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.
Good King Wenceslas
Westminster Cathedral Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
Deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shown the moon that night,
Though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
Gathering winter fuel.
Hither, page, and stand by me.
If thou know it telling:
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain,
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes fountain.
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
Bring me pine logs hither.
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear the thither.
Page and monarch, forth they went,
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather.
Sire, the night is darker now,
And the wind blows stronger.
Fails my heart, I know not how.
I can go no longer.
Ark my footsteps my good page,
Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
In his master's step he trod,
Where the snow lay dented.
Heat was in the very sod
Which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing
The song Good King Wenceslas recounts the story of Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, who was also known as Vaclav the Good. On St Stephen's Day, he went out to give alms to the poor during the deep winter snow. As he walked through the snow, he invited his page to follow him closely, lest he should fall. Shortly thereafter, the page noticed that the king was causing heat wherever he stepped, warming the ground and even melting the snow. The king then asked his page to gather some firewood, food, and wine. The two then journeyed through the harsh winter weather to the hovels of the poor, where they provided food, drink, and firewood. The king's kindness and generosity toward the poor lead the page to declare, "Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing, ye who would of men secure a blessing, ye who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing." Thus the song ends with a reminder of the blessings that come to those who bless others.
This song is about a man who is known for his kindness and generosity towards the less fortunate. The lyrics highlight the inspiring deeds of Wenceslaus I, who is remembered for his compassion towards the poor. They encourage more people to follow in his footsteps by helping out those in need. The song also serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of treating all people with kindness and respect, regardless of their station in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
Good King Wenceslas looked outside his castle
On the feast of Stephen,
It was the day after Christmas, also known as Boxing Day
When the snow lay round about,
The ground was covered in lots of snow
Deep and crisp and even.
The snow was deep, firm and smooth
Brightly shown the moon that night,
The moon was shining brightly and lighting up the snow
Though the frost was cruel,
It was very cold and the frost was harsh
When a poor man came in sight,
When Good King Wenceslas saw a poor man
Gathering winter fuel.
The poor man was collecting wood for a fire to keep warm
Hither, page, and stand by me.
Come here, page, and stand next to me
If thou know it telling:
Do you know who he is?
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is that peasant over there?
Where and what his dwelling?
Where does he live and what is his home like?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
He lives quite far from here
Underneath the mountain,
He lives at the bottom of a mountain
Right against the forest fence
His home is next to the forest
By Saint Agnes fountain.
His home is near Saint Agnes fountain
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
Bring me some meat and wine
Bring me pine logs hither.
Bring some pine logs here
Thou and I will see him dine
You and I will have dinner with him
When we bear the thither.
When we take them to him
Page and monarch, forth they went,
The page and the king went together
Forth they went together
They started walking together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
Through the harsh and strong wind
And the bitter weather.
And the unpleasantly cold weather
Sire, the night is darker now,
It's getting darker now, sire
And the wind blows stronger.
The wind is getting stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how.
My heart is failing, I don't know why
I can go no longer.
I can't go any further
Ark my footsteps my good page,
Follow in my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly:
Step into them bravely
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
You will find the winter's fury
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
Less cold than if you didn't follow me
In his master's step he trod,
The page walked in his master's footsteps
Where the snow lay dented.
Walking where the snow was already compacted
Heat was in the very sod
The ground was still warm where a saint had walked earlier
Which the saint had printed.
The saint's footsteps could still be seen in the ground
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
So, all Christian people should be certain
Wealth or rank possessing,
Whether you are wealthy or not
Ye who now will bless the poor
If you bless the poor now
Shall yourselves find blessing
You will find a blessing for yourself
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TONY ALLEN, DONIE CASSIDY, MICK FOSTER, JOHN MASON NEALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnashtone7167
@@zerotoleranceforsataniceli4794 Hi Zero, Merry Christmas 2021:-)
I think you misunderstood my comment.
I totally agree with you, I was pointing out, that a comment from someone else, suggested, that Aled had upstaged Ben Luxom, both are brilliant performers.
BTW I was listening to that young whipper snapper Aled Jones, last Sunday on UK Classic Radio,:-)))
And I am given to understand Ben is still going strong.
Lots of Love Zero, and Yuletide Greetings from Yorkshire, in the cold frozen North of England :-))
@sallietaylor8503
My twin sister and I sang this duo with the whole girls school chorus during Christmas Carol services.late 50s.
@nigeltrotter2886
Daaaaaaaang!!!! The kid and the guy tore that song up!!!!!
@Mr.SLovesTheSacredHeartofJesus
One of my favorite Carol's. Beautifully done from Westminster Cathedral Choir.
@josparkes9381
I love this carol and King Wenceslas's sense of charity !!
@copperandbrick
A beautiful version of one of my favorites. I listen to Christmas music all year.
@africnviolet
This is amazinggg!!! My parents used to play this every christmas during my childhood years! God I miss that </3
@mohaa909
This recording is absolutely stunning, I have no other words for it I'd love to go to Westminster Cathedral at Christmas day, but I live in Holland and sing in a boys-choir too, so I can't.....
@zerotoleranceforsataniceli4794
Glad someone else does too!!
👍🙏😊
@hudsonbailey674
Merry Christmas and Happy St. Stephan's Day!
@shivrongay5243
This is absolutely amazing. I love this song and this rendition gladdens my heart for Christmas.