Once in Royal David's City è un tradizionale canto natalizio, scritto da Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895; autrice delle parole) e da Henry John Gauntlett (1805-1876; autore della musica). Once in Royal David's City, in: The Hymns and Carols of Christmas Once in Royal David's City su AllMusicBowler, Gerry, Dizionario universale del Natale [The World Encyclopedia of Christmas], Newton & Compton, Roma, 2003, p. 253 Il testo apparve per la prima volta nel 1848 come poesia negli Hymns for Little Children, mentre la melodia "Irby" con cui è accompagnato fu composta l'anno seguente.
Testo Il testo, di carattere religioso, parla degli eventi relativi alla nascita di GesùBowler, Gerry, op. cit., pp. 384-385
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, and mean, and lowly, Lived on earth our Saviour Holy.
And through all His wondrous childhood He would honour 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 so dear and gentle 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 by, We shall see Him; but in heaven, Set at God's right hand on high; Where like stars His children crowned All in white shall wait around.
Versioni discografiche Tra gli interpreti che hanno inciso il brano, figurano, tra gli altri (in ordine alfabetico):
The Carol Singers Mary Chapin Carpenter The Chieftains Choir of Worcester College Dana Cunningham The Countdown Kids Mark Ford Robin Gibb Dan Gibson Heidi Grant Murphy Claire Holley James Earl Jones Kensington Theatre Ensemble Stan Kenton King's College Choir of Cambridge Cleo Laine Lorie Line The Lyric Brass Quintet Mantovani Phil Manzanera con The Players e Andy Mackay Jan Mulder Sinéad O'Connor(nella compilation A Murray Christmas, 2012 A Murray Christmas su Allmusic) Daniel O'Donnell Terry Oldfield Scarlet Rivera Maggie Rose Steve Schuch Harry Secombe The Seekers Jonn Serrie George Beverly Shea Starlite Orchestra Sufjan Stevens St. Paul's Cathedral Choir Liz Story Tre Tenori Vienna Boys' Choir Rick Wakeman Danny Wright
Note
Altri progetti
Collegamenti esterni