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Carols Old and New

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About Carols Old and New

All of your favorite Christmas carols and some unfamiliar gems, including The Sussex Carol (English Trad., arr. Hallock); Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella (French, 16th century, arr. Hallock); What is This Lovely Fragrance? (arr. Healy Willan); Personet hodie (arr. Holst/Hallock); The Willow Carol (Peter Hallock); In the Bleak Midwinter (Gustav Holst, arr. Hallock); Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht (Franz Gruber, arr. Richard Proulx); O Tannenbaum (German, arr. Nathan Jensen); and much more!

  • Recording engineers: Roger Sherman, Sarah Holberg, and Layne Benofsky
  • Digital editing: Roger Sherman and Bill Levey
  • Mastering: Bill Levey
  • Recorded at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle, Washington
  • Label: Ionian Arts C-7007 (now fully owned by The Compline Choir)
  • Release date: 2006

Recording Artists for Feathers of Green Gold

The Compline Choir
Peter R. Hallock, Director

Alto Tenor Bass
Bill Giddings Layne Benofsky Jason Anderson
Joshua Haberman Richard Greene Tym Mackey
Nathan Jensen Steve Iverson Jeremy Matheis
Thomas Joyce Bill Pelandini Joel Matter
Fred McIlroy Kenneth Peterson Brent Olsen
Bill Turnipseed
Compline Choir members, 2006 Gerald van Wesep
WP Data Tables

Featured soloists and instrumentalists:

  • Track 1: Jeff Junkinsmith, keyboard; The Rev. Ralph Carskadden, chimes
    Ringers of Saint John’s United Lutheran Church, Seattle, handbells
  • Track 3: David Stutz and Dean Suess, soloists
  • Track 4: Vernon Nicodemus, soloist
  • Tracks 6 and 9: Vernon Nicodemus and Doug Fullington, soloists
  • Track 11: Thomas Joyce, organ; Layne Benofsky and Fred McIlroy, soloists
  • Track 12: Robert McCaffery-Lent, guitar;
    Layne Benofsky, Jeremy Matheis, Fred McIlroy, and Joel Matter, soloists
  • Track 17: Lisa Seifert, clarinet; Kenneth Peterson, accordion; Nathan Jensen, double bass
  • Tracks 13 and 14: Leslie Martin, organist

Translations of the Latin and German Texts

Hodie Christus natus est—Plainsong

Today Christ is born. Alleluia. Today the Savior has appeared. Alleluia. Today the angels rejoice. Alleluia. Today the righteous rejoice, saying: “Glory to God in the highest.” Alleluia.

O magnum mysterium—Gerald Near

O great mystery and wondrous sacrament, that animals should see the newborn Lord lying in a manger! Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear the Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia.

In natali DominiCodex Specialnik, Prague, ca. 1500

Refrain: The Virgin bore God, the Virgin prepared God, the Virgin eternally chaste.

On the birthday of the Lord, let all the angels rejoice and sing with joy, “Glory to the one God.”
Emmanuel is born, whom Gabriel foretold, Ezekiel is a witness, from the Father proceeded.
Chris is born today from the Virgin Mary, not conceived by seed, he appeared today. 

Personent Hodie—arr. Gustav Holst and Peter Hallock

Children’s voices resound today, joyfully praising him who is born, given by God, and born of a Virgin’s womb.

Into the world he was born, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and placed in a manger with ox and ass beside him, the Lord of heaven, the Prince who destroyed the spoils of hell.

The wise men appeared, seeking the newborn child, following the star, they came to Bethlehem and worshipped him, offering gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Let the young and old sing like angels; “You have come to the world, therefore, I pour out praises to you. Glory to God in the highest.”

Translation: Kevin Siegfried

Deo gracias persolvamus—arr. Peter Hallock

Refrain: Let us cheerfully give thanks to God.

Thanks to God, for the most High, born of a Virgin’s womb.
Thanks to God, for the crib with gifts adorned.
Thanks to God, his resurrection shone forth on the third day.

© 1958 Royal Musical Association. Reproduced with permission. 

Ein Kindlein in der Wiegen—Austrian, 16th cent.

He smiles within his cradle, a babe with face so bright; it beams most like a mirror against a blaze of light: this babe so burning bright.

And who would rock the cradle wherein the infant lies, must rock with easy motion and watch with humble eyes, like Mary pure and wise.

O Jesus, dearest babe of all, and dearest babe of mine, thy love is great, thy limbs are small. O flood this heart of mine with overflow from thine.

Translation: Robert Graves (1895-1985) from The New Oxford Book of Carols
© 1992 Oxford University Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 © 2006 IONIAN ARTS, Inc. and The Compline Choir.
International Copyright Secured. All rights reserved.