Sunday, December 12, 2021

Joy, joy, joy

Huh—we’re all the way to Gaudete Sunday, the third in Advent. This is the day that Christians can shake loose some of the somber reflection and revel for a bit in joyful anticipation of the birth of the Messiah.

So today’s selection is “How Great Our Joy”, which dates back to 16th Century Germany; unknown author. It’s the Nativity told from the perspective of the shepherds.

I have to say that it’s dang near impossible to find a version in English that hasn’t been tinkled on by John Rutter; the only other arrangement, by Craig Courtney, sounds like a dirge. What’s up with that? So I went back to the original German. (And I have to say that it’s still a challenge finding a decent performance.)

Here are a bunch of choirs and choral societies performing it at Sint-Pieterskerk, in Antwerp.

And here’s the only passable English version I could find, by Liana D. A. Lloyd.


 

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