Strike! Seraphs, Strike Your Harps Of Gold

Anthem: Strike! Seraphs, strike your harps of gold (A New Christmas Piece)
John Fawcett

Strike! Seraphs, strike your harps of gold,
And bow before th' eternal throne;
Let heav'n's mysterious love be told,
And make redemption's glories known.

The shepherd swains on Judah's plains
Have seen, from heav'n descending,
An angel band at God's command,
Their harps and voices blending.

Then haste to Bethlehem and behold
The Saviour in his low estate.
Yet bring Arabia's gifts of gold
To deck his bed with regal state,
And worship at his infant shrine,
Whose name and honours are divine.

Canto: Claire Tomlin
Alto: Jennie Cassidy

Peter Holman
Psalmody
The Parley of Instruments

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Christmas
• Anthem
• Strike
• seraphs
• harps
• gold
• shepherds
• angels
• nativity
• Georgian
• Carol
• Gallery
• Music
• Hymnody
• Psalmody
• Parley
• Instruments
• Peter
• Holman

[fynnjamin]

Love the brash horns in this recording!

[fynnjamin]

Why aren't there more recordings of music like this by John Fawcett, Thomas Jarman, Thomas Clark etc.? The later Victorians felt that it was written in an old-fashioned Handelian idiom & thus it gradually fell from popular use (to be replaced by the likes of Stainer and Barnby - hardly an improvement there!). However, in an age of diverse & corrupt musical tastes as today, there are surely merits in performing and recording this music - it is rewarding & deserves to be heard again!

[melinarachelle]

I have an album with this on it: "Peter Holman: the Parley of Instruments - Psalmody, Nativity - Christmas Music from Georgian England". Simply beautiful, all of those pieces.

[PalmideArtaserse]

What? Not a single comment in almost three years for this most beautiful anthem! Thank you TheCrazyCello, you made me to buy the album and severel others with english music.