Night wind of Bethlehem (Leanne Daharja Veitch)

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  • (Posted 2011-08-15)  CPDL #24159:       
Editor: Leanne Daharja Veitch (submitted 2011-08-15).   Score information: A4, 3 pages, 44 kB   Copyright: CC BY NC SA
Edition notes: Original edition, Copyright is Creative Commons 3.0 BY-NC-SA.

General Information

Title: Night Wind of Bethlehem
Composer: Leanne Daharja Veitch
Lyricist: Leanne Daharja Veitch Number of voices: 3vv   Voicing: AAA
Genre: SecularChristmas (secular)

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 2011
Description: Night Wind of Bethlehem is a short, simple call / response carol.

My goal was to create a work that relied primarily on just two or three notes working together throughout the piece, rather than full chords, lending an overarching sparseness and and sense of peace to the music, which would emphasize the echoing, nighttime feel evoked by the text.

The work is short and easy to learn, with a duration of approximately two minutes. The text is original. The work would particularly suit an evening Christmas service, or midnight Mass.

I also wanted to write a work that celebrated the beautiful, richer, lower female voice found commonly in choirs, yet which rarely sees the limelight. The piece ideally suits a trio of altos or mezzo-sopranos, or small groups of lower-voiced women. If necessary, the upper voice (A1) may be replaced by soprano.

The final verse may be accompanied by a small hand drum if desired.

External websites:

Original text and translations

English.png English text

Night wind, night wind,
What news have you tonight?
Night wind, night wind,
What news have you tonight?

Ahh, A child is born in Bethlehem
Ahh, A child is born in Bethlehem.

Night wind, night wind,
What tale is this you tell?
Night wind, night wind,
What tale is this you tell?

Ahh, A son is born to light the world
Ahh, A son is born to light the world.

Night wind, night wind,
What child is this you name?
Night wind, night wind,
What child is this you name?

Ahh, Our saviour who is Christ the Lord
Ahh, Our saviour who is Christ the Lord!