John Kirkpatrick 1995
“Just when you were enjoying all that pagan imagery, here comes a full blown statement of the Christmas story. But without any disrespect to anyone’s beliefs, it is worth noting that the symbol of a baby being born in the middle of winter, bringing the promise of new life, new hope, a new start, is so potent that it crops up in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and many other non-Christian cultures. The new birth represents the return of the Unconquered Sun, the giver of life and light. Chariots is the second song commissioned for the “Wassail!” project by Folkworks.”
Melrose Quartet: https://melrosequartet.bandcamp.com/track/chariots
https://melrosequartet.bandcamp.com/track/chariots
O Shepherd o shepherd come leave off your piping Come listen come learn come hear what I say For now is the time that has long been forespoken For now is the time there’ll be new tunes to play For soon there comes one who brings a new music Of sweetness and clarity none can compare So open your heart for heavenly harmony Here on this hill will be filling the air Chorus: With chariots of cherubim chanting And seraphim singing Hosanna And a choir of archangels a-carolling come Hallelujah Hallelu All the angels a-trumpeting glory In praise of the Prince of Peace See on yon stable the starlight is shimmering And glimmering and glistening and glowing with glee In Bethlehem blest this baby of bliss will be Born here before you as bold as can be And you’ll be the first to hear the new symphony Songs full of gladness and glory and light So learn your tunes well and play your pipes proudly For the Prince of Paradise plays here tonight Bring your sheep bleating to this happy meeting To hear how the lamb with the lion shall lie It’s mooing and braying you’ll hear the song saying The humble and lowly will be the most high Let the horn of the herdsman be heard up in heaven For the gates are flung open for all who come near And the simplest of souls shall sing to infinity Lift up and listen and you shall hear The warmonger’s charger will thunder for freedom The gun-maker’s furnace will dwindle and die And muskets and sabers and swords shall be sundered Surrendered to the sound that is sweeping the sky And the shoes of the mighty shall dance to new measures And the jackboots of generals shall jangle no more As sister and brother and father and mother Agree with each other the end to all war As a candle can conquer the demons of darkness As a flame can keep frost from the deepest of cold So a song can give hope in the depths of all danger And a line of pure melody soar in your soul So sing your songs well and sing your songs sweetly And swear that your singing it never shall cease So the clatter of battle and drums of disaster Be drowned in the sound of the pipes of peace