Online carols by candlelight

Exultate Singers
Conducted by David Ogden

Nova! Nova!
Bob Chilcott

Nova! Nova! ‘Ave’ fit ex ‘Eva’.
Gabriel of high degree,
He came down from Trinity
To Nazareth in Galilee.

Nova! Nova! ‘Ave’ fit ex ‘Eva’.
He met a maiden in a place,
He kneeled down afore her face.
He said: ’Hail,Mary, full of grace!’

Nova! Nova! ‘Ave’ fit ex ‘Eva’.
When the maid heard tell of this
She was full sore abashed I-wys,
And wened that she had done amiss.

Nova! Nova! ‘Ave’ fit ex ‘Eva’.
Then said the angel: ‘Dread not you,
You shall conceive in all vertue
A Child whose name shall be Jesu’

Nova! Nova! ‘Ave’ fit ex ‘Eva’.
‘It is not yet six months agone
Since Elizabeth conceived John,
As it was prophesied before.’

Nova! Nova! ‘Ave’ fit ex ‘Eva’.
Then said the maiden verily:
‘I am your servant right truly.
Ecce ancilla Domini’

Nova! Nova! ‘Ave’ fit ex ‘Eva’.

Gabriel’s Message
Basque carol arr. Ian Carpenter

The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
“All hail,” said he, “thou lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favoured lady,” Gloria!

“For known a blessed Mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honour thee,
Thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
Most highly favoured lady,” Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,
“My soul shall laud and magnify his holy Name.”
Most highly favoured lady, Gloria!

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say –
“Most highly favoured lady,” Gloria!

Words: Basque carol, translated by Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924)

Gaudete omnes
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck

Gaudete omnes, et laetamini,
quia ecce, desideratus advenit.
Introite in conspectu eius in exultatione.
Scitote quoniam ipse est expectatio nostra. Alleluia.

Rejoice and be glad, all of you for behold he for whom you longed comes. Enter into his presence with singing. Know that he is our hope. Alleluia.

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming
German melody arr. David Blackwell

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming
from tender root hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming
as men of old have sung
Brought forth a flower bright,
amid the cold of winter
and in the dark midnight.

The Rose, which I am singing
whereof Isaiah told,
Is Mary, purest maiden,
who bears the holy child.
At God’s eternal will
she bore to us a Saviour,
Yet stays a virgin still.

O flower, whose fragrance tender
with sweetness fills the air,
Dispel in glorious splendour
the darkness ev’ry where.
True man, yet very God,
from sin and death now save us,
and share our ev’ry load.

Good-will to men, and peace on Earth
Dobrinka Tabakova

Behold a lucid light appears,
which brightens all the eastern sky,
Hark what sounds salute our ears,
all glory give to God on high.
“Good will to men, and peace on Earth”
the heavenly choirs united cry
At the divine redeemer’s birth,
and glory be to God on high.

Let mortals catch the sacred flame,
’til round the world the song shall fly
Which sounds the Great Redeemer’s Name,
and glory be to God on high.
“Good will to men, and peace on Earth”
the heavenly choirs united cry
At the divine redeemer’s birth,
and glory be to God on high.

Anonymous, c. 1840; from Ralph Dunstan’s The Cornish Song Book

A Spotless Rose
Herbert Howells
Solo: Christopher Gray

A spotless Rose is blowing
Sprung from a tender root,
Of ancient seers’ foreshowing,
Of Jesse promised fruit;
Its fairest bud unfolds to light
Amid the cold, cold winter,
And in the dark midnight.

The Rose which I am singing,
Whereof Isaiah said,
Is from its sweet root springing
In Mary, purest Maid;
For through our God’s great love and might
The Blessed Babe she bare us
In a cold, cold winter’s night.

The Owl
Toby Young

Out in the sweet and solid winter dark
the owl is hunting on a silver wing.
It skims above a world fallen asleep
and knows the many secrets of the wind.

Within we have our comfort and our rest,
we nod engulfed in richness at the heart.
The owl overhead is sleepless still,
It watches the waking of the earth.

Under this soaring heaven
here is the glory written,
fleet as a comet falling through the sky.
All through the silver stillness
wingbeats will rise in chorus.
Owl of the midnight forest,
silent king soaring high.

Praise for the ring of gold that rounds the year.
Praise for the Christmastide and what it keeps.
Praise for the owl beneath the stars
unresting guardian of peace.

Under this soaring heaven
here is the glory written,
fleet as a comet falling through the sky.
All through the silver stillness
wingbeats will rise in chorus.
Owl of the midnight forest,
silent king soaring high.

Words: Jennifer Thorp

A Hymn to the Virgin
Benjamin Britten
Quartet: Fiona Spencer, Judith Ogden, Joey Howard, Richard Bacon

Of one that is so fair and bright;
Velut maris stella,
Brighter than the day is light;
Parens et puella:
I cry to thee, thou see to me;
Lady, pray thy Son for me; Tampia,
That I may come to thee. Maria!

All this world was forlorn;
Eva peccatrice,
‘Til our Lord was y-born;
De te genetrice.
With ave it went away; darkest night,
and comes the day; Salutis
The well springeth out of thee. Virtutis.

Lady, flow’r of ev’rything,
Rosa sine spina,
Thou bear Jesu, Heaven’s King,
Gratia divina:
Of all thou bear’st the prize,
Lady, queen of paradise electa:
Maid mild, mother es Effecta. Effecta.

Quem pastores laudavere
Traditional German arr. Carpenter

Quem pastores laudavere,
quibus angeli dixere,
absit vobis jam timere,
natus est rex gloriæ.

Ad quem reges ambulabant,
aurum, thus, myrrham portabant,
immolabant hæc sincere
Leoni victoriæ.

Exultemus cum Maria
In cœlesti heirarchia
Natum promat voce pia
Laus honor et gloria.

Christo regi, Deo nato,
per Mariam nobis dato,
merito resonet vere
Dulci cum melodia.

Whom the shepherds praised, 
to whom the angels said, 
“Do not be afraid,” 
he, the King of Glory. is born. 

Kings made a pilgrimage to him, 
brought gold, frankincense and myrrh, and 
sacrificed them purely to 
the lion of victory. 

Christ, the King, the born God, 
given to us through Mary, 
it truly resounds 
with lovely music. 

Let us rejoice with Mary 
in the heavenly hierarchy. 
Exalt the Son with 
praise, honour and glory with a pious sound .

Away in a manger
Traditional Normandy arr. Jacques
Solo: Chloe Martindale 

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven to live with thee there.

Lux Aurumque
Eric Whitacre
Solo: Bethan Moore

Light,
Warm and heavy as pure gold
And the angels sing softly
To the new-born baby.
Latin translation by Charles Anthony Silvestri of a poem by Edward Esch

Lullaby my Jesus
Peter Warlock

Lullaby my Jesus,
lullaby my king,
Lullaby my lording
whom I sweetly sing.
Slumber softly, slumber
on your mother’s arm;
She will rock you,
she will keep you safe from harm.
Lullaby my Jesus, lullaby my son.
Lullaby my child
in whom God’s will is done.
Be at peace,
soft dreams beguile you as you lie;
I will rock you, I will sing a lullaby.

Ding! dong! merrily on high
Traditional arr. Woodward

Ding Dong! merrily on high
In heav’n the bells are ringing
Ding, dong! verily the sky
Is riv’n with angel singing
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis

E’en so here below, below
Let steeple bells be swungen
And i-o, i-o, i-o
By priest and people be sungen
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis

Pray ye dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers
May ye beautifully rime
Your evetime song, ye singers
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

In the bleak midwinter
Gustav Holst

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,
A breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.

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.

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

Now may we singen
Cecilia McDowall

This Babe to us that now is born,
Wonderful works He hath ywrought
He would not loss what was forlorn,
But boldly again it bought;
And thus it is
For sooth ywis,
He asketh nought but that is His.
Now may we singen,
now may we singen as it is.
Quod puer natus est nobis.

This bargain loved He right well,
The price was high and bought full dear.
Who would suffer and for us feel
As did that Prince withouten peer?
And thus it is
For sooth ywis,
He asketh nought but that is His.
Now may we singen,
now may we singen as it is.
Quod puer natus est nobis.

His ransom for us hath ypaid;
Good reason have we to be His.
Be mercy asked and He be prayed,
Who may deserve the heavenly bliss.
And thus it is
For sooth ywis,
He asketh nought but that is His.
Now may we singen,
now may we singen as it is.
Quod puer natus est nobis.

To some purpose God made man;
I trust well to salvation.
What was His blood that from Him ran
But fence against damnation?
And thus it is
For sooth ywis,
He asketh nought but that is His.
Now may we singen,
now may we singen as it is.
Quod puer natus est nobis.

Almighty God in Trinity,
Thy mercy we pray with whole heart,
Thy mercy may all woe make fell
And dangerous deread from us to start.
And thus it is
For sooth ywis,
He asketh nought but that is His.
Now may we singen,
now may we singen as it is.
Quod puer natus est nobis.

The Holly and the Ivy
Traditional arr. Walford Davies

The holly and the ivy,
when they are both full grown,
of all trees that are in the wood,
the holly bears the crown.

O, the rising of the sun,
and the running of the deer
the playing of the merry organ,
sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom,
as white as any flower,
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
to be our sweet Saviour.

O, the rising of the sun,
and the running of the deer
the playing of the merry organ,
sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a berry,
as red as any blood,
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
to do poor sinners good.

O, the rising of the sun,
and the running of the deer
the playing of the merry organ,
sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a prickle,
as sharp as any thorn,
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
on Christmas Day in the morn.

O, the rising of the sun,
and the running of the deer
the playing of the merry organ,
sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a bark,
as bitter as the gall,
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
for to redeem us all.

O, the rising of the sun,
and the running of the deer
the playing of the merry organ,
sweet singing in the choir.

O, the rising of the sun,
and the running of the deer
the playing of the merry organ,
sweet singing in the choir.

Bogoroditse Dyevo
Sergei Rachmaninov

Богородице дѣво, радѹйсѧ,Благодатнаѧ Марїе, Господь съ тобою:благословена Ты въ женахъ,и благословенъ плодъ чрева Твоегω;якω Спаса родила еси дѹшъ нашихъ.

From Russian Orthodox All-Night Vigil

Rejoice O Virgin Theotokos, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou has borne the Saviour of our souls.

Translation of Church Slavonic


Exultate Singers

Exultate Singers was founded in 2002 and has gone on to give nearly 200 concerts, broadcasts and other appearances in the UK, Spain, Germany, Poland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro.

The choir has performed on BBC One’s Songs of Praise and The One Show, on Classic FM and on BBC Radio in broadcasts on Radios 2, 3 and 4 and the World Service. 

Exultate Singers has recorded five CDs, four on its own label and one, All Shall Be Well, for Naxos, which features the title track by Roxanna Panufnik. The choir also appears
on Signum’s CD Love Abide, performing Roxanna Panufnik’s Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis

Exultate Singers has collaborated in live concerts with many ensembles including I Fagiolini, His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchesta, the Jupiter Orchestra, Big Buzzard Boogie Band, the Lochrian Ensemble and Bristol Ensemble, and with solo instrumentalists including the guitarist Craig Ogden, the cellist Richard May, the saxophonist Amy Dickson, and the viola player Philip Dukes.

The choir has commissioned music from Sir James MacMillan, Toby Young, Roxanna Panufnik, Philip Moore, Ian Carpenter, Jaakko Mäntyjärvi, David Bednall, Amy Summers, Roderick Williams and Naji Hakim.

On 12 February, Exultate Singers is joined by the world-renowned saxophonist Amy Dickson for Saxultate II at St George’s Bristol – for more information click here. For details of all the choir’s events and to buy tickets online, visit www.exultatesingers.org


Sopranos
Liz Bagshaw
Jenna Brown
Naomi Charatan
Emma Erskine-Fox
Elena Gray
Sue Green
Lucy Hughes
Eleanor Kelly
Janey Lawry-White
Antonia Lythgoe
Chloe Martindale
Bethan Moore
Ros Powell
Pippa Ramsay
Julia Sutton-Mattocks
Sarah Taylor
Beth Williamson
Jo Wyld

Altos
Felicity Ball
Hester Careless
Julia Harrow
Emily Kirk
Judith Ogden
Liz Parkes
Sue Pontin
Esther Poole
Barbara Rusbridge
Fiona Spencer

Tenors
David Ball
David Brown
Dan Bushby
Ian Carpenter
Joey Howard
Gustavo Infante
Michael Ladomery
Paul Merchant
Sam Mazzarella
Henry Lowe

Basses
Richard Bacon
Sam Forsey
Chris Gray
Richard Johnson
Martin Le Poidevin
Sam Parsons
Charles Warbis
Charlie Wyld

Exultate Singers is grateful for the support of the Friends of Exultate Singers, Richard Pedlar Architects and our Patrons, Jill White and Toby Young. 


David Ogden is a professional conductor and composer. He conducts Exultate Singers, City of Bristol Choir, choirs at Arval and Airbus, and in his post of Head of the Bristol Choral Centre, he conducts the Bristol Youth Choirs. He is Director of Music at Holy Trinity Church, Westbury-on-Trym.

For over 25 years he has worked with professional and amateur groups in many fields of music making, including church music, concerts, musical theatre and opera, community projects, primary and secondary level educational workshops. 

David has conducted choirs on BBC Radios 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the World Service, and worked as conductor, arranger and music adviser on BBC TV’s Songs of Praise. He is Religious Music Advisor for the BBC’s hit series Call The Midwife, and worked with the Royal Mail Choir in the BBC Two series The Choir: Sing While You Work

His compositions are published by the RSCM and White Light Publishing, and are performed in schools and churches worldwide. In October 2015 David was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal School of Church Music in recognition of his service and contribution to choral music and the RSCM over many years. 

www.davidogden.co.uk