe on Good Friday, but I’m no theologian, and if the Music Director\u00a0thinks it\u2019’s good enough for Christmas, then I think […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[14,165,288,334,594],"class_list":["post-782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-advent-calendar","tag-crown-of-roses","tag-gratuitous-digs-at-rutter","tag-is-this-really-advent-music","tag-pyotr-ilyich-tchaikovsky"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catesings.catespeaks.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catesings.catespeaks.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catesings.catespeaks.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catesings.catespeaks.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catesings.catespeaks.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catesings.catespeaks.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/782\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catesings.catespeaks.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catesings.catespeaks.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catesings.catespeaks.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nHe had a garden small and wild<\/em>
\nWherein he cherished roses fair<\/em>
\nAnd bound them into garlands there.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThere came a troop of children by<\/em>
\nAnd seeing roses on the tree<\/em>
\nWith shouts they plucked them eagerly.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThey cried in scorn to Jesus there.<\/em>
\nThe boy said humbly, \u201cTake I pray<\/em>
\nAll but the naked thorns away.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
\nAnd with rough fingers pressed it down<\/em>
\nTil on his forehead fair and young<\/em>
\nRed drops of blood, like roses, sprung.<\/em><\/p>\n