Open the door to Christmas (Oliver Barton)
Music files
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- (Posted 2004-02-10) CPDL #06678: PDF, MIDI & FInale 2004 files
- Editor: Oliver Barton (submitted 2004-02-10). Score information: A4, 12 pages, 285 kB Copyright: Personal
- Edition notes:
General Information
Title: Open the Door to Christmas
Composer: Oliver Barton
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Soloists: S or Bar
Genre: Secular, Carol
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published:
Description: Repetitive and frantic builds flank a reflective section with a mezzo or baritone solo. The general sentiment is "open the door to your brother/sister outside, alone in the cold - how can you be warm with family and friends while he or she's lonely, cold and starving?" The solo is the thoughts of the visitor coming through the open door and experiencing the warmth of a family.
Original text and translations
English text
Open the door to Christmas,
Open the door, the season’s here; here,
Open the door to Christmas,
Open the door, the reason’s clear:
Open the door to Christmas,
Open the door, your brother’s standing outside.
How could you let your brother
Be on his own at Christmas?
He’s on his own at Christmas,
he’s so alone, see, alone.
Why do we walk so blindly?
Help us to be more kindly,
Open the door, open the door, open the door!
You are safe, you are warm,
But your brother’s not;
What? Who is your brother?
He’s there in the street.
Open your heart to each person you meet;
What would it take to make Christmas complete?
He’s out there, he’s out there, he’s out there.
What little thing would make sense of Christmas?
Christmas, tell me that.
Is it enough that we spend a fortune on mere tat?
Offer a gift to the manger,
offer babe in a manger,
Open your door to a stranger,
Open you arms to your brother,
Open your heart to another,
We are safe, we are warm, but our brother’s not.
Open your door, open your arms, open your heart.
Open the door to Christmas,
Open the door, the season’s here.
Oh, Open the door to your brother outside.