As on the night (Orlando Gibbons)
Music files
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- Editor: James Gibb (submitted 2010-01-13). Score information: A4, 3 pages, 46 kB Copyright: CPDL
- Edition notes: Includes a keyboard reduction of the a cappella choral score.
- The music (taken from Song 47) has been adapted to fit with the text of Song 46.
- Only treble and bass are Gibbons', alto and tenor here are very similar to those written by Francis Jackson (OUP, 1973).
- Original F major − note values halved.
General Information
Title: As on the night (Song 46)
Composer: Orlando Gibbons
Lyricist: George Wither (1588-1667)
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Sacred, Motet
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published: 1623 in The Hymnes and Songs of the Church (George Wither), no. 47
(music); No. 46 (text).
Description: As Gibbons didn't provide music for Wither's Song 46, the music here has been taken from the Song 47.
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
1. As on the night before this blessed morn,
A troop of angels unto shepherds told,
Where in a stable He was lowly born,
Whom nor the earth, nor heav'n of heav'ns can hold.
Thro' Bethlem rung this news at their return;
Yea, angels sung that “God with us” was born:
And they made mirth because we should not mourn.
R. His love therefore, oh! let us all confess,
And to the sons of men his works express.
2. This favour Christ vouchsafed for our sake;
To buy us thrones He in a manger lay;
Our weakness took, that we His strength might take,
And was disrob’d, that He might us array;
Our flesh He wore, our sin to wear away;
Our curse He bore, that we escape it may;
And wept for us that we might sing for aye.
R.