SINFONIA

 

PART ONE

 

ACCOMPAGNATO: Comfort ye, my people (Tenor)

Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplish’d, that her iniquity is pardon’d. 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: Ev’ry valley shall be exalted (Tenor)

Every valley shall be exalted, and ev’ry mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight and the rough places plain.

 

CHORUS: And the glory of the Lord

And the glory, the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

 

ACCOMPAGNATO: Thus saith the Lord (Bass)

Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; Yet once, a little while, and I will shake the heav’ns 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, ev’n the messenger of the Covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts.

 

AIR: But who may abide the day of His Coming (Countertenor)

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

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

 

ACCOMPAGNATO: Behold, a virgin shall conceive (Countertenor)

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

 

AIR AND CHORUS: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (Countertenor)

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.

 

ACCOMPAGNATO: For behold, darkness shall cover the earth (Bass)

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: The people that walked in darkness (Bass)

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

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!

 

PIFA ( PASTORAL SYMPHONY)

 

RECITATIVE: There were shepherds abiding in the field (Soprano)

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

 

ACCOMPAGNATO: And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them (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: And the angel said unto them (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 Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

 

ACCOMPAGNATO: And suddenly there was with the angel (Soprano)

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heav’nly host, praising God, and saying:

 

CHORUS: Glory to God in the highest

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

 

AIR: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion (Soprano)

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is the righteous Savior, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen.

 

RECITATIVE: Then shall the eyes of the blind be open'd (Countertenor)

Then shall the eyes of the blind be open’d, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.

 

DUET: He shall feed His flock like a shepherd (Soprano & Countertenor)

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.

 

CHORUS: His yoke is easy, and His burthen is light

His yoke is easy, and His burthen is light.