Subscribe to Posts
Twitter
Facebook
Last.fm
Winchester Cathedral at Christmas
Winchester Cathedral, founded in 642, in Hampshire, England is one of the largest cathedral’s in the UK. The video above is undated, but I can take a guess and say this comes from the mid-late 90’s, which would place David Hill as the Organist and Director of Music of the Winchester Cathedral Choir.
Gabriel’s Message is a Basque carol, retelling the Annunciation to Mary – the event where the angel Gabriel appears before her and announces that she will become the Mother of Christ. THe words are copied below.
1. The angel Gabriel from heaven came
His wings as drifted snow his eyes as flame
“All hail” said he “thou lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
2. “For know a blessed mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honor thee,
Thy Son shall be Emanuel, by seers foretold
Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
3. Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,
“My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name.”
Most highly favored lady. Gloria!
4. Of her, Emanuel, the Christ was born
In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:
“Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:13 am
thanks for posting this! I recently heard a very butchered version at Mass.
Jars of Clay does a great version of this (called “Gabriel’s Message”) on their Christmas album. I enjoy the faster pace of it. One of my favorite Christmas cds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nidb2FN75-E
Kind of a low quality recording but you can listen in its entirity.
December 24th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
[...] Choir – it’s second showing in a week, following the post from a couple of days ago, Gabriel’s Message. (This is not intentional, I had reserved this video several weeks ago for use on this day!) I [...]