In the Bleak Midwinter

"In the Bleak Midwinter" is a Christmas carol.

Although written by Christina Rossetti before 1872, it was published posthumously in Rossetti's "Poetic Works" in 1904 and became a Christmas carol after it appeared in "The English Hymnal" in 1906 with a setting by Holst.

According to the website CyberHymnal, Rossetti wrote these words in response to a request from the magazine "Scribner's Monthly" for a Christmas poem [http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/n/intbleak.htm CyberHymnal: "In the Bleak Midwinter"] .

In verse one, Rossetti describes the physical characteristics of the Incarnation.

:"In the bleak midwinter:"Frosty wind made moan,:"Earth stood hard as iron,:"Water like a stone;:"Snow had fallen,:"Snow on snow,:"Snow on snow,:"In the bleak midwinter,:"Long ago.

In verse two, Rossetti contrasts Christ's first and second coming.

:"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 incarnate,:"Jesus Christ.

The third verse dwells on Christ's birth and describes the simple surroundings, in a humble stable and watched by beasts of burden.

:"Enough for him, whom Cherubim:"Worship night and day:"A breast full of milk:"And a manger full of hay.:"Enough for him, whom angels:"Fall down before,:"The ox and ass and camel:"which adore.

Rossetti achieves another contrast in the fourth verse, this time between the incorporeal angels attendant at Christ's birth with Mary's ability to render Jesus physical affection. This verse is omitted in the Harold Darke setting.

:"Angels and archangels:"May have gathered there,:"Cherubim and seraphim:"Thronged the air;:"But his mother only,:"In her maiden bliss,:"Worshipped the Beloved:"With a kiss.

The final verse may be the most well known and loved. Here, Dark repeats the last line in his setting.

:"What can I give him, :"Poor as I am?:"If I were a shepherd:"I would bring a lamb,:"If I were a wise man:"I would do my part,:"Yet what I can I give Him —:"Give my heart.

The text of this Christmas poem has been set to music many times, the two most famous settings being composed by Gustav Holst and Harold Edwin Darke in the early 20th century. There is another setting—less well known—from the same era, by Thomas B. Strong. Eric Thiman wrote a setting for solo voice and piano. More recently Bob Chilcott, at one time a member of The King's Singers, wrote a choral setting entitled "Mid-winter". Another recent setting is that by a Canadian, Robert C L Watson. The Holst version has been recorded by a number of popular recording artists, including Bert Jansch, Julie Andrews in 1982, Allison Crowe in 2004, Moya Brennan in 2005 and Sarah McLachlan in 2006, as well as by many choirs including the Robert Shaw Chorale and the choir of St. John's College, Cambridge. The Darke version, with its beautiful and delicate organ accompaniment, has also gained popularity among choirs in recent years, after the King's College Choir included it on its radio broadcasts of the Nine Lessons and Carols. (Incidentally, Darke served as conductor of the choir during World War II.)

Cover Versions

Using the Holst setting unless otherwise indicated
* 1962 - Sir David Willcocks and the Choir of King's College, Cambridge - On Christmas Night (Harold Darke setting)
* 1984 - Stephen Cleobury and the Choir of King's College, Cambridge - O Come All Ye Faithful (Harold Darke setting)
* 1985 - George Guest and the Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge - Christmas Carols from St. John's
* 1987 - John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers - Christmas Night: Carols of the Nativity (Harold Darke setting)
* 1990 - Pierce Pettis - "A Winter's Solstice III" (Windham Hill Records)
* 1998 - Cyndi Lauper - "Merry Christmas...Have a Nice Life!" (Sony/Epic)
* 1998 - David Hill and the Choir of Winchester Cathedral - O Come Let Us Adore Him (Harold Darke setting)
* 2000 - David Hill and the Bach Choir of London - Noel: A Selection of Carols and Anthems (setting by Robert Walker)
* 2004 - Jon Schmidt - "Winter Serenade"
* 2008 - Sarah Brightman - A Winter Symphony
* 2008 - Loreena McKennitt - A Midwinter Night’s Dream

References