This is a beautiful Austrian carol the choir sang at last night’s Midnight Mass. I can’t believe I never heard of it until now:
Still, still, still, one can hear the falling snow. For all is hushed, the world is sleeping. Holy Star, its vigil keeping. Still, still, still, one can hear the falling snow.
Sleep, sleep, sleep, ’tis the eve of our Savior’s birth. The night is peaceful all around you, close your eyes, let sleep surround you. Sleep, sleep, sleep, ’tis the eve of our Savior’s birth.
Dream, dream, dream, of the joyous day to come. While guardian angels without number watch you as you sweetly slumber. Dream, dream, dream, of the joyous day to come.
What is it about music? It seems to pluck some inner heart-string. I’m a grouchy old curmudgeon or so I’m told, but when I hear some well performed musical interlude my heart seems to swell in my chest and tears come to my eyes. Got to be some physiological basis for this.
That song is on Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “Come Darkness Come Light” Christmas album of 2009. Her version is wonderfully simple; just acoustic guitar and piano. Here it is on YouTube.