The Blessed Son of God

This Sunday, January 24, the Saint Nicholas Choir and Schola Cantorum will sing a small chorale from Vaughan Williams' latest choral-orchestral work, Hodie. This boisterous work for chorus and orchestra was composed in 1956 for the Three Choirs Festival at Worcester Cathedral. It contains some sixteen movements, with texts from a variety of sources: The Vespers of Christmas Day, the Bible, John Milton, Thomas Hardy, and Ursala Vaughan Williams. The text for The Blessed Son of God is an English translation by Miles Coverdale of a chorale by Martin Luther, and it forms a lovely, a cappella moment in the larger Christmas story of Hodie.

Justin Appel, Director of Music

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.

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.

Listen to The Blessed Son of God, The Washington Master Chorale: