“Tis the night before Christmas and all through the world people gather to share stories, poems and music of this wondrous night”. Thus the narrator of 'A Child’s Christmas in Bethlehem' draws us into a magical recording that includes carols spanning seven centuries and five languages, as well as poems and stories that take us from Bethlehem in the Holy Land, where we are present at the birth of Jesus as seen through a child’s eyes, to diverse Christmas traditions of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the present day.

Under the direction of Greg Funfgeld, the Bach Choir of Bethlehem is joined by the Bel Canto Children’s Chorus, and accompanied by organ, piano, violins, guitar, handbells and percussion. The voices of adults and children, poets from Robert Herrick, William Blake and Langston Hughes to 10 year old Carla Victoria Lugo, storytellers from Jostein Gaarder to Zaida Padilla, and composers from Johann Sebastian Bach to John Rutter and Bob Chilcott, combine to create pure delight for the ears and the heart.

This is a recording for families to treasure in the belief that it is never too early or too late to instill the love of great music and literature and lift our spirits with this beautiful meditation on the meaning of Christmas.

Contents:
1. PROLOGUE
Presents - Poems
Emma Sensale and Jaida Caraballo

Of the Father’s Love Begotten
14th Century Plainsong
Text: Aurelius C Prudentius, Translation: John M Neale (1818-1866) and Henry Baker
Arranged: John Erikson

What Sweeter Music
Poem: Robert Herrick

2. THE GIFT
Traditional German Carol
Arranged: William Cutter

3. THE CHRISTMAS MYSTERY
Story: Jostein Gaarder

4. MARY WONDERED WHAT IT MEANT
Carol
Words and Music: Nancy Telfer

5. NOËL NOUVELET
Traditional French Carol
Anonymous (15th Century)
Arranged: John Rutter

6. NOEL
Poem: Anne Porter

7. BETELEHEMU
Nigerian Carol
Music and lyrics: Via Olatunji and Wendell Whalum
Arranged: Barrington Brooks

8. THE HOUSE OF CHRISTMAS
Poem: G K Chesterton

9. SLEEP WELL THOU CHILD OF GOD
Carol
Music and words: David R Umla
Dedicated to Greg Funfgeld and Choir of the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem

10. O JESULEIN SEUSS
Traditional German Carol
Harmonisation : Johann Sebastian Bach

11. SNOW OVER BETHLEHEM
Story: Katherine Milhous
Chorale
C I La Trobe
1962 Bach Choir of Bethlehem recording

12. LONG AGO IN BETHLEHEM
Moravian Carol
Arranged: Phyllis Tate

13. SHEPHERD’S SONG AT CHRISTMAS
Carol
Music: Gwyneth Walker
The Bel Canto Children’s Chorus

14. THE LAMB
Poem: William Blake

15. THE ANGEL GABRIEL
Carol
Arranged: Bob Chilcott

16. DORMI DORMI
Traditional Italian Carol
Arranged: Mary Goetze
The Bel Canto Children’s Chorus

17. THREE KINGS DAY
Tic-Toc – Poem: Laila-Lis Roque

The Night We Almost Saw the Three Kings
Story: Zaida Padilla

Puerto Rico’s Christmas in Bethlehem
Poem: Carla Victoria Lugo

18. A LA NANITA NANA
Traditional Spanish Carol
Arranged: Dan Davison

19. GOD MOVES IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY
Hymn
Music: Playford’s Psalms
Arranged: Benjamin Britten
Saint Nicolas, Op.42

20. WHAT SWEETER MUSIC
Poem: Robert Herrick

21. DING DONG MERRILY ON HIGH
Traditional Carol, 16th Century French melody
Arranged: Mack Wilberg