Genesis 22: 15-18
God promises to faithful Abraham that in his seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. LESSON TEXTAnd the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
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God promises to faithful Abraham that in his seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.
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- Drop down, ye heavens, from aboveWeir, Judith
SATB unaccompanied. This short setting of Rorate Coeli a text associated with the Matins service at Advent was written in 1983 and first performed by the Choir of Trinity College Cambridge. Duration 2 minutes. - Es ist ein Ros entsprungenSandström, JanDouble SATB unaccompanied. Possibly the finest setting of the text 'Lo, how a rose is blooming'. Highly resonant, the familiar theme seems to emerge imperceptibly from the rich texture. Rather lovely, in our humble opinion.
- I am the dayDove, JonathanSATB Unaccompanied. A carol using text from the legend of St Christopher and Revelation 22:16, 13. 'I am the day soon to be born'.This imaginative and exciting piece incorporates the well-known 'Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel' figure, making it a perfect carol for use early in the service.
- Little child there is yborn, AArcher, MalcolmSATB and organ. A little child there is yborn is a cheerful and spritely carol with words celebrating the birth of Jesus. Supported by a busy organ part, the lilting vocal lines bounce between 4/4 and 7/8 and are coloured by Archer's rich harmonies.
- Rorate coeli desuperByrd, WilliamSAATB unaccompanied. A glorious setting by a Tudor master of the Latin text 'Drop down, ye heavens, from above'.
- Spotless rose, AGjeilo, OlaAn extremely joyful and uplifting setting of this well-loved Christmas text. Gjeilo has crafted a beautiful melody that seems as if it was always meant to exist with these lyrics. Vocally accessible, this will be a good choice for both schools and churches, along with more advanced choirs. Can be sung in English or Norwegian.
- Spotless rose, AHowells, HerbertFor baritone soloist and unaccompanied SATB choir, the best-known setting of this text, with perhaps the most beautiful cadence in all choral music.
- Spotless rose, ALedger, PhilipSATB & organ. This setting by Sir Philip Ledger, formerly Director of Music at King's College Cambridge, is a delightful alternative which bears comparison to the more famous setting by Howells.
- Spotless rose, AMcGlade, BeckyFor SATB (with divisions) unaccompanied. This setting of A Spotless Rose reflects the wintry starkness of the fifteenth-century text through its minor key and bare upper-voice opening, while the warmth of the full voicing on the words 'light' and 'might' represents the coming of the Christ-Child.
- Spotless rose, AMealor, PaulSATB with divisi. Slow, sustained, sonorous. Commissioned by John Armitage Memorial and first performed in 2010 by the joint choirs of the University of St Andrews Chapel Choir, University of Aberdeen Chamber Choir and the Edinburgh University Chamber Choir, conducted by Michael Bawtree.
- Tender shoot, AGoldschmidt, OttoSATB unaccompanied. This is a very straightforward setting of an Advent text, suitable for use early in the carol service, for example at the second lesson, where it can otherwise be hard to find appropriate music.
- Virga Jesse floruitMiller, Michael AustinSetting a well-known Latin text from the Liber Usualis, Michael Austin Miller combines expressive harmony and flowing polyphony to create a gentle and touching anthem. The opening and closing sections develop the chant-like opening motif, enclosing an 'Alleluia' section comprising joyously interweaving lines.