PART ONE
Air and Chorus O thou that tellest
good tidings to Zion, get thee up into
the high mountain. O thou that tellest
good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy
voice with strength; lift it up, be not
afraid; say unto the cities of Judah,
behold your God! Arise, shine, for thy
Light is come, and the glory of the
Lord is risen upon thee.
Sinfonia
Recit Comfort ye, comfort ye My
people, saith your God. Speak ye
comfortably to Jerusalem, and
cry unto her, that her warfare is
accomplished, that her iniquity is
pardoned. The voice of him that crieth
in the wilderness; prepare ye the
way of the Lord; make straight in the
desert a highway for our God.
Recit For behold, darkness shall cover
the earth, and gross darkness the
people; but the Lord shall arise upon
thee, and His glory shall be seen upon
thee, And the Gentiles shall come to
thy light, and kings to the brightness
of thy rising.
Air Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, and
ev’ry mountain and hill made low; the
crooked straight and the rough places
plain.
Air The people that walked in
darkness have seen a great light;
and they that dwell in the land of the
shadow of death, upon them hath the
light shined.
Chorus And the glory of the Lord
shall be revealed, and all flesh shall
see it together: for the mouth of the
Lord hath spoken it.
Chorus For unto us a Child is
born, unto us a Son is given, and
the government shall be upon His
shoulder; and His name shall be called,
Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty
God, the Everlasting Father, the
Prince of Peace.
Recit Thus saith the Lord, the Lord
of Hosts: Yet once a little while and I
will shake the heavens and the earth,
the sea and the dry land. And I will
shake all nations; and the desire of all
nations shall come. The Lord, whom
ye seek, shall suddenly come to His
temple, even the messenger of the
Covenant, whom ye delight in; behold,
He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts.
Pastoral Symphony
Recit There were shepherds abiding
in the field, keeping watch over their
flocks by night.
Air But who may abide the day of His
coming, and who shall stand when He
appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s
fire.
Recit And the angel said unto them:
Fear not, for behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to
all people. For unto you is born this
day in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord.
Chorus And He shall purify the sons
of Levi, that they may offer unto the
Lord an offering in righteousness.
Recit Behold, a virgin shall conceive
and bear a Son, and shall call His
name Emmanuel, God with us.
Recit And suddenly there was with
the angel, a multitude of the heavenly
host, praising God, and saying:
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