Part One

Recitative (Tenor)

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.

Air (Tenor)

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low: the crooked straight, and the rough places plain

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.

Recitative (Baritone)

Thus saith 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.

Air (Mezzo-soprano, Baritone)

But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire.

Chorus

And he shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

Recitative (Mezzo-soprano)

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, “God-with-us.”

Air (Mezzo-soprano) 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 they 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.

Recitative (Baritone)

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 (Baritone)

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

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, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Pifa (“Pastoral Symphony”)

Recitative (Soprano)

There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock at night.

Recitative (Soprano)

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

Recitative (Soprano)

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.

Arioso (Soprano)

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Chorus

Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men.

Air (Soprano)

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is the righteous Saviour. And he shall speak peace unto the heathen.

Recitative (Mezzo-soprano)

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.

Air (Mezzo-soprano, Soprano)

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: and he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Come unto Him, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Chorus

His yoke is easy, and His burthen is light.

INTERMISSION

Part Two

Chorus

Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.

Air (Mezzo-soprano)

He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He gave his back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. He hid not His face from shame and spitting.

Chorus

Surely, He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.

Chorus

And with His stripes we are healed.

Chorus

All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Recitative (Tenor)

All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn. They shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying:

Arioso (Tenor)

Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow!

Recitative (Tenor)

He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgressions of Thy people was He stricken.

Air (Tenor)

But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell; nor didst Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.

Chorus

Lift up your heads, oh ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in! Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.

Recitative (Tenor)

He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision.

Air (Tenor)

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

Chorus

Hallelujah! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Hallelujah! The Kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Part Three

Air (Soprano)

I know that my Redeemer liveth and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And tho’ worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep.

Chorus

Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Recitative (Baritone)

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be chang’d in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet.

Air (Baritone)

The trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised, incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Chorus

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing. Blessing, and honour, glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen.