The Corelli Christmas Cantata
Corelli's most famous work is the Concerto Grosso "per Natale" ("for Christmas"), Op.6 No.8, composed in 1712. This version of the Corelli Christmas Cantata is scored for SATB, Soloists, Two Violins, Cello and Organ and uses all the music from the Christmas Concerto in a choral arrangement. English composer Richard Shephard has added delightful choral and solo parts to this tuneful work and this cantata is destined to become a Christmas favorite with your choir and congregation.
Length: 18 minutes
The String Parts are in the EXTRAS (ZIP) File.
RECIT.:
And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the fields keeping watch over their flocks by night
CHORUS:
And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them and and the the glory of the the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid.
RECIT.:
And the angel said unto them:
DUET:
Fear not. For behold I bring good tidings. Tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior; who is Christ the Lord.
ARIOSO:
And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying:
CHORUS
Glory to God, Glory to God, Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth, peace, good will toward men.
RECIT.;
And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven the shepherds said one to another.
CHORUS:
Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us.
CHORUS:
Say, ye holy shepherds, say,
What your joyful news today?
Wherefore have ye left your sheep
on the lonely mountain steep?
As we watched at dead of night, Lo we saw a wondrous sight.
Angels singing, Angels singing "Peace on earth,"
told us of the Savior's birth, of the Savior's birth.
RECIT.;
And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.
CHORUS;
Angels from the realms of glory,
wing your flight o'er all the earth.
Ye who sang Creation's story
now proclaim Messiah's birth.
Come and worship, come and worship,
come and worship, Christ the newborn king.
Gloria in excelsis Deo, Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.