1st Day

William Byrd, ‘This Day Christ Was Born’ (1611) (YouTube) (Spotify)

2nd Day (Feast of St. Stephen)

Claudio Monteverdi, ‘Lapidabant Stephanum’ (Spotify)

Acts 7:59-60

Lapidabant Stephanum invocantem et dicentem: Domine Jesu Christe, suscipe spiritum meum. Positis autem genibus clamavit voce magna dicens: 

et ne statuas illis hoc peccatum. 

Et cum hoc dixisset, obdormivit in Domino.

And they stoned Stephen who,               calling upon God and saying: Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit.
And he knelt down, and cried with a loud voice, saying: do not lay this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he slept in the Lord

3rd Day (Feast of St. John)

Hans Leo Hassler, ‘Verbum Caro Factum Est’

John 1:14

Verbum caro factum est

Et habitavit in nobis

et vidimus gloriam ejus [or cuius gloriam vidimus]

gloriam quasi unigeniti a Patre

plenum gratiae et veritatis.

And the Word was made flesh,

and dwelt among us,

and we beheld his glory,

the glory as of the only begotten of theFather,

full of grace and truth.

4th Day (Holy Innocents)

Claudio Dall’Albero, ‘Salvete, Flores Martyrum’ (All Hail, Ye Little Martyr Flowers)

Salvete flores Martyrum All hail, ye little Martyr flowers,
Quo lucis ipso in limine Sweet rosebuds cut in dawning hours!
Christi in secutur sustulit When Herod sought the Christ to find
Ceu turbo nascentes rosas. Ye fell as bloom before the wind.

Vos prima Christi victima First victims of the Martyr bands,
Grex immolatorum tener With crowns and palms in tender hands,
Aram ante ipsam simplices Around the very altar, gay
Palma et coronatis luditis. And innocent, ye seem to play.

Jesu tibi sit Gloria All honour, laud, and glory be,
Qui natus es de Virgine O Jesu, Virgin-born to Thee;
Cum Patre et almo Spiritu All glory, as is ever meet
In sempiterna saecula To Father and to Paraclete.

5th Day

Morten Lauridsen, ‘O Magnum Mysterium’ (YouTube) (Spotify)

O magnum mysterium, O great mystery,
et admirabile sacramentum, and wonderful sacrament,
ut animalia viderent Dominum natum, that animals should see the newborn Lord,
iacentem in praesepio! lying in a manger!
Beata Virgo, cujus viscera Blessed is the virgin whose womb
meruerunt portare was worthy to bear
Dominum Iesum Christum. the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

6th Day

Francis Poulence, ‘Quem Vidistes Pastores’ (Youtube) (Spotify)

7th Day

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, ‘Hodie Christus Natus Est’

Hodie Christus natus est:

Hodie Salvator apparuit:

Hodie in terra canunt Angeli,

laetantur Archangeli

Hodie exsultant justi, dicentes:

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Alleluia.

Today Christ is born:

Today the Savior appeared:

Today on Earth the Angels sing,

Archangels rejoice:

Today the righteous rejoice, saying:

Glory to God in the highest.

Alleluia.

8th Day (Feast of the Circumcision of Christ)

Sergie Rachmaninoff, ‘Bogoroditse Devo’ (YouTube) (Spotify)

Богородице Дево, радуйся,

Благодатная Марие, Господь с тобою.

Благословена ты в женах,

и благословен плод чрева твоего,

яко Спаса родила еси душ наших.

Rejoice, virgin mother of God,

Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb,

for you have borne the Savior of our souls

9th Day

Cristobal de Morales, ‘Cum Natus esse Jesus’ (YouTube) (Spotify)  Text from Matthew 2:1-12

10th Day

Jean Sibelius, ‘Ei Ihka au ja Hiilgust Ma’ (We Ask for Nothing Rich or Rare) (YouTube)

11th Day

Eric Whitacre, ‘Lux Aurumque’ (YouTube) (Spotify)

Lux, Light,

Calida gravisque pura velut aurum warm and heavy, pure as gold

Et canunt angeli molliter and the angels sing softly

modo natum. Just born.

12th Day

Gustav Holst, ‘Lullay, My Liking’ (YouTube) (Spotify)