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Danielle & Dave's Advent Calendar, 2024

21st December, 2023

On Great Christmas Night

 Traditional Hungarian music arranged by Miklós Kocsár (1933 - 2019)
English text by Tim Morris

Kocsár, composed a great deal of vocal and chamber music and this arrangement is found in World Carols for Choirs. He was pre-eminent in his generation in Hungarian musical society, as Head of Composition at Budapest Conservatory and also as head of music at Hungarian radio.

The Hungarian name of this carol is Nagykarácsony Éjszakáján (that might be even harder, or perhaps easier – to pronounce after one too many glasses of Christmas Champagne! – Dave) – and World Carols for Choirs states that it ‘draws on traditional sources.
The first three verses are set to one of Hungary’s most treasured melodies, while the remaining verses incorporate two immensely popular Hungarian Christmas tunes…’

See the tender rose has opened its flower,
All the world was waiting for this hour.
See the bud burst on the royal rose stem,
From the ancient house of Bethlehem.

There he found no place to rest,
Lying at his mother’s breast.
See him sleeping gently in a manger,
Sheltered from the cold and danger.

See his body shaking with the cold;
With their warmth the ox and ass enfold,
While above him, in their joy,
Fluttering birds sing to the baby boy.

See now the angel comes to the shepherds
Out of heav’n, out of heav’n,
Quickly they follow, as they were told,
To Bethlehem, to Bethlehem.

God’s son is lying there in a lowly 
oxen stall, oxen stall,
But he has come to earth to redeem
And save you all, save you all.

Little Jesus, great Jesus,
Our hearts worship him,
Little Jesus, great Jesus,
Our Lord and our King.

On the night of Great Christmas,
On his birthday, on this day,
Let us sing and celebrate him,
Little Jesus born today.
Little Jesus, great Jesus.

Performed on David Concert Harp

Refs:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miklós_Kocsár

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/world-carols-for-choirs-satb-9780193532311?cc=us&lang=en&

Image: Manner_of_Abraham_Bloemaert_-_Announcement_to_the_shepherds_c1600_FHM01_OS-I-19