King's College Cambridge 2005 #4 In the Bleak Midwinter Gustav Holst 

One of my favorite Christmas Carols. I especially love the final verse -- what I can I give Him, give Him my heart -- how can one not be moved by this?

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CAROL AND VERSION. !!! in my opinion.

❤ love this carol ? Its very beautiful 🥰 and makes me think of old times. And makes me think of jesus and my broken family.

This melody captures the bleakness of winter and the glory and warmth in our hearts. Turbulent times are ahead of us but this song assures us that whatever happens, Christmas will be always, and always be, Christmas.

This was always my grandfathers favourite carol and although he died a long time ago,in 1968,it always reminds me of him whenever I hear it.He was a Red Cross worker and said little but knew a lot...The Holst version is my favourite because of its poignant harmonies,although it makes me feel sad and sentimental about things from the past.

One of the most beautiful recordings ever made

This was played at my father's funeral as we carried his coffin. Even now my heart breaks when I hear it.

Still tear up when I hear this

This is a real "made in heaven" Song. It touches my heart and soul, not only in Christmas Time❤❤❤

I love this song sung by the King's College Cambridge only. Every day I must listen to them, peaceful, holy. And I think by myself... why can humans not be like God wanted them to be............ God bless us all in these times of pain and anxiety.

What a beautiful, beautiful song. Beautifully done

Soothes my soul and makes me reflect on my life....

The most beautifully worded carol (thanks to Christina Rossetti) - always makes my eyes fill up!

" God Bless Us All Everyone " Thanks and a Happy Christmas

another of my favorites, and only THIS particular version. I remember first hearing it while out driving around somewhere, and nearly had to pull over I was so emotional. Well played, Kings College!

This always brings tears to my eyes, so very moving indeed, makes one reflect on how much we owe to Our Creator. Merry Christmas to all and every Good Wish for 2019. Thank you for this.

No words can quite explain how wonderful that really is.

Surely the most hardened soul could not fail to be moved by this,FAB!! Merry christmas everybody...

I love this carol especially this version. hardly hear it these days. always reminds me of 9 carols and lessons and carol services when I was a youngster and always makes me feel Christmassy when I hear it sung by kings

And with the proper tune to it too. Thankyou (and thankyou Christina Rossetti)

"But only His mother In her maiden bliss, Worshipped the Beloved With a kiss." Such simple words that carry such incredible weight. I wish this verse made it into more renditions.

Thank you Christina Rossetti - my favourite carol

My absolutely fave Christmas Carol -- the words are so evocative of an extremely cold unwelcoming environment. And then comes the birth of Jesus and the thought of what present could we give? Our hearts, of course. Perfect summation of the true meaning of Christmas. Listening to and singing Christmas carols is one way to keep the true meaning of Christmas alive. I wonder how many people in my FL neighborhood, who put out all sorts of non-Christmas figures like a Santa that hulas, or R2D2 or the grinch, actually go to church during Advent, Christmas and Epiphany to remind themselves of the true meaning of Christmas and worship the Lord of Hosts. I certainly do and am practicing our anthems my 3-person choir will sing.

Here because of tears of the kingdom.

The best rendering of the best Epiphany hymn!

Never heard this carol before, it's quite beautiful and peaceful, wish I had known it before.

HELP THIS IS TOO PERFECT

Lovely. Christmas proper.

reminds me of my school days at a private school. had to sing this on cold mornings with our blue hymn book. felt such a bender in my teen years thinking about it..but now its cosy and i play it to my daughter to put her to sleep

My favourite carol, the lyrics say it all, with such an emotive tune. Give Him my heart truly says it all. Isn't He worthy.

Angels and Arc Angels May have traveled there Cherubim and Seraphim Thronged the air This is inherently beautiful. Christ is King.

This was my grandmother’s favourite carol. The only time I went to church, was for our village Xmas carol night. I miss you granny.

Simply beautiful.

Decided I needed to get into the Christmas spirit and this song did it. Wonderful tune and so well performed, it's truly beautiful.

fave hymm and i lived in cambridge 30 years ago happy times

I so ❤this

Beautiful

Absolutely beautiful!!

So beautiful and graceful. Thank you for posting this version of Gustav Holst.

🙏🎆🙏 Thank you 🙏 This is so beautiful.🙏💙🙏

it takes me bck to mu school days at 64 i still sing the words

i remanber singing this in primary school

It is so amasing that makes me cry. I feel completely warm while hearing it. Well done!!

@spiritdei Have sung and dearly love both the Holst and the Darke, but it is the Holst version, its tune and exquisitely poignant harmonies that stick in my head and my heart.

Lovely as can be.

In the bleak mid-winter 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 mid-winter 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 mid-winter 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 down before, The ox and ass and camel Which adore. Angels and archangels May have gathered there, Cherubim and seraphim Thronged the air, But only His mother 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.

Definitely my favourite carol.

I have been looking for this for so long! thanks a lot! I can't believe they don't play the King's college on tv at christmas time anymore in Australia

My fvr christmas song...

Poem by Christina Rosetti (1830-1894) published posthumously in Rossetti's Poetic Works in 1904 ( info. thanks to Wikipedia!), what a beautiful marriage of music and lyric! Nollaig Shona!! 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.

Inexplicably beautiful

Precious

Holst is best beautiful melody

Oh my boys

Agreed, can't decide the version I prefer between Darke and Holst.

There must be some wonderful singing rivalry between King's and Trinity Colleges. They are both fabulous. Wasn't it Richard Marlowe who was at Trinity? Thanks, dear singers!

Christina Rossetti wrote the lyrics 30 years before Holst wrote the melody

Just wonderful

You're welcome! Thank you, and same to you!

thank you SpiritDei - beautiful!

wonderful. Thankyou so much.

Absolutamente bello...conmovedor

Hooray for Christmas!

@2Sparks002 Simplicity is the magic word here. Where a stable place sufficed, only the most pure and simple harmony would be in line with the spirit of the poem and melody. Here simplicity opens the heart in a way eloquence can not -by which I do not mean to imply that Drake's setting is NOT simple and pure, but to me Holsts version is even more so. We can only be thankful for such a thing of beauty.

In a way the Darke & Holst versions are rather different animals. This is a simple hymn tune whereas the Darke is a choir anthem in that it employs different harmonies and organ accompaniment for each verse. Both are beautiful but for me the simplicity of the Holst actually suits the "bleak" word setting rather better

Happy Christmas

we have the best ancient sacred hymns in our churc and rosetti come from cattolic churc for this she dont heve her mind close when was child and so do this beautiful song where only Holy Mary blessed God with her kiss , inside this words are close cattolic values

Almost overwhelmingly emotional in this setting by Holst. I find the Darke version bland by comparison.

harold darke the best....

I don't see this as a religious or Christmas song, I see it only as a beautiful ode to Winter which conjures up very strong feelings inside.

It's that time of year again and Holst's CRANHAM, for that was the carol tile we knew in Gloucestershire, wakes up the spiritual side of me; a reminder that peace and purity can exist in this otherwise greedy, violent and selfish world.

Is there a Lenten hymn with this same melody? I just today, the Monday of Holy Week, overheard a hymn being played on a speaker that had this melody, and I thought I was hearing Christmas music here in Passiontide, but was told it was a Lenten hymn. I have my doubts about that claim, though!

We sing this in our school

Ho ho ho! We're nearly there now guys!

your tenors, altos and sopranos doesn't mix together. My choir master from South Africa passed away a long time ago. He can never be mastered

You know, it's funny - I don't believe in that religious stuff at all but I like this

ein sehr schönes Weihnachtslied - finde ich ähnlich wie unser "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht" Gibt es das auch mit deutschem Text?

Tough to decide. I think I like Darke a *bit* more if only because it has the variety of solos and the organ part and the variation to the choir parts in the last verse ("Give my heart").

Do you mean subtitles of the words of the carol?

Who is the conductor/director..I understand he's legendary

@georgebur what about the HARMONIES in this? I just don't get it, maybe I'm missing something but Darke's version doesn't have the same magic for me. Holst's chokes me up slightly every time. Yeah, I'm a choral singer, I've only ever actually sung Darke's version with an SSA choir though so perhaps that's why I feel differently about it. Oh by the way, that link's not working for me, sure you've pasted it all in?

have tried to find cd of this ,does anybody know how i trace supplier please

then you have not read all the text.

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.

I've seen that sometimes the words are included in the space below the video (not subtitles)

i love chirtstmas movies for jesus the miracle maker animated and disney a christmas carol and ben hur animated and the nativity story movie

LL BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH 🕊🙏🏿🕯

I really respect Holst's work because he is a great composer. He composed several famous pieces, has anyone ever heard of the Planets? The only thing I don't like about him is that he went into Astronomy. :(

Was this song ever covered by billy bragg? Or somebody who sounds like him!

The Darke version sucks.This nmakes Me cry.The words are attributed to Christina Rossetti sister of Dante Gabriel,the painter.Hands up if You sang "water like a scone "in Sunday school

Can you post this with the text?

Wish it would have been a better hall. The vocals were fantastic, though!

Absolutely, the ancient Norsemen had it right. A celebration of life and warmth in the darkest months.

Woman, actually. Christina Rosetti wrote this poem. (yes, Holst wrote the music)

bow down

My only two (minor) complaints about this version... the boys were flatting in parts...and I wish the choir would've been SATB. Otherwise, lovely!

Holst's is the superior version for me but it's a matter of personal taste eventually.

@georgebur Holst is by far superior, the Darke version doesn't make any sense melodically and I find myself disappointed.

@EmmaParsnibbles Oh no! What about the HARMONIES? I am in excellent company with my assessment - choral directors in the UK rated the Darke Top Carol: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7752029.stm It is some achievement by Darke to overshadow one of England's great all round composers but somehow he did it! Are you, like me, a choral singer?

I always was disturbed by this song but never heard it in full - so I wanted to give it a try and nope I still hate it. Then I researched it and found that it was written b y a depressed Victorian woman and that explains this downer of a song. Only a manic depressive could have written this heavy chain of a song. This is not a critique of the music or the singers.