The establishment of a fine choral foundation was part of the original vision of the founder of Westminster Cathedral, Cardinal Herbert Vaughan. Vaughan laid great emphasis on the beauty and integrity of the new Cathedral’s liturgy, and regarded a residential choir school as essential to the realisation of his vision. Daily sung Masses and Offices were immediately established when the Cathedral opened in 1903, and have continued without interruption ever since. Today, Westminster Cathedral Choir is the only professional Catholic choir in the world to sing daily Mass and Vespers.
Richard Terry, the Cathedral’s first Master of Music, proved to be an inspired choice. Terry was both a brilliant choir trainer and a pioneering scholar, one of the first musicologists to revive the great works of the English and Continental Renaissance composers. Terry built Westminster Cathedral Choir’s reputation on performances of music – by Byrd, Tallis, Taverner, Palestrina and Victoria, among others – that had not been heard since the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and Mass at the Cathedral was soon attended by inquisitive musicians as well as the faithful. The performance of great Renaissance masses and motets in their proper liturgical context remains the cornerstone of the choir’s activity.
George Malcolm consolidated the musical reputation of Westminster Cathedral Choir during his time as Master of Music – in particular through the now legendary recording of Victoria’s Tenebrae Responsories. More recent holders of the post have included Colin Mawby, Stephen Cleobury, David Hill and James O’Donnell. The choir continues to thrive under the current Master of Music, Martin Baker, who has held the post since 2000.
In addition to its performances of Renaissance masterpieces, Westminster Cathedral Choir has given many first performances of music written especially for it by contemporary composers. Terry gave the premières of music by Vaughan Williams (whose Mass in G minor received its liturgical performance at a Mass in the Cathedral), Gustav Holst, Herbert Howells and Charles Wood; in 1959 Benjamin Britten wrote his Missa brevis for the choristers; and since 1960 works by Lennox Berkeley, William Mathias, Colin Mawby and Francis Grier have been added to the repertoire. Most recently four new Masses – by Roxanna Panufnik, James MacMillan, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and Judith Bingham – have received their first performance in the Cathedral. In June 2005 the choristers performed the world première of Sir John Tavener’s Missa Brevis for boys voices.
Westminster Cathedral Choir made its first recording in 1907. Many more have followed, most recently the acclaimed series on the Hyperion label, and many awards have been conferred on the choir’s recordings. Of these the most prestigious are the 1998 Gramophone Awards for both ‘Best Choral Recording of the Year’ and ‘Record of the Year’, for the performance of Martin’s Mass for Double Choir and Pizzetti’s Requiem. It is the only cathedral choir to have won in either of these categories.
The choir’s recordings include two discs of Palestrina on the Hyperion label – the Missa Hodie Christus natus est with motets for Advent and Christmas, and the Missa Dum complerentur with Pentecost motets and plainchant. In addition, the choir has recorded MacMillan's Mass and a complete Mass for Easter Sunday on the Herald label. More recent recordings include a disc of Victoria Marian music and Vaughan Williams’s Mass in G minor which was recorded last July.
When its duties at the Cathedral permit, the choir also gives concert performances both at home and abroad. It has appeared at many important festivals, including Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Salzburg, Copenhagen, Bremen and Spitalfields. It has appeared in many of the major concert halls of Britain, including the Royal Festival Hall, the Wigmore Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. The Cathedral Choir also broadcasts frequently on radio and television.
Westminster Cathedral Choir has recently undertaken a number of international tours, including visits to Hungary, Germany and the USA. The choristers participated in the 2003 and 2006 International Gregorian Chant Festival in Watou, Belgium, where they plan to return to in 2008, and the full choir performed twice at the Oslo International Church Music Festival in March 2006. In April 2005, 2007 and 2008 they performed as part of the “Due Organi in Concerto” festival in Milan.
Away In a Manger
Westminster Cathedral Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Lay down His sweet head
The stars in the sky
Look down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay
The cattle are lowing
The Baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side
'Til morning is nigh
Be near me, Lord Jesus
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me, I pray
Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And fit us for Heaven
To live with Thee there
The lyrics of the popular Christmas carol, Away in a Manger, speak to the humble and lowly beginning of the baby Jesus, as he is born in a manger without a crib for his bed. The song paints a vivid picture of the nativity scene, with the stars shining down on the newborn baby and the animals resting nearby. The lyrics then highlight the sweetness of the new-born Jesus, as he lays quietly in the hay without crying.
As the song progresses, it takes a more personal tone, with the singer expressing their love for Jesus and asking him to stay by their side through the night. The lyrics are a beautiful reflection on the tenderness and innocence of the nativity scene, as well as a reminder of the unconditional love that Jesus offers to all.
The simplicity and beauty of Away in a Manger have made it a favorite Christmas carol for many generations. It is often performed in a gentle, lullaby-like manner, which adds to the peaceful and calming atmosphere of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Away in a manger
The infant Christ is lying in a feeding trough used for animals because there was no other appropriate place for him to sleep.
No crib for His bed
There was no proper place for the infant Christ to sleep.
The little Lord Jesus
Referring to the Christian figure of the infant Christ.
Lay down His sweet head
The infant Christ is resting his head and sleeping peacefully.
The stars in the sky
The stars in the sky are shining and looking down on where the infant Christ is sleeping.
Look down where He lay
The stars are looking down upon the place where the infant Christ is sleeping.
Asleep on the hay
The infant Christ is sleeping on a bed made of hay, which is typically used to feed animals.
The cattle are lowing
The cows are making a soft, lowing sound, which is waking up the infant Christ.
The Baby awakes
The infant Christ wakes up due to the lowing sound of the cows.
But little Lord Jesus
Despite waking up, the infant Christ doesn't cry, making him a peaceful and content baby.
No crying He makes
The infant Christ doesn't cry and is a peaceful and content baby.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
The song writer expresses his/her love towards the infant Christ.
Look down from the sky
The song writer is asking the infant Christ to look down from the sky and shower his blessings on his/her life.
And stay by my side
The song writer is asking the infant Christ to always stay by his/her side.
Close by me forever
The song writer is asking the infant Christ to stay close to him/her forever.
And love me, I pray
The song writer is requesting the infant Christ to love him/her.
Bless all the dear children
The song writer asks the infant Christ to bless all the children.
In Thy tender care
The song writer is asking the infant Christ to take care of all the children tenderly.
And fit us for Heaven
The song writer wants the infant Christ to prepare him/her to go to heaven.
To live with Thee there
The song writer wants to live with the infant Christ in heaven.
Writer(s): Sir David Willcocks, W.j. Kirkpatrick
Contributed by Lila N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.