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.
In The Bleak Midwinter
Westminster Cathedral Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone,
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain,
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air,
But his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshiped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb,
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give him: give my heart.
The song "In the Bleak Midwinter" is a powerful hymn that was first composed by Christina Rossetti in 1872. The song talks about the harsh winter season, with "frost wind" blowing and the "earth stood hard as iron." It describes how "snow had fallen, snow on snow" without respite, and how bleak the world looked "long ago."
However, in spite of the harshness of the midwinter, the song reminds us of the hope that lies beyond this season. It talks about how God is so powerful that not even heaven can hold him or earth sustain him. When he comes to reign, heaven and earth will flee away. Thus, even in the bleak midwinter, there is still hope for a bright future.
The song also mentions how even in the midst of this harsh midwinter, the Lord God Almighty found a stable place to be born. Though angels and archangels may have gathered there, it was his mother, Mary, who worshiped the beloved with a kiss. The song concludes with a reflection of what we can give to the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ. Though we may be poor and have nothing much to offer, the song tells us that if we give him our hearts, that would be enough.
Line by Line Meaning
In the bleak midwinter, frost wind made moan,
During winter when the bitter wind makes an unpleasant noise,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone,
The ground was so hard that it resembled iron while the water looked like stones,
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
The snow had accumulated and added up to layers upon layers, upon layers,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
In the past, when the cold winter was harsh and unforgiving,
Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain,
God is too magnificent that even the heavens can not contain Him, and the earth is too small to support Him,
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
When He comes to rule, everything in heaven and earth will vanish,
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
Even in such a grim winter, a stable could suffice,
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
The savior of humanity, the almighty Lord, Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
There may have been a gathering of angels and archangels in that place,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air,
The air was filled with cherubim and seraphim,
But his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
But only the mother of the savior, in her state of perfect happiness
Worshiped the beloved with a kiss.
Was the only one to give the beloved Son a kiss,
What can I give him, poor as I am?
What gift can I offer Him, while being poor myself?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring 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 man, I would fulfill my duty as well,
Yet what I can I give him: give my heart.
But the only thing I can offer Him is my heart since it is all that I have to give.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BARRY WALSH MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: THOMAS STRONG, CHRISTINA ROSSETTI, BARRY WALSH, GRETCHEN PETERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@elvers1
For those of us fortunate enough to have been born in the Cotswolds, and who know Cranham, you'll know the music for this beautiful carol was composed in this village by Gustav Holst in 1906... What we Gloucestrians also know, is he captured the incredible spiritual feeling of the bleak, cold , misty environment to be found there in the middle of a Cotswold winter, which is deeply felt in this wonderful Christmas song...We might also wonder if Holst in gazing up to the Cranham milky-way peppered skies was inspired to write his Planets Suite, his most celebrated work, constantly played all over the world...
Although Holst was born in Cheltenham, this version of the carol is appropriately played in Gloucester Cathedral, a mere 8 miles away, and really does justice to his skill as a composer in the way he, the choir and the congregation, fill this Gothic edifice with magnificent harmonious sound .
It should also be said that the English lyricist/poet Christina Rossetti , who died in 1894, did not collaborate with Holst on the work, but how beautifully her words were merged into the piece by him to give the impression they wrote it together...Thank you to both for giving us the opportunity to share this fusion of genius...
@democafe4864
Many thanks for telling the impressive and delightful information.
@twolefthanz
It's not often you can get a choir and a congregation in such great time together. The English are so good at choral music.
@stephenfarthing3819
I can agree.. As a Church Chorister myself. I can concur..
@NavigatingOrthoWorld
Have to mic choir and audience separately and match them up
@SuperRocky74
This is simply the best version of this song. I listen to it every Christmas
@gcook1493
Me too , wonderful.
@JehuHernandez10
Same.
@vegardjohansen9589
The worcester choir on Spotify has much better quality and in my opinion better balanced. But nevertheless what's right or wrong I don't care, this is beautiful aswell.
@SuperRocky74
@Vegard Johansen I'll look hem up