This edition was prepared by Ian Haslam — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
I sing the birth
Staff Notation • Sacred, Christmas
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I sing the birth by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry — Lyrics
1. I sing the birth was born tonight,
The author both of life and light;
The angels so did sound it.
And like the ravish'd shepherds said,
Who saw the light, and were afraid,
Yet search'd, and true they found it.
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About I sing the birth
Charles Parry’s I Sing the Birth opens with immediate vocal interest. The SATB voices enter in unison, soon expanding into rich homophonic texture. The text, an English Christmas carol, speaks of the divine nature of the infant Jesus, the light and life-giver, whose birth brings salvation. Parry sets the words with clarity and directness, reflecting the shepherds’ awe and the angels’ joyful pronouncement. The music builds in assurance and warmth, celebrating the paradox of the eternal king laid in a manger. This is a stirring anthem, ideal for adding a noble and profound dimension to Christmas services.
