Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming [Kirchner]

Conductor Notes:

Shawn Kirchner’s simple and exquisite SSA arrangement of this traditional melody simply soars over an accompaniment of piano and soprano saxophone. Uplifting doesn’t begin to say enough about this arrangement, which is also featured in his concert-length work The Light of Hope Returning (see its own entry in this database).

Lo, how a rose e’er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung.
Of Jesse’s lineage coming,
As saints of old have sung.
It came a flow’ret bright Amid the cold of winter,
When half-spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it,
This rose I have in mind.
With Mary we behold it,
The Virgin Mother kind.
To show God’s love aright,
She bore to us a saviour,
When half-spent was the night.

This flower whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air
Dispels with glorious splendour
The darkness ev’rywhere.
True man, yet very God,
From grief and death he saves us
And lightens ev’ry load.