2nd of December 1697 saw the opening of Wren's great cathedral following the Great Fire of 1666. John Blow, the Minister of the Choristers, wrote his anthem I was glad when they said unto me to be sung at this grand occasion. He was assisted by his pupil Jeremiah Clarke, who was to become the first official Organist of the new Cathedral. Purcell's Te Deum and Jubilate was also performed, accompanied by Father Smith's large new organ, esteemed the best in Europe according to the diarist John Evelyn.
In 1860 a significant change in the building took place when the screen on which the organ was housed was removed and in 1872 the Cathedral took two major steps – building a new organ and appointing John Stainer as Organist.
Stainer proposed a choir of 40 boys and 18 men (or Vicars Choral) to achieve the necessary vocal power to fill the cathedral following the removal of the choir-screen. He demanded more rehearsal time for the Vicars Choral and encouraged a more professional approach altogether. This meant that he was able to extend the musical repertoire enormously, and began to sow the seeds of the musical tradition we know today.
The present Cathedral Choir consists of 30 choristers (boy trebles), eight probationers (who will become choristers) and 12 professional adult singers (or Vicars Choral): four altos, four tenors and four basses.
In the Bleak Mid-Winter
St. Paul's Cathedral Choir Lyrics
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Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow-ow-ow on snow
In the bleak midwinter, lo-o-ong ago
Heaven canno-ot hold him, nor-or earth sustain
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day
A brea-east full of milk, and a manger full of hay
Enough for Him, Whom angels fa-a-all before
The ox and ass and camel whi-ich a-adore
Angels and arc angels may have gathered there
Cherubim and seraphim thro-onged the air
But for hi-i-is mother, in her maiden bliss
Worshiped the Belove-ed wi-ith a-a kiss
Wha-at can I give him, poor-oor as I am
If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb
If I were a wise man, I would do my part
But wha-at can I gi-ive Him, gi-ive my heart...
"In the Bleak Midwinter" is a beautiful, contemplative Christmas carol that reflects on the humble and austere circumstances of Jesus Christ's birth. The opening verses describe the harshness of winter with "frosty wind" and snow piling up, rendering the earth barren and unyielding. However, the song then pivots to the concept of the divine, questioning how both heaven and earth can hold Him when He comes to reign. The answer lies in a stable, the only place that could provide any refuge for Mary and Joseph to give birth to Christ. Indeed, the final verse muses on what we can give to Christ, ultimately arriving at the realization that offering our hearts is the most valuable offering of all.
The song paints a vivid picture of a winter landscape and uses this setting to explore deep theological questions. The harsh conditions of "bleak midwinter" underscore the extremity of the situation surrounding the birth of Jesus. Mary and Joseph are forced to make do with a cold, damp stable, a location that is about as far as one can get from a typical royal birthplace. The lyrics affirm that it is not wealth or power that matters, but rather the love we hold in our hearts for Christ, which is the most fitting offering one can give.
Line by Line Meaning
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan
During the harsh midwinter season, the cold wind made mournful sounds
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
The ground was so frozen that it felt as hard as metal and the water was like ice
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow-ow-ow on snow
There was heavy snowfall and it kept snowing more and more
In the bleak midwinter, lo-o-ong ago
This all took place a long time ago in a cold winter season
Heaven canno-ot hold him, nor-or earth sustain
Neither heaven nor earth can contain or support the greatness of Christ
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign
Both the skies and the land will disappear when Christ rules and reigns
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
In the cold winter, a stable was enough to shelter infant Jesus
Lord Go-od A-almighty, Je-esu-us Christ
Jesus Christ is the almighty Lord of God
Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day
For Jesus, who is adored by cherubim constantly, it was enough
A brea-east full of milk, and a manger full of hay
He was content with a simple meal of milk and a bed made of hay
Enough for Him, Whom angels fa-a-all before
For the Jesus that all angels bow down to, it was enough
The ox and ass and camel whi-ich a-adore
Even the animals that worship him, like the ox, ass, and camel were enough
Angels and arc angels may have gathered there
Both angels and archangels could have been present there with Jesus
Cherubim and seraphim thro-onged the air
Not only that, but the air could have been filled with cherubim and seraphim
But for hi-i-is mother, in her maiden bliss
But most importantly, Jesus' mother, who was a maiden, was there
Worshiped the Belove-ed wi-ith a-a kiss
She worshipped her beloved son and even gave him a kiss
Wha-at can I give him, poor-oor as I am
As a poor person, what can I give to Jesus?
If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb
If I were a shepherd, I would offer a lamb as a gift
If I were a wise man, I would do my part
If I were a wise person, I would offer whatever I could to help
But wha-at can I gi-ive Him, gi-ive my heart...
Since I cannot offer much else, I will give him my heart and love
Lyrics © HOPE PUBLISHING COMPANY, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOYCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind