Recently we’ve become fond of a British vocal group called VOCES8. So today, Christmas Day 2017, we’d like to share their rendition of Lo How a Rose e’re Blooming (Es ist ein Ros entsprungen). A German tune first appearing in print in 1599, it is considered a “Marian tune” that combines the Gospel narratives with prophecies from Isaiah. Even though it is quite old, it did not begin to appear widely in hymnals until around the time of World War I. Today it is a standard hymn.
A group like VOCES8 makes singing in perfect ensemble look easy. It is not. The amount of rehearsal, critical listening, and refinement needed to achieve this kind of blend is hard to fathom. All the more fun, then, to watch this group, founded in 2005, soaring in harmony during the making of a recording.
Few melodies are as tender as Lo How a Rose e’re Blooming. In a Christmas Day filled with children’s squeals, bustling kitchens, and exclamations of joy as the doorbell rings, may this quiet rendition of a classic bring you a moment of peace today. And let me thank you for allowing us to share the season of Advent with you and your family. It was our privilege and joy.
Merry Christmas,
Carol Reynolds
I was so touched to hear them sing this song. I sang it in a Lutheran church lined with stained glass windows when I was a young girl many decades ago. Thank you for posting this and letting the memory flood back in. Music touches in a way that nothing else can.