Gloucester Cathedral Choir - "In the Bleak Midwinter"

Gloucester Cathedral Choir and Congregation - "In the Bleak Midwinter"

Beautiful lyrics by English poet Christina Rossetti, evocative music by Gustav Holst, and angelic voices of the Gloucester Cathedral Choir and congregation, make this a gem.

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

Gloucester Cathedral - "In the Bleak Midwinter"

The words of this familiar hymn were written by the Victorian poet, Christina Rossetti (1830-1894). It is unlikely that her poem has ever been performed with more reverence and beauty than here, by the choir and congregation of Gloucester Cathedral.

Gloucester Cathedral - "In the Bleak Midwinter"

In the bleak midwinter

Frosty wind made moan;

Earth stood hard as iron,

Water like a stone.

Snow had fallen

Snow on snow on snow;

In the bleak midwinter

Long, long ago.

Angels and Archangels

May have gathered there;

Cherubim and Seraphim

Thronged the air.

But only his mother

In her maiden bliss,

Worshiped the beloved

With a kiss.

What can I give him

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb;

If I were a wise man

I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give him,

Give my heart.