Sunday, December 5, 2010

Music of the Christmas Season - 2nd post

December 5



Composed by John Rutter
John Rutter directing the Cambridge Singers


Angels' Carol

Have you heard the sounds of the angel voices
ringing out so sweetly, ringing out so clear?
Have you seen the star shining out so brightly
as a sign from God that Christ the Lord is here?
Have you heard the news that they bring from heaven
to the humble shepherds who have waited long?
Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Hear the angels sing their joyful song.

He is come in peace in the winter's stillness,
like a snowfall in the gentle night.
He is come in joy, like the sun at morning,
filling all the world with radiance and with light.
He is come in love as the child of Mary.
In a simple stable we have seen his birth.
Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Hear the angels singing 'Peace on earth.'

He will bring new light to a world in darkness,
like a bright star shining in the skies above.
He will bring new hope to the waiting nations.
When he comes to reign in purity and love.
Let the earth rejoice at the Saviour's coming.
Let the heavens answer with the joyful morn,
Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Hear the angels singing, 'Christ is born.'
Hear the angels singing, 'Christ is born.'



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Just for a moment imagine that you are with friends sitting on a hillside watching the stars in the sky, with maybe a few clouds floating across the heavens.
Prehaps some of you have laid back and are resting your eyes.
All is calm. Then suddenly without warning there is a bright light, you try to shield your eyes. That's enough to frighten you but that is not all. There is also a loud sound and it takes you a moment to realize someone is talking. "Don't be afraid, Jesus is born" he says. Don't be afraid - is he kidding? Jesus is born - what did he say? "You will find him...." Where? You hear more voices and it sounds like their praising God. And then they were gone.

What do you do next? Do you consult with your friends - maybe you imagined it. On tv you heard them talk about group hallucinations. Could it be you just dreamed it? Floodlights, boom boxes? Or would you be certain that you did see and hear angels? Would you have the faith to follow their instructions and go to the place of the Lord's birth?

At first I thought, "Of course I would go. After all those were angels, God's angels." Then I wondered if, after the angels left, would I start to doubt what I thought I had seen and heard. Would I say, "Hey God, would you send them again - just to be sure?"

Luke in the second chapter writes, "So they hurried off and found Mary, Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger...When they had seen him, they spread the word...The shepherds returned, glorifying and prasing God, for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

Gloria in excelsis Deo. A Savior has been born.





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Thank you, Jill, of Untie the Ribbons, for introducing me to this song.




Linking with Charlotte's and Ginger's Spiritual Sundays,



and Natasha's Sunday Song.






picture credit:
1. theo-geek.blogspot.com
2. www.fanpop.com


Music of the Christmas Season - 1st post

15 comments:

  1. What beautiful words and music to start off a blessed Sunday. Just lovely.

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  2. Me yet again to listen to this week's choice, a lovely song. Thanks my friend.

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  3. You're very welcome - glad you enjoyed it as much as I did.

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  4. Such lovely music! Puts you into the holiday mood. Thanks for your kind post on my site. After nine years in the classroom, I'm in my second year as an assistant principal. However, every moment I get to be in the classroom(to include dressing up as Fancy Nancy), I'm there! I miss it.
    Happy Sunday,
    ~Allison

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  5. What a beautiful video,thank-you.
    Blessings,
    Ginger

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  6. Beautiful music .
    Merry Christmas , Dottie

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  7. Beautiful singing and words. I love snuggling up beside the fire, listening to Christmas music. My Dad used to play Harry Secomb, Bing Crosby, and Tallis Scholars without fail every Xmas morning. ;)

    Have a lovely week my dear. x

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  8. that was a visual delight...loved the music too.
    (())

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  9. I don't share this with many people...this actually happened to me one day...not quite the same but close. I was very sad...my husband had passed unexpectedly three weeks before. I always jogged and was jogging then...I came around the curve of the high school track and it was as if the heavens openned ...there was music, the angels were singing and my heart was over filled with joy. It lasted for about 30 seconds...I know I did not imagine it yet it never happened again. It left me with such peace of my husband's passing...

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  10. How amazing it was for the shepherds. The video is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
    Blessings,
    Charlotte

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  11. Hello Mya!
    I so enjoyed this post. Thank you for the inspiration~ Susan :)

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  12. the words and voices in this song were beautiful. enjoyed seeing the different pictures. i love stained glass windows depicting times in the Bible. thanks for sharing your Christmas tradition on my recent post take care rose

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  13. I'm very late checking out your Christmas music posts but staying up late to ring in the New Year finally gave me time to get here. I've been a fan of Rutter ever since I sang in a community chorus several years back and we sang one of his selections. Thank you for sharing this beautiful song and for being so faithful to comment on my little piece of the web.

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