Owt of Your Slepe

Conductor Notes:

A robust medieval Christmas piece sung in Old English. We used it as a processional, selecting only three of the six verses. I used a sextet for the middle verse. The choir sang all the refrains.

Translation of the 15th Century English into modern English:

Out of your sleep arise and awaken,
for God has taken human form
from a maid without any equal:
of all women she is best.

And through a fair and wise maiden
humankind is now brought into its full worth;
now the angels kneel in the service of humanity;
and at Christmas time, all this took place.

Now blessed brother [Jesus], grant us
the grace, on Judgment Day, to come into
your presence, and give us a place in your
kingdom, that we may sing there, “Nowell”.