The Humility of the Shepherds

Orlando Chamber Choir explores a grassroots perspective of the Christmas story, retelling it from the humble shepherds’ point of view. Intimate settings of "Angelus ad pastores ait" by Claudio Monteverdi and Raphaella Aleotti express the quiet contemplation and joyful exultation with which the herders receive the angel’s tidings. When a whole heavenly hosts echoes the good news in Aleotti’s "Facta est cum angelo", the shepherds are left somewhat shaken but stirred into action. They hastily convene. Francisco Guerrero sets their excited conversation to music in "Pastores loquebantur" – never were more harmonic herders heard! – and Jean Mouton’s "Quaeramus cum pastoribus" draws us in further, enticing us to follow the humble herds(wo)men on their way to Bethlehem. We do, of course, and reach the manger to the sound of Cristobál de Morales’ sumptuous "Missa Quaeramus cum pastoribus" which, expanding on Mouton’s motet, captures the joy of the earthly birth as well as its sacred significance. Jacobus Gallus’ double-choir "O magnum mysterium" finally reveals the full scale of what the humble herders have witnessed: here lies the future!

Excitement ensues in which the choir, the shepherds, our organist and (we hope) you all join in. The audience carols retrace the herders’ journey to royal David’s city where, in the bleak midwinter, a child was born in dulci jubilo. Let’s go and see this truth of love sent from above!

Humble shepherds may be on short supply in our modern world but we can still set the sound scene for Christmas here, today. Becky McGlade’s beautifully mysterious "In the bleak midwinter" conveys an atmosphere of misty cold and frosty whiteness; and you can hear the snowflakes fall "In the stillness" of Sally Beamish’s serene musical miniature. We hope to increase the present-day relevance of our concert by donating the proceeds of our interval raffle to the New Horizon Youth Centre. The interval will be further enhanced by wine, mince pies and more exotic Christmas fare. Nowell!

Vaughan Williams – The truth from above
Aleotti – Angelus ad pastores ait
Monteverdi – Angelus ad pastores ait
Mouton – Quaeramus cum pastoribus
De Morales – from Missa Quaeramus cum pastoribus:
Kyrie
Guerrero – Pastores loquebantur
Mann – Once in royal David's city
Holst – In the bleak midwinter
De Morales – from Missa Quaeramus cum pastoribus:
Sanctus & Benedictus
Gallus – O magnum mysterium
De Morales – from Missa Quaeramus cum pastoribus:
Agnus Dei
Aleotti – Facta est cum angelo
McGlade – In the bleak midwinter
Beamish – In the stillness
Willcocks - Lo! he comes with clouds descending