Welcome All Wonders

Welcome All Wonders
From Richard Cranshaw’s An Hymn of the Nativity

Welcome, welcome,
Welcome all wonders in one sight; welcome all wonders in one sight;
Eternity shut in a span,
Welcome, welcome, summer in winter, day in night,
Welcome, Heaven in earth, and God in Man;
Great little one, whose all embracing birth
Lifts earth to heav’n, stoops heaven to earth.


In the Beginning
John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word
And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made.
to thee, meek Majesty, soft king of simple graces and sweet loves;
Each of us, his lamb will bring.
Each his pair of silver doves.
Till burnt at last in fire of thy fair eyes,
Ourselves become our own best sacrifice.

Welcome All Wonders (Reprise)

In Him Was Life
John 1:4-5

In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

I Sing of a Maiden
Anonymous, 15th century

I sing of a maiden that is makëless:
King of all Kingës  to her son she ches.
He came all so stillë there his mother was,
As dew in Aprilë that falleth on the grass.
He came all so stillë to his mother’s bower,
As dew in Aprilë that falleth on the flower.
He came all so stillë there his mother lay,
As dew in Aprilë that falleth on the spray.
Mother and maiden was never none but she;
Well may such a lady Goddës mother be.

There Was a Man Sent From God
John 1:6-9

There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light,
That all through Him might believe.
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of the Light;
That was the true Light which gives light to ev’ry man coming into the world.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song, had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

He Was In The World
John 1:10-13

He was in the world, and the world was made through him; and the world did not know him.
He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.
But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God,
to them that believe in his name, who were born,
Not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Holy Son of God Most High
Henry More

The holy Son of God most high,
For love of Adam’s lapsed race,
Quit the sweet pleasures of the sky
to bring us to that happy place.
His robes of light He laid aside,
Which did His majesty adorn,
And the frail state of mortals tried,
In human flesh and figure born.
Whole choirs of angels loudly sing
The mystery of His sacred birth,
And the blest news to shepherds bring,
Filling their watchful souls with mirth.
The Son of God thus man become,
That men the sons of God might be,
And by their second birth regain
A likeness to His deity.

And The Word Become Flesh
John 1:14

And the word become flesh and dwelt among us;
And we beheld his glory.
Father, full of grace and truth.

Hodie Christus Natus Est
Plainsong for the Feast of Christmas

Hodie Christus natus est:
hodie Salvator apparuit:
hodie in terra canunt Angeli,
lætantur Archangeli:
hodie exultant justi, dicentes:
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
et in terra pax hominibus bonæ voluntatis:
Alleluia.

today Christ is born:
today the Savior has appeared:
today the Angels sing,
the Archangels rejoice:
today the righteous rejoice, saying:
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace and good will towards men:
Alleluia.

Due to the length of the score, and depending on your browser, it can also be previewed here. Scroll to the bottom for the mp3.

1. Prelude
2. Welcome All Wonders (Chorus)
3. In the Beginning (Recitative)
4. Welcome All Wonders (Reprise)
5. In Him Was Life (Recitative)
6. I Sing Of A Maiden (Solo and Chorus)
7. There Was A man Sent From God (Recitative)
8. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day (Solo and Chorus)
9. He Was In The World (Recitative)
10. The Holy Son Of God, Most High (Solo and Chorus)
11. And The Word Became Flesh (Recitative)
12. Hodie Christus Natus Est (Chorus)