This is an expanded version of the post I placed on Facebook, reminiscing about a choir concert in which my sister sang back in the early 1970’s.
Every time I listen to Benjamin Britten’s, “A Ceremony of Carols, “ I think of my sister, Mary Ruth. She sang alto in her choir at Our Lady of Peace High School. Our Lady of Peace High School was one of three high schools in St. Paul dedicated to the education of young women. The school was located on prestigious Summit Ave in St. Paul. Unlike the other two all female high schools which later merged with two all male high schools to survive, Our Lady of Peace remained an all female high school until it closed in the early 1970’s.
As is with all Christmas concerts in Minnesota, it was a cold, dark December night. And, as was with most high school concert halls of that era, the concert hall was a high school gymnasium with a stage situated on one end of the gymnasium. We, the audience, were seated on grey, metal, folding chairs. The choir processed on stage in their choir robes. Their accompanist, another high school student, extraordinarily gifted at performing on the piano, sat at the piano, and the Religious Sister who directed the choir came on stage and began this incredible choral music for treble choir (Soprano 1, Soprano 2, and Alto). This was my introduction to the music of the British composer, Benjamin Britten.
In 1942, while traveling by passenger ship from the United States to England, Britten set 11 Medieval English poems from a collection entitled, The English Galaxy of Shorter Poems, to music. He scored it for an S.S.A. boys choir and harp. It was written for Christmas and is composed of 11 movements.
The majority of the text being in the English of the Middle Ages, made it difficult to understand what words the choir was singing. Having the text in the program was not particularly helpful, since the spelling and pronunciation of English from the Middle Ages is not close to our own (as you can see below). It didn’t help that the area in which my mom, dad, and I sat was darkened during the concert. Nevertheless, the performance of the choir was captivating and compelling.
The music began with the processional, “Hodie Christus natus est”, the Gregorian antiphon to the Canticle of Mary at Second Evening Prayer of Christmas in the Liturgy of the Hours. The Latin text is: Hodie Christus natus est,Hodie Salvator apparuit,Hodie intera canunt angeli,Laetantur archangeli, Hodie exsultant justi dicentes, Gloria in excelsis deo. Alleluia!
This is followed by “Wolcum Yole!” The Middle English text is: Wolcum be thou hevenè king, Wolcum Yole! Wolcum born in one morning, Wolcum for whom we shall sing! Wolcum be ye, Stevene and Jon, Wolcum, Innocentes every one, Wolcum, Thomas marter one, Wolcum be ye good newe yere, o good newe yere, Wolcum, twelfthe day both in fere, Wolcum, seintes lefe and dere, Wolcum yole, wolcum! Candelmesse, Quene of Bliss, Wolcum bothe to more and lesse. Wolcum be ye that are here, Wolcum alle and make good cheer! Wolcum alle another yere, Wolcum yole, Wolcum!
“There is no rose” is sung next. The text for the song is, There is no rose of such vertu, As is the rose that bare Jesu. (Alleluia) For in this rose conteinèd was Heaven and earth in litel space, (Res miranda) By that rose we may well see, There be one God in persons three, (Pares forma) The aungels sungen the shepherds to: Gloria in excelsis Deo! (Gaudeamus) Leave we all this werldly mirth, and follow we this joyful birth.Transeamus! Alleluia, Res miranda, Pares forma, Gaudeamus, Transeamus.
The fourth movement consists of two parts. “That yonge child”, That yongë child when it began weep With song she lulled him asleep: That was so sweet a melody It passèd alle minstrelsy. The nightingalë sang also: Her song is hoarse and nought thereto: Whoso attendeth to her song And leaveth the first then doth he wrong.; and, “Balulalow“, O my deare hert, young Jesu sweit, Prepare thy creddil in my spreit, And I sall rock thee to my hert, And never mair from thee depart. But I sall praise thee evermoir With sanges sweit unto thy gloir; The knees of my hert sall I bow, And sing that richt Balulalow!
The choir then launched into “As Dew in Aprille“, I sing of a maiden That is makèles: King of all kings To her son she ches. He came also stille There his moder was, As dew in Aprille That falleth on the grass. He came also stille To his moder’s bour, As dew in Aprille, That falleth on the flour. He came also stille There his moder lay, As dew in Aprille That falleth on the spray. Moder and mayden was never none but she: Well may such a lady Goddes moder be.
“This Little Babe” follows. This little Babe so few days old, Is come to rifle Satan’s fold; All hell doth at his presence quake, Though he himself for cold do shake; For in his weak unarmèd wise The gates of hell he will surprise. With tears he fights and wins the field, His naked breast stands for a shield; His battering shot are babish cries, His arrows looks of weeping eyes, His martial ensigns Cold and Need, and feeble Flesh his warrior’s steed. His camp is pitchèd in a stall, His bulwark but a broken wall;The crib his trench, haystalks his stakes; Of shepherds he his muster makes; And thus, as sure his foe to wound, The angels’ trumps alarum sound. My soul, with Christ join thou in fight; Sticks to the tents that he hath pight. Within his crib is surest ward; This little Babe will be thy guard. If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy, then flit not from this heavenly Boy!
The seventh movement is a harp interlude. At the performance I attended, this was played on the piano.
The choir then sang “In Freezing Winter Night”. Behold, a silly tender babe, in freezing winter night, In homely manger trembling lies Alas, a piteous sight! The inns are full; no man will yield This little pilgrim bed. But forced he is with silly beasts In crib to shroud his head. This stable is a Prince’s court, This crib his chair of Stat e; The beasts are parcel of his pomp, The wooden dish his plate. The persons in that poor attire His royal liveries wear; The Prince himself is come from heav’n; This pomp is prizèd there. With joy approach, O Christian wight, Do homage to thy King, And highly praise his humble pomp,Wich he from Heav’n doth bring.
This was followed by the “Spring Carol”. Pleasure it is to hear iwis, The Birdès sing, The deer in the dale, The sheep in the vale, The corn springing God’s purvayance For sustenance. It is for man. Then we always to him give praise, And thank him than.
The tenth movement, the choir sang a rousing “Deo Gratias”. Deo Gracias! Adam lay ibounden, bounden in a bond; Four thousand winter thought he not to long. Deo Gracias!And all was for an appil, an appil that he took, As clerkès finden written in their book. Deo Gracias! Ne had the appil takè ben, Ne haddè never our lady A ben hevenè quene. Blessèd be the time That appil takè was. Therefore we moun singen. Deo Gracias!
The eleventh movement, the “Recession”, ends the music as it had began with the Latin chant, Hodie Christus natus est, Hodie Salvator apparuit, Hodie intera canunt angeli, Laetantur archangeli, Hodie exsultant justi dicentes, Gloria in excelsis deo. Alleluia!
As a young music major in college, I was like a sponge soaking up all musical influences I could. When the concert concluded, I was drilling my sister for all the information she had on this music of Benjamin Britten. It has to be understood that this was long before the personal computer and the internet. Heck, we were lucky to have a Royal manual typewriter at home. Owning an electric typewriter was a bit of a dream for many of us.
This beautiful set of Middle English poems set to music for SSA choir and harp by Benjamin Britten is a very special treat for me each and every Christmas. Many years have passed since that cold, December night in St. Paul. The doors of Our Lady of Peace High School have been closed for many years (the William Mitchell School of Law now occupies the buildings of the high school) . My sister has been dead now for close to 19 1/2 years. Yet, with every listening I am whisked back to the concert hall/gymnasium of Our Lady of Peace High School and watching my beloved sister dressed in choir robes singing this beautiful music with her choir.
