The Lord's My Shepherd

A very old hymn originally translated from Francis Rouse's 150 Psalms in Hebrews. It took the revision committee at Scotland 6 years to compare the metered Psalms with the original Hebrew, to ensure a translation that was accurate. In 1650, the Scottish Psalter was released and approved for congregational singing in Scotland, and this Psalm was later put to the Crimond melody developed by Jessie Seymour Irvine.

Personally, I still love the modern rendition of John Rutter. A version of this piece by Atlanta Master Chorale is simply beautiful. There are parts where you would wander with the music of the flute and parts where you are uplifted with the dramatic music that declares God's loving-kindness and mercy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOtsuzM6h7M

Taken from Then Sing My Soul, Robert J Morgan, 2003.

A Song for Christmas (1) - Lux Aurumque

This is technically not a carol, at least not a traditional one. However, Lux Aurumque is a very apt piece for Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Taken from the poem below, it creates a mood of calm and draws a scene of peace.

Light and Gold - Edward Esch

Light,
warm and heavy
as pure gold,
and the angels sing softly
to the newborn babe.

Imagine this beautiful picture of heavenly bliss was recreated by Eric Whitacre's Lux Aurumque? Sang in Latin for SATB, with harmonies so tight that it feels "warm and heavy, as pure gold". At a stately pace of adagio, 60-66; the piece progress slowly, warmly and calmly. It is as though the choir is surrounded by a ring of gold that glows and shines through to all our hearts!

The original version of Eric Whitacre's virtual choir is so beautifully done that it was almost a miracle from all over the world.