Riu Riu Chiu / Post your favorite Christmas Music

[contemplative]

Riu Riu Chiu ( a 16th century Spanish Christmas song)

Riu, riu, chiu (nightingale’s sounds)
The river bank protects it,
As God kept the wolf
from our lamb.
The rabid wolf tried to bite her,
But God Almighty knew how to defend her,
He wished to create her impervious to sin,
Nor was this maid to embody original sin.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.

The newborn child is the mightiest monarch,
Christ patriarchal invested with flesh.
He made himself small and so redeemed us:
He who was infinite became finite.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.

Many prophecies told of his coming,
And now in our days have we seen them fulfilled.
God became man, on earth we behold him,
And see man in heaven because he so willed.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.

A thousand singing herons I saw passing,
Flying overhead, sounding a thousand voices,
Exhulting, “Glory be in the heavens, and peace on Earth, for Jesus has been born.”
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.

He comes to give life to the dead,
He comes to redeem the fall of man;
This child is the light of day,
He is the very lamb Saint John prophecied.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.

Now we have gotten what we were all desiring,
Go we together to bear him gifts:
Let each give his will to the God who was willing
To come down to Earth man’s equal to be.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.

Website with Midi selection

Post your favorite Christmas Music

 

[Faustina]

O Come, O come Emmanuel

God Rest ye Merry Gentleman

What Child is This?

 

[brotherhrolf]

Riu, riu, chiu,? When you sing this with recorder, shawm and cittern with your Cathedral choir and add in E La Don Virges Maria then you have arrived at a true medieval concert. Top it off wih Gabriel in Hyghe Degree in Middle English and you’ld have sections of a concert our Cathedral Choir did many years ago…I’ll never forget it!

 

[SemperJase]

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…

I know its not religious, but that one is my favorite.

 

[tee_eff_em]

*Adeste fideles
Laeti triumphantes
Venite, venite in Bethlehem.
Natum videte
Regem angelorum.

Venite adoremus
Venite adoremus
Venite adoremus
Dominum.*

tee

 

[silverwings_88]

Cantique de Noel (O Holy Night en anglais; this is the original poem and song)

**Minuit ! Chrétiens, c’est l’heure solennelle
Où l’homme Dieu descendit jusqu’à nous,
Pour effacer la tache originelle
Et de son père arrêter le courroux :
Le monde entier tressaille d’espérance
A cette nuit qui lui donne un sauveur
Peuple, à genoux attends ta délivrance,
Noël ! Noël ! Voici le Rédempteur !
Noël ! Noël ! Voici le Rédempteur !

De notre foi que la lumière ardente
Nous guide tous au berceau de l’enfant
Comme autrefois, une étoile brillante
Y conduisit les chefs de l’Orient
Le Roi des Rois naît dans une humble crèche,
Puissants du jour fiers de votre grandeur,
A votre orgueil c’est de là qu’un Dieu prêche,
Courbez vos fronts devant le Rédempteur !
Courbez vos fronts devant le Rédempteur !

Le Rédempteur a brisé toute entrave,
La terre est libre et le ciel est ouvert
Il voit un frère ou n’était qu’un esclave
L’amour unit ceux qu’enchaînait le fer,
Qui lui dira notre reconnaissance ?
C’est pour nous tous qu’il naît, qu’il souffre et meurt :
Peuple, debout ! chante ta délivrance,
Noël ! Noël ! chantons le Rédempteur !
Noël ! Noël ! chantons le Rédempteur !
**

 

[asquared]

thank you Cantique de Noel was also my dad’s favorite he had a recording by a 40s tenor whose name I forget that epitomizes Christmas for me, which is way hearing this song butchered by pop stars and Christian music divas is so painful to me that I turn off the radio between now and new Years.

I love the Holly and the Ivy, what a catechetical tool, which I notice is true of most carols with medieval origins.

 

[contemplative]

brotherhrolf:

Riu, riu, chiu,? When you sing this with recorder, shawm and cittern with your Cathedral choir and add in E La Don Virges Maria then you have arrived at a true medieval concert. Top it off wih Gabriel in Hyghe Degree in Middle English and you’ld have sections of a concert our Cathedral Choir did many years ago…I’ll never forget it!

Riu riu chiu ‘live’ is quite beautiful…heard it only once.
Try listening to this by Mirabilis.

 

[silverwings_88]

asquared:

thank you Cantique de Noel was also my dad’s favorite he had a recording by a 40s tenor whose name I forget that epitomizes Christmas for me, which is way hearing this song butchered by pop stars and Christian music divas is so painful to me that I turn off the radio between now and new Years.

I love the Holly and the Ivy, what a catechetical tool, which I notice is true of most carols with medieval origins.

I concur. Most medieval carols have beautiful melodies. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Conventry Carol too? It is absolutely ravishing a melody.

I have many favourites, but I can’t believe I forgot to put my own Christmas carol that has been dear to our kababayan’s hearts, from native Philippines to the rest of the world. It’s called “Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit” translating to Christmas is Coming or Christmas is Here. if you want to hear the cheesy midi version of it. My friend even tells me that it sounds like a funky Jewish song, lol.

Sorry that I can’t provide a translation, but it’s a very Christ-centered song, telling us to rejoice because of the Nativity of our Saviour. It is a beautiful traditional carol that all Filipinos love. Here’s a copy-paste

Ang Pasko ay sumapit
Tayo ay mangagsi-awit
Ng magagandang himig
Dahil sa ang Diyos ay pag-ibig
Nang si Kristo ay isilang
May tatlong haring nagsidalaw
At ang bawat isa
Ay nagsipaghandog ng tanging alay

---

---

Bagong taon ay magbagong-buhay
Nang lumigaya ang ating bayan
Tayo’y magsikap upang makamtan
Natin ang kasaganaan

---

Tayo’y mangagsi-awit
Habang ang mundo’y tahimik
Ang araw ay sumapit
Ng Sanggol na dulot ng langit
Tayo ay magmahalan
Ating sundin ang gintong aral
At magbuhat ngayon
Kahit hindi Pasko ay magbigayan

 

[rocklobster]

I’ve always loved “Silent Night”. So peaceful.

 

[contemplative]

rocklobster:

I’ve always loved “Silent Night”. So peaceful.

same thought here…
Silent Night is a good year roun’ song in my book.

 

[FCEGM]

Ah, Riu, Riu Chiu - I love it.

Also, “Once In Royal David’s City”:

Once in royal David’s city
stood a lowly cattle shed,
where a mother laid her baby
in a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
who is God and Lord of all,
and his shelter was a stable,
and his cradle was a stall;
with the poor, the scorned, the lowly,
lived on earth our Savior holy.

And, through all his wondrous childhood,
he would honor and obey,
love and watch the lowly maiden
in whose gentle arms he lay:
Christian children all must be
mild, obedient, good as he.

For he is our childhood’s pattern,
day by day like us he grew;
he was little, weak and helpless,
tears and smiles like us he knew.
and he feeleth for our sadness,
and he shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see him,
through his own redeeming love;
for that Child who seemed so helpless
is our Lord in heaven above;
and he leads his children on
to the place where he is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
with the oxen standing round,
we shall see him; but in heaven,
set at God’s right hand on high;
when like stars his children crowned,
all in white shall wait around.

 

[tee_eff_em]

*Rudolphus cervus nasum
Rubicundum habebat
Quem si videre possis
Elucere referas.
Ludificare cervi
Deridentes solebant,
Neque sinebant eum
Comminus colludere.

Ecce! Dixit Nicholas
Pridie festum
“O Rudolphe nocte hac
Visne traham ducere?”
Quam tunc iucundus fuit
Cervis iubilantibus.
“Rudolphe,” nunc dicebant.
“Notus eris posteris!”*

tee

 

[tee_eff_em]

*Veni veni, Emmanuel
captivum solve Israel,
qui gemit in exsilio,
privatus Dei Filio.

R: Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel,
nascetur pro te Israel!

Veni, O Sapientia,
quae hic disponis omnia,
veni, viam prudentiae
ut doceas et gloriae. R.

Veni, veni, Adonai,
qui populo in Sinai
legem dedisti vertice
in maiestate gloriae. R.

Veni, O Iesse virgula,
ex hostis tuos ungula,
de spectu tuos tartari
educ et antro barathri. R.

Veni, Clavis Davidica,
regna reclude caelica,
fac iter tutum superum,
et claude vias inferum. R.

Veni, veni O Oriens,
solare nos adveniens,
noctis depelle nebulas,
dirasque mortis tenebras. R.

Veni, veni, Rex Gentium,
veni, Redemptor omnium,
ut salvas tuos famulos
peccati sibi conscios. R.*

tee

 

[Lapsed]

Perhaps it’s the musician in me, but The Little Drummer Boy has been my favourite Christmas song for years. Silent Night is a close second, being the one song my family sings the parts for as opposed to everyone singing the melody.

Yes, my family actually sings Christmas songs together (usually about 30 of us) between dinner and opening the presents. We also read the Christmas story from the Bible (usually me) and one of the children places the baby Jesus in the Natvity scene at the appropriate time.

And yes, we sing Adeste Fideles in Latin.

O Holy Night, We Three Kings, What Child Is This, Good King Wensleslas… there are so many!

 

[puzzleannie]

Lo how a rose e’er blooming

sung by a German choir, men’s voices, in German (followed by Stille Nacht).

 

[axolotl]

Today at Bethlehem

Dzisiaj w Betlejem, dzisiaj w Betlejem
Wesoła nowina:
Że Panna Czysta, że Panna Czysta
Porodziła syna !
Chrystus się rodzi, nas oswobodzi !
Anieli grają, króle witają,
Pasterze śpiewają, bydlęta klękają-
Cuda, cuda ogłaszają!

Maryja Panna, Maryja Panna
Dzieciątko piastuje;
I Józef stary, i Józef stary
Ono pielęgnuje.
Chrystus się rodzi…

I trzej królowie, i trzej królowie
Od wschodu przybyli;
I dary Panu, i dary Panu
Kosztowne złożyli.
Chrystus się rodzi…

Pójdźmy też i my, pójdźmy też i my
Przywitać Jezusa,
Króla nad królami, Pana nad panami,
Uwielbić Chrystusa !
Chrystus się rodzi…

I was really happy they sang it during the JPII movie.

Let’s All Go to the Stable

Pójdźmy wszyscy do stajenki,
Do Jezusa i Panienki!
Powitajmy maleńkiego
I Maryję, Matkę Jego.

Witaj, Jezu ukochany,
Od Patryjarchów czekany,
Od Proroków ogłoszony,
Od narodów upragniony.

Witaj, Dziecinko w żłobie,
Wyznajemy Boga w Tobie
Coś się narodził tej nocy
Byś nas wyrwał z czarta mocy.

O, szczęśliwi pastuszkowie,
Któż radość waszą wypowie?
Czego ojcowie żądali,
Wyście pierwsi oglądali.

Was my granfather’s favorite.

 

[Kristina_P]

contemplative:

Riu Riu Chiu ( a 16th century Spanish Christmas song)

Riu, riu, chiu (nightingale’s sounds)
The river bank protects it,
As God kept the wolf
from our lamb.
The rabid wolf tried to bite her,
But God Almighty knew how to defend her,
He wished to create her impervious to sin,
Nor was this maid to embody original sin.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.

The newborn child is the mightiest monarch,
Christ patriarchal invested with flesh.
He made himself small and so redeemed us:
He who was infinite became finite.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.

Many prophecies told of his coming,
And now in our days have we seen them fulfilled.
God became man, on earth we behold him,
And see man in heaven because he so willed.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.

A thousand singing herons I saw passing,
Flying overhead, sounding a thousand voices,
Exhulting, “Glory be in the heavens, and peace on Earth, for Jesus has been born.”
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.

He comes to give life to the dead,
He comes to redeem the fall of man;
This child is the light of day,
He is the very lamb Saint John prophecied.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.

Now we have gotten what we were all desiring,
Go we together to bear him gifts:
Let each give his will to the God who was willing
To come down to Earth man’s equal to be.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.

Website with Midi selection

Post your favorite Christmas Music

I love that song. I think we sang a different translation of it, though.

One of my favorites is certainly “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.” Hardly anyone ever sings that one.

I also like “Pata pan.” My high school choir’s madrigal dinner tradition allowed me the opportunity to learn a lot of really great old Christmas music like “The Holly and the Ivy.” Can anyone help me out with the name or lyrics of a song I can’t remember? It had a verse about Herod killing babies and it sounded like a lullaby. I know the refrain included some nonsense syllables like “lu” and such. We sang it one year, but not the other years I was in school. I remember loving the music, but I can’t remember the music itself!
Apparently it’s the Coventry Carol. Never knew that was its name!