Hodie!: A Cradle Hymn by David von Kampen
Hear this live Saturday, December 17, 2016 | 7:30 PM | Holy Trinity Episcopal Church | Lincoln, Nebraska
Printable Program
A Cradle Hymn by David von Kampen might have had a rocky start, if you’ll pardon the pun. But it has turned into one of our favorites, and a best selling piece on MusicSpoke. According to David, “I was sitting on the poem for awhile, I knew I wanted to eventually work it into a Howells-esque unaccompanied Christmas piece. I finally got around to doing it when there was a call for scores, a choir in Florida wanted Christmas music. So I wrote the piece over a weekend and sent it off. It didn’t get selected, so I sent it to the Concordia (Nebraska) choir and they premiered it.”
We hope you’ll join us to hear this modern lullaby. It may be cold and snowy, but we hope to bring some beauty and warmth to you tonight.
A Cradle Hymn
Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber;
Holy angels guard thy bed;
Heavenly blessings without number
Gently falling on thy head.Sleep, my babe, thy food and raiment,
House and home, thy friends provide;
All without thy care, or payment,
All thy wants are well supplied.How much better thou’rt attended
Than the Son of God could be,
When from heaven He descended,
And became a child like thee!Soft and easy is thy cradle;
Coarse and hard thy Saviour lay,
When His birthplace was a stable,
And His softest bed was hay.See the kindly shepherds round him,
Telling wonders from the sky!
When they sought Him, there they found Him,
With his Virgin-Mother by.See the lovely babe a-dressing;
Lovely infant, how He smiled!
When He wept, the mother’s blessing
Soothed and hushed the holy child.Lo, He slumbers in His manger,
Where the honest oxen fed;
–Peace, my darling! here’s no danger!
Here’s no ox a-near thy bed!Mayst thou live to know and fear Him,
Trust and love Him all thy days;
Then go dwell forever near Him,
See His face, and sing His praise!I could give thee thousand kisses,
Hoping what I most desire;
Not a mother’s fondest wishes
Can to greater joys aspire.
Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748)