Child is Born, A

Genre: Choral

Mood: Christmas

Forces: SATB

Length: 4 Minutes

About

Christmas carol, ©2017, using a text from around AD1350, from MS Bodley 26 (quoted by Eleanor Parker).

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Text

A child is born

A child is born amongst man,
And in that child was no sin
That child is God, that child is man,
And in that child our life began.

Hand by hand we shall us take,
Joy and bliss shall we make.

A child is born amongst man,
And in that child was no sin
That child is God, that child is man,
And in that child our life began.

Sinful man, be blithe and glad
By your saviour thy peace proclaimed
When Christ was born;
Come to Christ; thy peace proclaimed;
For thee was his blood shed,
Who were forlorn.

Hand by hand we shall us take,
And joy and bliss shall we make,
For the devil of hell man hath forsake,
And Godde's Son is made our make.

Hand by hand we shall us take, etc

Sinful man, be blithe and bold,
For heaven is both bought and sold,
Every foot!
Come to Christ; thy peace is told,
For thee he gave a hundredfold
His life to redeem you.

A child is born amongst man,
And in that child was no sin
That child is God, that child is man,
And in that child our life began.

This text has been slightly adapted by the composer.

Programme notes

Eleanor Parker writes:
"This is one of the earliest surviving English carols, dating to the mid-fourteenth century. It actually survives in the middle of a sermon preached by a Franciscan friar; friars, following their founder's example, often used vernacular song in their preaching. This anonymous friar's sermon was on the wedding-feast of the Lamb in Revelations, which perhaps made him think of dance-songs and carolling… Christ has come to be our 'make', which means both 'equal' and 'bridegroom'. This carol doesn't have the exuberant merriment of some of its later successors, but it is full of joy nonetheless."