Wondrous Gift Stories

O Little Town of Bethlehem ~ As with my previous CD of hymns, planning this project included a conversation with my friend, Dr. Richard J. Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary. Our love of the old songs also includes carols. When I asked for his favorite, he cited this piece, particularly because of the line: “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” I’ve always loved the beauty of stillness in this carol. And when reflecting on an appropriate title for this CD, my wife Sharon suggested I return to this song and another line: “How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n.” Indeed, God not only sent us his greatest gift without a sound, but also wrapped this gift in the poverty and humility of a stable.

O Holy Night ~ I grew up believing that no one could sing this song better than Bing Crosby, most likely because Crosby was one of my father’s heroes. As a result, Christmas is never complete without at least some time spent listening to Bing, which escorts me back to my earliest childhood memories. I also resonate with many of the lyrics. I can readily imagine “falling on my knees” if I had been one of the shepherds hearing the “angel voices.” I have also experienced that “in all our trials, [Jesus] was born to be our friend.” And I hope for the day when “in His name, all oppression shall cease.”

What Child Is This? ~ I have often marveled at how perfectly the lyrics for this carol match the 16th century melody (“Greensleeves”), even though they were penned by William Dix hundreds of years later. The minor tones do evoke sadness, yet when paired with the lyrics, the combination inspires hope—strengthened by lyrics that also speak of Jesus’ destiny on earth, where “nails, spear shall pierce him through, the cross be born for me, for you.” I’ve long been struck by Christmas TV specials that omit all but the mildest lyrics from carols such as this one. Yet I agree with William Dix and many other carol writers that without Easter, Christmas would lose its meaning.

O Come All Ye Faithful ~ Christmas is also a time for exuberance, and for me, this carol epitomizes the joy of the season. As a child, singing this song in church prompted me to imagine what it might have been like if the baby Jesus had received a truly royal birthday celebration! With this in mind, I have intentionally arranged this piece to reflect the excitement and anticipation of Christmas. Indeed, my favorite line is, “Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning!”

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing ~ This carol is typically sung as a rousing anthem—fitting given Mendelssohn’s triumphant lyrics and melodic march. I have found, however, that many Christmas carols emphasize either the triumphant joy of God incarnate or the gentle humility of the helpless infant, but not both. It occurred to me that deliberately softening the melody of this exultant carol might simultaneously produce these feelings in the listener. So I hope my arrangement beckons you to retain the majestic awe the shepherds felt when the angels appeared, while also remembering the baby, “Jesus, our Emmanuel,” God with us.

Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella ~ I first encountered this song in third or fourth grade when a classmate sang a Christmas concert solo. I was immediately captivated by the tune and lovely lyrics, which exhort all the stable inhabitants, “Hush! Hush!” so that baby Jesus can enjoy his first dreams. Thereafter, I rarely heard it because it was not part of the Protestant traditions of my childhood. Still, this age-old Catholic carol has remained with me, and its refrain always transports me to those early years.

Coventry Carol ~ At Christmas, we enjoy happy reunions with friends and family, but it is also a time when we often miss those no longer here. Indeed, from its beginning, Christmas has included sadness amidst joy. I have always been reminded of this truth by this somber carol, even though I did not know its lyrics. Indeed, over the years my awareness of sadness at Christmas has prompted me to reflect on what it must have been like for the parents who lost their infants in King Herod’s massacre. Then, while doing research for this CD, I was fascinated to learn that this carol is actually a lamenting lullaby for those babies. It’s easy to quickly skim past this event to focus on Jesus and his parents’ happy escape from Herod into Egypt, but the Bible does not skim. It speaks of “Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted” (Matthew 2:18). So I’ve changed the major chord traditionally closing each verse to minor in tribute to “Rachel’s children”—and to everyone who remembers departed loved ones at Christmas.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel ~ As just explained, “Coventry Carol” typically ends on a major note, but the reverse is true for this carol. Yet, for me, this carol speaks of a joyous hope because Jesus’ birth enabled his death at Calvary, where he conquered sin and death. Among my favorite lyrics from this song are the lines, “Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight!” I’ll say it again: Christmas is truly joyous because of Easter, when—in the ultimate sense—Christ removed the sting of death forever. Therefore I have chosen to close my arrangement on a major chord.

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus ~ I arranged the opening and closing chords of this piece to suggest Christmas bells ringing out with expectancy. The tune for these bells is intended to reflect traditional clock chimes. I wished to create the excited sense of anticipation, so often seen in children—and many adults—as they wait for Christmas to come each year. Yet, this song does not refer to waiting for Christmas; rather, it is a request for Jesus to come again and “raise us to Thy glorious throne.” I am grateful for the gift of life here on earth, but my ultimate hope and yearning is for the day when all is made right—when Christ comes to bring his children home once for all, and Christmas joy begins for eternity.