This edition was prepared by Marc Cerisier — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Staff Notation • Sacred, Christmas
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2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SATB|SATB and Solo Baritone · Douglas Walczak
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Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughan Williams — Lyrics
This is the Truth
This is the truth sent from above,
The truth of God, the God of love;
Therefore don’t turn me from your door,
But hearken all, both rich and poor.
The first thing, which I do relate,
That God at first did man create
The next thing, which to you I tell,
Woman was made with him to dwell.
Then after this, ‘twas God’s own choice
To place them both in Paradise,
There to remain from evil free
Except they ate of such a tree.
And they did eat, which was a sin,
And thus their ruin did begin;
Ruined themselves, both you and me,
And all of their posterity.
Thus we were heirs to endless woes,
Till God the Lord did interpose
For so a promise soon did run
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About Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols is an ideal choice for a Christmas concert or carol service. The work sets a text that recounts the story of the Nativity, tracing a path from creation and the Fall to the promise of redemption through the birth of Christ. The baritone soloist takes the leading role, with the SATB choir providing powerful, often homophonic, support. Vaughan Williams masterfully weaves familiar carols into the fabric of the piece, creating a work that is both grand and deeply moving, perfectly capturing the festive spirit and the profound message of Christmas.
