''Hodie'' (''This Day'') is a

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...

Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams ( ; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

. Composed between 1953 and 1954, it is the composer's last major choral-orchestral composition, and was premiered under his

baton Baton may refer to: Stick-like objects *Baton, a type of club *Baton (law enforcement) *Baston (weapon), a type of baton used in Arnis and Filipino Martial Arts *Baton charge, a coordinated tactic for dispersing crowds of people *Baton (conducti ...

Worcester Cathedral Worcester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ and Blessed Mary the Virgin, is a Church of England cathedral in Worcester, England, Worcester, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Worcester and is the Mother Church# ...

, as part of the

Three Choirs Festival 200px, Worcester cathedral 200px, Gloucester cathedral The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held annually at the end of July, rotating among the cathedrals of the Three Counties (Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester) and originally fe ...

, on 8 September 1954. The piece is dedicated to Herbert Howells. The cantata, in 16 movements, is scored for

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

boys' choir A boys' choir is a one made up of boys who have yet to begin (or are just in the early stages of) puberty and so retain their high-pitched childhood voice. Members are known as trebles ("boy sopranos") or meanes ("boy altos"), depending on their ...

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

and orchestra, and features

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...

, and

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

soloists.

Style

Stylistically, ''Hodie'' represents a synthesis of Vaughan Williams' entire artistic career, with elements drawn from most periods of his creativity. He had already experimented with the form, of

Biblical The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...

texts interwoven with poetry, in his cantata '' Dona nobis pacem''. Musically, various movements may suggest different earlier works: for example, the accompaniment to the "Hymn" is very similar to the '' Sinfonia antartica'', while the "Pastoral" shares some elements from the ''

Five Mystical Songs The ''Five Mystical Songs'' are a musical composition by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958), written between 1906 and 1911. The work sets four poems ("Easter" divided into two parts) by seventeenth-century Welsh poet and Angli ...

'' of 1911. Thematically, the work is bound together by two or three motives which recur throughout its length. One of these is first heard on the word "Gloria" in the first movement, and recurs whenever the word is introduced again. Another, introduced in the first narration, reappears at the beginning of the epilogue. In addition, the final setting of Milton's text uses the same melody as the first song for soprano, although orchestrated differently.

Reception

''Hodie'' was not well-received by critics, though it generally pleased audiences. Critics thought Vaughan Williams' compositional style too simple and direct, with one accusing Vaughan Williams of " primitivity" ic In general in this period the octogenarian composer's nationalism had gone out of fashion and his older style suffered comparison with the new sounds coming from composers such as

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, o ...

. Later critics, uninfluenced by this context, have been more generous.

Instrumentation

''Hodie'' calls for a large orchestra of three

flutes The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

(the third doubling

piccolo The piccolo ( ; ) is a smaller version of the western concert flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" or piccolo flute, the modern piccolo has the same type of fingerings as the ...

), two

oboes The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...

cor anglais The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn (mainly North America), is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe, making it essentially ...

, two

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

s in B, two

bassoon The bassoon is a musical instrument in the woodwind family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuosity ...

contrabassoon The contrabassoon, also known as the double bassoon, is a larger version of the bassoon, sounding an octave lower. Its technique is similar to its smaller cousin, with a few notable differences. Differences from the bassoon The Reed (mouthpie ...

; four

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most o ...

s in F, three

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

s in B, two

trombone The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...

bass trombone The bass trombone (, ) is the bass instrument in the trombone family of brass instruments. Modern instruments are pitched in the same B♭ as the tenor trombone but with a larger bore, bell and mouthpiece to facilitate low register playing, and u ...

tuba The tuba (; ) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece (brass), mouthpiece. It first appeared in th ...

; a

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

section that includes

timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion instrument, percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a Membranophone, membrane called a drumhead, ...

bass drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter usually greater than its depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. The head ...

snare drum The snare drum (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often u ...

tenor drum A tenor drum is a membranophone without a snare. There are several types of tenor drums. Early music Early music tenor drums, or long drums, are cylindrical membranophone without snare used in Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music. They cons ...

tubular bells Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are musical instruments in the Percussion instrument, percussion family. Their sound resembles that of church bells, carillons, or a bell tower; the original tubular bells were made to duplicate the soun ...

cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sou ...

glockenspiel The glockenspiel ( ; or , : bells and : play) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a Musical keyboard, keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the v ...

and

triangle A triangle is a polygon with three corners and three sides, one of the basic shapes in geometry. The corners, also called ''vertices'', are zero-dimensional points while the sides connecting them, also called ''edges'', are one-dimension ...

;

celesta The celesta () or celeste (), also called a bell-piano, is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. It looks similar to an upright piano (four- or five-octave), albeit with smaller keys and a much smaller cabinet, or a large wooden music ...

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

; strings;

SATB In music, SATB is a scoring of compositions for choirs or consorts of instruments consisting of four voice types: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Choral music Four-part harmony using soprano, alto, tenor and bass is a common scoring in classic ...

choir and

; and

and

soloists.

Performance history

''Hodie'' has not remained among Vaughan Williams' more popular compositions, and is done less frequently than many of his other works. Nevertheless, it is still performed on occasion, recently being telecast on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

in a performance by the

Mormon Tabernacle Choir The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is an American choir affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It has performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for o ...

. In addition, the following recordings have been made: *

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

cond.

David Willcocks Sir David Valentine Willcocks, (30 December 1919 – 17 September 2015) was a British choral conductor, organist, composer and music administrator. He was particularly well known for his association with the Choir of King's College, Cambridg ...

with John Shirley-Quirk, Richard Lewis,

Janet Baker Dame Janet Abbott Baker (born 21 August 1933) is an English mezzo-soprano best known as an opera, concert, and lieder singer.Blyth, Alan, "Baker, Dame Janet (Abbott)" in Sadie, Stanley, ed.; John Tyrell; exec. ed. (2001). ''New Grove Dictionar ...

(soloists) – recorded 1965 *

cond.

Richard Hickox Richard Sidney Hickox (5 March 1948 – 23 November 2008) was an English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music. Early life and education Hickox was born in Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire into a musical family. After attending ...

with Stephen Roberts, Robert Tear, Elizabeth Gale (soloists) – recorded 1990 *

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, England. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable recording contracts and important engagemen ...

cond. Hilary Davan Wetton with Peter Hoare, Stephen Gadd, Janice Watson (soloists) – recorded 2007.

Movements

I: Prologue

The cantata opens with jubilant

fanfare A fanfare (or fanfarade or flourish) is a short musical flourish which is typically played by trumpets (including fanfare trumpets), French horns or other brass instruments, often accompanied by percussion. It is a "brief improvised introdu ...

s for brass, soon followed by cries of " Nowell!" from the full chorus. These introduce a setting of part of the

vespers Vespers /ˈvɛspərz/ () is a Christian liturgy, liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgy, Eastern Catholic liturgical rites), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental O ...

service for Christmas Day, the only portion of the work that is not in English: Latin text:

:Nowell! Nowell! Nowell! :''Hodie Christus natus est: hodie salvator apparuit:'' :''Hodie in terra canunt angeli, laetantur archangeli:'' :''Hodie exultant justi, dicentes: gloria in excelsis Deo: Alleluia.''

English translation:

:Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! :Today Christ is born: Today the Saviour appeared: :Today on Earth the Angels sing, Archangels rejoice: :Today the righteous rejoice, saying: Glory to God in the highest: Alleluia.

The setting of the text is direct and uncomplicated, apart from the varied settings of the final "

Alleluia ''Hallelujah'' (; , Modern Hebrew, Modern ) is an interjection from the Hebrew language, used as an expression of gratitude to God. The term is used 24 times in the Hebrew Bible, Tanakh (in the book of Psalms), twice in deuterocanonical books, ...

", yet it includes many rhythmic irregularities.

II: Narration

The following narration is one of several linking the various solo and choral movements of the piece. Each narration is scored for organ and boys' choir, and takes its text from various portions of the

Gospels Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the second century AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message was reported. In this sen ...

. The first such narration takes as its text Matthew 1:18- 21 and 23 and

Luke Luke may refer to: People and fictional characters * Luke (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Luke (surname), including a list of people with the name * Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luk ...

1:32.

:Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this wise: when as his mother :Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was :found with child of the Holy Ghost. :Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, was minded to put her :away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the :angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream.

The tenor soloist, introduced by a quiet woodwind melody, serves as the voice of the

angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

:"Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: :for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she :shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS."

The full chorus joins the soloist in the final part of the passage:

:"He shall be great; and shall be called the Son of the Highest: :Emmanuel, God with us."

III: Song

The third movement is a gentle song for soprano, and sets a fragment of

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'' was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and politic ...

's poem "

On the Morning of Christ's Nativity On, on, or ON may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * On (band), a solo project of Ken Andrews * ''On'' (EP), a 1993 EP by Aphex Twin * ''On'' (Echobelly album), 1995 * ''On'' (Gary Glitter album), 2001 * ''On'' (Imperial Teen album), 200 ...

:It was the winter wild, :While the Heaven-born child, ::All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies; :Nature in awe to him :Had doffed her gaudy trim, ::With her great Master so to sympathise: :And waving wide her myrtle wand, :She strikes a universal peace through sea and land. :No war or battle's sound :Was heard the world around, ::The idle spear and shield were high up hung; :The hooked chariot stood :Unstained with hostile blood, ::The trumpet spake not to the armed throng, :And Kings sate still with aweful eye, :As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was by. :But peaceful was the night :Wherein the Prince of light ::His reign of peace upon the earth began: :The winds, with wonder whist, :Smoothly the waters kissed, ::Whispering new joys to the mild ocean, :Who now hath quite forgot to rave, :While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmèd wave.

The women of the chorus join the soloist for portions of the last verse.

IV: Narration

The following narration is taken from Luke 2:1–7:

:And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from :Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be :taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up into the :city of David, which is called Bethlehem; to be taxed with Mary his :espoused wife, being great with child. :And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished :that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, :and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because :there was no room for them in the inn.

V: Choral

The "choral" which follows is one of two in the cantata set for unaccompanied chorus, and uses a translation by

Miles Coverdale Myles Coverdale, first name also spelt Miles ( – 20 January 1569), was an English ecclesiastical reformer chiefly known as a Bible translator, preacher, hymnist and, briefly, Bishop of Exeter (1551–1553). In 1535, Coverdale produced the fi ...

of a hymn by

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

:The blessed son of God only :In a crib full poor did lie; :With our poor flesh and our poor blood :Was clothed that everlasting good. :''
Kyrie eleison ', a transliteration of Greek , vocative case of ('' Kyrios''), is a common name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, also called the ( ; ). In the Bible The prayer, , "Lord, have mercy" derives from a Biblical phrase. Greek , ...
''. :The Lord Christ Jesu, God's son dear, :Was a guest and a stranger here; :Us for to bring from misery, :That we might live eternally. :''Kyrie eleison''. :All this did he for us freely, :For to declare his great mercy; :All Christendom be merry therefore, :And give him thanks for evermore. :''Kyrie eleison''.

VI: Narration

The following narration was adapted by the composer from Luke 2:8–17 and the

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the title given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The Book of Common Prayer (1549), fi ...

, and introduces the

shepherd A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations; it exists in many parts of the globe, and it is an important part of Pastoralism, pastoralist animal husbandry. ...

:And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, :keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of :the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round :about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto :them: :"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, :which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in :the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this :shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in :swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." :And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the :heavenly host praising God, and saying: :"Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will :toward men. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we :glorify thee, we give thee thanks for thy great glory, O Lord :God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty." :And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them :into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, :"Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which :is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." :And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the :babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made :known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. :And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were :told them by the shepherds.

Once again, the tenor sings the words of the angel; the chorus, introduced by the soprano, sings the words of the heavenly host. The men of the chorus sing the part of the shepherds.

VII: Song

This movement features the baritone soloist, and is introduced by quiet and atmospheric woodwinds. Its text is " The Oxen" by

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Literary realism, Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry ...

:Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock. :"Now they are all on their knees," :An elder said as we sat in a flock :By the embers in hearthside ease. :We pictured the meek mild creatures where :They dwelt in their strawy pen, :Nor did it occur to one of us there :To doubt they were kneeling then. :So fair a fancy few would weave :In these years! Yet I feel, :If someone said on Christmas Eve, :"Come; see the oxen kneel, :In the lonely barton by yonder coomb :Our childhood used to know," :I should go with him in the gloom, :Hoping it might be so.

VIII: Narration

The following narration is taken from Luke, 2:20:

:And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God :for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was :told unto them. :"Glory to God in the highest."

IX: Pastoral

This song is again scored for the baritone soloist, and is a setting of a poem by

George Herbert George Herbert (3 April 1593 – 1 March 1633) was an English poet, orator, and priest of the Church of England. His poetry is associated with the writings of the metaphysical poets, and he is recognised as "one of the foremost British devotio ...

:The shepherds sing; and shall I silent be? :My God, no hymn for Thee? :My soul's a shepherd too; a flock it feeds :Of thoughts, and words, and deeds. :The pasture is Thy word: the streams, Thy grace :Enriching all the place. :Shepherd and flock shall sing, and all my powers :Outsing the daylight hours. :Then will we chide the sun for letting night :Take up his place and right: :We sing one common Lord; wherefore he should :Himself the candle hold. :I will go searching, till I find a sun :Shall stay, till we have done; :A willing shiner, that shall shine as gladly, :As frost-nipped suns look sadly. :Then will we sing, and shine all our own day, :And one another pay: :His beams shall cheer my breast, and both so twine, :Till ev'n His beams sing, and my music shine.

X: Narration

The following narration takes its text from Luke 2:19:

:But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her own heart.

XI: Lullaby

Scored for soprano and women's chorus, the lullaby is based upon an anonymous text which is also known in a setting by

:Sweet was the song the Virgin sang, ::When she to Bethlem Juda came :And was delivered of a Son, ::That blessed Jesus hath to name: :::"Lulla, lulla, lulla-bye, :::Sweet Babe," sang she, :And rocked him sweetly on her knee. :"Sweet Babe," sang she, "my son, ::And eke a Saviour born, :Who hath vouchsafèd from on high ::To visit us that were forlorn: :::"Lalula, lalula, lalula-bye, :::Sweet Babe," sang she, :And rocked him sweetly on her knee.

XII: Hymn

The hymn which follows represents the only solo movement for the tenor in the entire cantata, and was reportedly a late addition made when the original tenor soloist complained about the size of his part. Its text is the poem "Christmas Day" by

William Drummond of Hawthornden William Drummond (13 December 15854 December 1649), called "of Hawthornden", was a Scottish poet. Life Drummond was born at Hawthornden Castle, Midlothian, to John Drummond, the first laird of Hawthornden, and Susannah Fowler, sister of the ...

:Bright portals of the sky, ::Emboss'd with sparkling stars, :Doors of eternity, ::With diamantine bars, :Your arras rich uphold, ::Loose all your bolts and springs, :Ope wide your leaves of gold, ::That in your roofs may come the King of Kings. :O well-spring of this All! ::Thy Father's image vive; :Word, that from nought did call ::What is, doth reason, live; :The soul's eternal food, ::Earth's joy, delight of heaven; :All truth, love, beauty, good: ::To thee, to thee be praises ever given! :O glory of the heaven! ::O sole delight of earth! :To thee all power be given, ::God's uncreated birth! :Of mankind lover true, ::Indearer of his wrong, :Who doth the world renew, ::Still be thou our salvation and our song!

The movement is brilliantly scored for full orchestra, and opens with a bright brass fanfare.

XIII: Narration

The following narration is adapted from Matthew 2:1- 11:

:Now when Jesus was born, behold there came wise men from the east, :saying, "Where is he that is born King? for we have seen his star in :the east, and are come to worship him." And they said unto them, :"In Bethlehem." When they had heard that, they departed; and, lo, :the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came :and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, :they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into :the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell :down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, :they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

The voice of the kings is provided by the men of the chorus.

XIV: The March of the Three Kings

The March of the Three Kings represents the first time since the beginning of the cantata that the soloists, choir, and orchestra sing a movement together. The chorus introduces the march, whose text was written expressly for the composer by his wife, Ursula. Each soloist sings a separate verse—each describing one king and his gift—before finishing the march together. :From kingdoms of wisdom secret and far :come Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar; :they ride through time, they ride through night :led by the star's foretelling light. :Crowning the skies :the star of morning, star of dayspring calls, :lighting the stable and the broken walls :where the prince lies. :Gold from the veins of earth he brings, :red gold to crown the King of Kings. :Power and glory here behold :shut in a talisman of gold. :Frankincense from those dark hands :was gathered in eastern, sunrise lands, :incense to burn both night and day :to bear the prayers a priest will say. :Myrrh is a bitter gift for the dead. :Birth but begins the path you tread; :your way is short, your days foretold :by myrrh, and frankincense and gold. :Return to kingdoms secret and far, :Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar, :ride through the desert, retrace the night :leaving the star's imperial light. :Crowning the skies :the star of morning, star of dayspring, calls: :clear on the hilltop its sharp radiance falls :lighting the stable and the broken walls :where the prince lies.

XV: Choral

The text of the second choral, again for unaccompanied chorus, is taken from an anonymous poem; the second verse was again furnished by the composer's wife: :No sad thought his soul affright, :Sleep it is that maketh night; :Let no murmur nor rude wind :To his slumbers prove unkind: :But a quire of angels make :His dreams of heaven, and let him wake :To as many joys as can :In this world befall a man. :Promise fills the sky with light, :Stars and angels dance in flight; :Joy of heaven shall now unbind :Chains of evil from mankind, :Love and joy their power shall break, :And for a new born prince’s sake; :Never since the world began :Such a light such dark did span.

XVI: Epilogue

The epilogue opens with a setting, for the three soloists, of a text adapted from

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

1:1, 4, and 14, and Matthew 1:23:

:In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, :and the Word was God. In him was life; and the life was the :light of men. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among :us, full of grace and truth. Emmanuel, God with us.

The chorus joins in on the final words, and the remainder of the work is scored for full chorus and orchestra, with soloists. It again sets Milton's words, slightly adapted, from "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity":

::Ring out, ye crystal spheres, ::Once bless our human ears, :If ye have power to touch our senses so; ::And let your silver chime :Move in melodious time, :And let the bass of heaven's deep organ blow; :And with your ninefold harmony :Make up full consort to the angelic symphony. ::Such music (as 'tis said) ::Before was never made, :But when of old the sons of the morning sung, ::While the Creator great ::His constellations set, :And the well-balanced world on hinges hung, :And cast the dark foundations deep, :And bid the weltering waves their oozy channel keep. ::Yea, truth and justice then ::Will down return to men, :Orbed in a rainbow; and, like glories wearing, ::Mercy will sit between, ::Throned in celestial sheen, :With radiant feet the tissued clouds down steering; :And heaven, as at some festival, :Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall.

References

*Ralph Vaughan Williams, ''

Fantasia on Christmas Carols ''Fantasia on Christmas Carols'' is a 1912 work for baritone, chorus, and orchestra by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. It was first performed on September 12, 1912 at the Three Choirs Festival at Hereford Cathedral; it was condu ...

/Hodie''.

et al. Recorded 1965/66, released 2000.

Notes

{{Authority control 1954 compositions Cantatas by Ralph Vaughan Williams Christmas cantatas Music for orchestra and organ Musical settings of poems by Thomas Hardy