Splendid choral singing, stunning soloists, and our fabulous international guest artist, Joshua Brodbeck, all performing in the grand reverberant spaces of two historic churches! If your soul aches for beauty, hope, and peace, Sing Lullaby is the stirring season performance to warm and uplift your spirit. All ProArte printed programs provide full texts and translations so our audiences never miss the richness of the lyrics.

The curated program expresses the various sentiments of the holiday and appeal both to those who are longtime choral enthusiasts and to those who are new to the art of choral music. Sweelinck’s Hodie, Christus est and Tamsin Jones’ new Noël: Verbum caro factus est, for instance, convey the joy of the season. The hauntingly beautiful Sing Lullaby by Herbert Howells and Wellcome, all Wonders in One Sight! by Jonathan Dove transport the listener to a place of quiet contemplation on the sacred nature God’s incarnation. Each year we invite the audience to perform with our professional ensemble in the form of a carol sing-along, and this year’s God Rest, Ye, Merry Gentlemen—arranged by Jonathan Willcocks and thunderously accompanied on pipe organ by Joshua Brodbeck—will celebrate the coming of Christmas with the mighty sound of hearty singing!

Three Renaissance Motets
Hodie, Christus est – Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
Ecce virgo concipiet – Cristóbal de Morales
Dixit Marie – Hans Leo Hassler 

The Mystery of the Incarnation
Wellcome, all Wonders in One Sight! – Jonathan Dove
‍ ‍*Read the beautiful contemplative poem below
Sing Lullaby – Herbert Howells
Noël: Verbum caro factus est – Tamsin Jones

Two Biblical Canticles from the Nativity Narrative
Magnificat – Stephen Caracciolo
Nunc dimittis

Comfort and Joy
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen   arr. Jonathan Willcocks
   Audience sing-along
Away in a Manger   arr. David Hill
Now the Holly Bears a Berry – Stephen Caracciolo

Three Seasonal Favorites
Wassail Song   arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams
Silent Night   arr. David Hill
Go Tell It on the Mountain   arr. John Work                                        

Lyrics from “In the Holy Nativity of Our Lord God”
– Richard Crashaw (1613-1649)

Wellcome all wonders in one sight!
Eternitie shut in a span.
Summer in winter, day in night.
Heaven in earth, and God in man.
Great Little One, whose all-embracing birth
Lifts earth to heaven, stoops heaven to earth!

We saw thee in thy balmy nest,
Bright dawn of our eternall day,
We saw thine eyes breake from their East
And chase the trembling shades away,
We saw thee and we bless the sight,
We saw thee by thine own sweet light.

To Thee, meeke Majestie! soft King
Of simple Graces and sweet Loves,
Each of us his Lamb will bring,
Each his paire of silver doves;
Till burnt at last in fire of thy faire eyes,
Our selves become our owne best sacrifice.