Sir David Valentine Willcocks CBE MC (born 30 December 1919) is a British c… Read Full Bio ↴Sir David Valentine Willcocks CBE MC (born 30 December 1919) is a British choral conductor, organist, and composer. His son, Jonathan Willcocks, is also a composer.
Born in Newquay in Cornwall, he began his musical training as a chorister at Westminster Abbey from 1929 to 1934. From 1934 to 1938, he was a music scholar at Clifton College, Bristol, before his appointment as organ scholar at King's College, Cambridge.
After WWII he returned to Cambridge in 1945 to complete his studies, and in 1947 was elected a Fellow of King's College and appointed Conductor of the Cambridge Philharmonic Society. In the same year, he became the organist at Salisbury Cathedral and the conductor of the Salisbury Musical Society. He moved to Worcester Cathedral in 1950 and remained until 1957, during which time he was organist of the Cathedral, principal conductor of the Three Choirs Festival in 1951, 1954, and 1957, and conductor of the City of Birmingham Choir. From 1956 to 1974 he was also conductor of the Bradford Festival Choral Society, whilst continuing as guest conductor for their carol concerts into the early 1990s.
From 1957 to 1974 he held the post for which he is probably best known, Director of Music at King's College, Cambridge. In addition, he served as the organist of Cambridge University, conductor of the Cambridge University Musical Society, and as University Lecturer. He made numerous recordings with the college choir; the choir toured extensively, giving concerts worldwide, as well as garnering further acclaim internationally through television and radio appearances. Under the baton of Willcocks, CUMS performed Benjamin Britten's War Requiem in 1963 in (Perugia) Milan, La Scala, and in Venice. The choir subsequently performed the work in Japan, Hong Kong, Portugal, and the Netherlands. In 1960, he also became the musical director of the Bach Choir in London.
He held these positions at Cambridge until the 1970s when he accepted the post of director of the Royal College of Music. In the 1971 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and was created a Knight Bachelor in 1977 in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Honours. He holds honorary degrees in England from the Universities of Bradford, Bristol, Exeter, Leicester, and Sussex, and from the Royal College of Music in London; in the USA from Luther College (Iowa), St. Olaf College (Minnesota), Rowan University and Westminster Choir College (New Jersey); and in Canada from the Universities of Trinity, Toronto, and Victoria B.C. All in all, his honorary degrees number over fifty. He is President of the City of Bath Bach Choir and Exeter Festival Chorus.
He has made recordings with the Bach Choir, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the Jacques Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra as well as with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. He also served as general editor of the Church Music series of the Oxford University Press. He is particularly known for his widely-used choral arrangements of Christmas carols, most of which were originally written for the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's or the Bach Choir's Christmas concerts. They are published in the five Carols for Choirs anthologies (1961–1987), edited by Willcocks with Reginald Jacques and John Rutter. He is currently Music Director Emeritus of King's College Choir, and an Honorary Fellow of King's College, Cambridge.
Born in Newquay in Cornwall, he began his musical training as a chorister at Westminster Abbey from 1929 to 1934. From 1934 to 1938, he was a music scholar at Clifton College, Bristol, before his appointment as organ scholar at King's College, Cambridge.
After WWII he returned to Cambridge in 1945 to complete his studies, and in 1947 was elected a Fellow of King's College and appointed Conductor of the Cambridge Philharmonic Society. In the same year, he became the organist at Salisbury Cathedral and the conductor of the Salisbury Musical Society. He moved to Worcester Cathedral in 1950 and remained until 1957, during which time he was organist of the Cathedral, principal conductor of the Three Choirs Festival in 1951, 1954, and 1957, and conductor of the City of Birmingham Choir. From 1956 to 1974 he was also conductor of the Bradford Festival Choral Society, whilst continuing as guest conductor for their carol concerts into the early 1990s.
From 1957 to 1974 he held the post for which he is probably best known, Director of Music at King's College, Cambridge. In addition, he served as the organist of Cambridge University, conductor of the Cambridge University Musical Society, and as University Lecturer. He made numerous recordings with the college choir; the choir toured extensively, giving concerts worldwide, as well as garnering further acclaim internationally through television and radio appearances. Under the baton of Willcocks, CUMS performed Benjamin Britten's War Requiem in 1963 in (Perugia) Milan, La Scala, and in Venice. The choir subsequently performed the work in Japan, Hong Kong, Portugal, and the Netherlands. In 1960, he also became the musical director of the Bach Choir in London.
He held these positions at Cambridge until the 1970s when he accepted the post of director of the Royal College of Music. In the 1971 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and was created a Knight Bachelor in 1977 in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Honours. He holds honorary degrees in England from the Universities of Bradford, Bristol, Exeter, Leicester, and Sussex, and from the Royal College of Music in London; in the USA from Luther College (Iowa), St. Olaf College (Minnesota), Rowan University and Westminster Choir College (New Jersey); and in Canada from the Universities of Trinity, Toronto, and Victoria B.C. All in all, his honorary degrees number over fifty. He is President of the City of Bath Bach Choir and Exeter Festival Chorus.
He has made recordings with the Bach Choir, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the Jacques Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra as well as with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. He also served as general editor of the Church Music series of the Oxford University Press. He is particularly known for his widely-used choral arrangements of Christmas carols, most of which were originally written for the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's or the Bach Choir's Christmas concerts. They are published in the five Carols for Choirs anthologies (1961–1987), edited by Willcocks with Reginald Jacques and John Rutter. He is currently Music Director Emeritus of King's College Choir, and an Honorary Fellow of King's College, Cambridge.
Gauntlett: Once in Royal David's City
Sir David Willcocks Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Gauntlett: Once in Royal David's City' by these artists:
John Rutter and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and The Bach Choir Once in royal David's city, Stood a lowly cattle shed,…
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir Once in royal David's city Stood a lowly cattle-shed Where…
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir Nathaniel Morley Simon Johnson & Andrew Carwoo Once in royal David’s city Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where…
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir Nathaniel Morley Simon Johnson Andrew Carwood Once in royal David’s city Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where…
The Bach Choir Once in royal David's city Stood a lowly cattle shed Where a…
The Bach Choir Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & John Rutter Once in royal David's city, Stood a lowly cattle shed,…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Sir David Willcocks:
O come all ye faithful O come, all ye faithful Joyful and triumphant O come ye, O…
Willie Take Your Little Drum Willie, bring your little drum Robin bring your flute and co…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
@helpmemyspaghettiistryingt959
Once in royal David's city
Stood a lowly cattle shed
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild
Jesus Christ her little child
He came down to earth from heaven
Who is God and Lord of all
And His shelter was a stable
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor and meek and lowly
Lived on earth our Savior holy
And through all
His wondrous childhood
He would honor and obey
Love and watch the lowly mother
In whose gentle arms He lay
Christian children all should be
Mild, obedient, good as He
For He is our child-hood's pattern
Day by day like us He grew
He was little, weak, and helpless
Tears and smiles like us He knew
And He feeleth for our sadness
And He shareth in our gladness
And our eyes at last shall see Him
Through His own redeeming love;
For that child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone
Not in that poor lowly stable
With the oxen standing by
We shall see Him, but in heaven
Set at God's right hand on high;
When like stars
His children crowned
All in white shall be around
@lavoxii
Once in royal Davids city,
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby,
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ, her little Child.
He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall:
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.
For He is our childhood's pattern;
Day by day, like us, He grew;
He was little, weak, and helpless,
Tears and smiles, like us He knew;
And He cares when we are sad,
And he shares when we are glad.
And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle,
Is our Lord in heaven above:
And He leads His children on,
To the place where He is gone.
@sidlines6885
Once in royal David's city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.
He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.
And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above,
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.
Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high;
When like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.
@lavoxii
Once in royal David’s city,
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.
*
He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor and meek and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.
*
And through all
His wondrous childhood,
He would honour and obey,
Love and watch the lowly mother,
In whose gentle arms He lay.
Christian children all should be,
Mild, obedient, good as He.
*
For He is our child-hood’s pattern,
Day by day like us He grew,
He was little, weak, and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew,
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.
*
And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that child so dear and gentle,
Is our Lord in heaven above,
And He leads His children on,
To the place where He is gone.
*
Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him, but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
When like stars
His children crowned,
All in white shall be around.
@Sam-fh9zv
I listen to this while studying abroad in the USA on a quiet night, it takes me back to the warmth of being with my family at Christmas, and the joy of my younger self at the idea of being with my grandparents. The warmth of the yellow bulb light of their houses after Christmas dinner and the bleak cold of the English winter outside. This takes me back to those nice times and being cold in the village church on Christmas Eve. Thank you for the upload
@whitecityboi
This particular arrangement is by far my favorite for this underrated hymn. Especially that descant at the end, it's like the heavens opened up and all the angels sang with a joyous voice. And I think this choir did a magnificent performance, BRAVO!!
@whitecityboi
Would you by chance, be able to post the words for the descant?
@aarthidding
6. Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high;
Where like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.
@neilrussell2198
Yes, I sang it in my children's (Anglican) church choir (Christ The King, Bahamas) as a little boy as a soloist. Have loved it ever since. Thank you Mr. Seifert, our choir director.😍
@meganmcgowan5798
Absolutely LOVE that descant! It's part of the fun of being a first soprano. We get to sing that great descant!! 😂
@nejuw
Love this after singing in uni choir. Beautiful harmonies and the ending as mentioned.
@russellsatterthwait3505
This carol and choir, takes you back to the essence of being. The personification of love. the sentient voices of those loved ones long gone, peaceful , harmonious.
@Christyanne_24
The soloist at the beginning sung so beautifully 🥹
@joesoy9185
It´s Molly Noon who now sings with the successful vocal ensemble VOCES8