Cast Off All Doubtful Care (2012)
(4:25)
Choir of the Cathedral of St. James, Toronto; Vicki St. Pierre, conductor
The text for this SATB a-cappella work is by Francis Kindlemarsh (or Kinwelmersch). He was an English poet from Essex who flourished around the year 1570. His Cast Off All Doubtful Care was originally set to music by William Byrd, and was published in a collection of Byrd’s music in 1589. This performance of my own setting was recorded at Humbercrest United Church, in Toronto, on January 10, 2015.
© Colin Eatock 2012
Text
Cast off all doubtful care,
Exile and banish tears;
To joyful news divine
Lend us your list'ning ears.
An earthly tree, a heavenly fruit it bear,
A case of clay contained a crown immortal
A crown of crowns, a King whose cost and care
Redeemed poor man, whose race before was thrall
To death, to doom, to pains of everlasting,
By His sweet death, scorns, stripes, and often fasting.
A star above the stars, a sun of light,
Whose blessed beams this wretched earth bespread
With hope of heaven and of God's Son the sight,
Which in our flesh and sinful soul lay dead.
O faith, O hope, O joys renowned for ever,
O lively life that deathless shall persevere.
Then let us sing the lullabys of sleep
To this sweet babe, born to awake us all
From drowsy sin that made old Adam weep,
And by his fault gave to mankind the fall.
For lo! this day of days, the birth day,
Summons our songs to give Him laud and praise.
Choir of the Cathedral of St. James, Toronto; Vicki St. Pierre, conductor
The text for this SATB a-cappella work is by Francis Kindlemarsh (or Kinwelmersch). He was an English poet from Essex who flourished around the year 1570. His Cast Off All Doubtful Care was originally set to music by William Byrd, and was published in a collection of Byrd’s music in 1589. This performance of my own setting was recorded at Humbercrest United Church, in Toronto, on January 10, 2015.
© Colin Eatock 2012
Text
Cast off all doubtful care,
Exile and banish tears;
To joyful news divine
Lend us your list'ning ears.
An earthly tree, a heavenly fruit it bear,
A case of clay contained a crown immortal
A crown of crowns, a King whose cost and care
Redeemed poor man, whose race before was thrall
To death, to doom, to pains of everlasting,
By His sweet death, scorns, stripes, and often fasting.
A star above the stars, a sun of light,
Whose blessed beams this wretched earth bespread
With hope of heaven and of God's Son the sight,
Which in our flesh and sinful soul lay dead.
O faith, O hope, O joys renowned for ever,
O lively life that deathless shall persevere.
Then let us sing the lullabys of sleep
To this sweet babe, born to awake us all
From drowsy sin that made old Adam weep,
And by his fault gave to mankind the fall.
For lo! this day of days, the birth day,
Summons our songs to give Him laud and praise.
