Our God, heaven cannot hold him,
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When he comes to reign;
In the bleak midwinter
A stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.

“In The Bleak Midwinter” is a lovely Christmas carol from a poem written by Christina Rossetti. In 2008 the poem set to Harold Darke’s music composed in 1911, was “named the best Christmas carol in a poll of some of the world’s leading choirmasters and choral experts.”¹ I especially love the video featuring the Winchester Cathedral Choir, however, because it’s not available for playback on sites other than YouTube, click on the link to listen.

In the two videos below the words are sung to music composed by Gustav Holst.

From the formality of Gloucester Cathedral to a coffee and tea cafe in California, Corrine May accompanies herself in a moving rendition of the song.

As different as the locations are, the music and the words are right for both places.  But then, Christ came to all people, didn’t he?

Geography of Israel: מוחמד מוסא שהואן. (CC BY 2.5).
¹“Bleak Midwinter named best carol.” The 2008 poll was done of “51 directors of music in the UK and US.” http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/7752029.stm Retrieved 12/09/2018.

Copyright ©2010–2022 Iwana Carpenter