The Carol of the Three Brothers (Jennifer Bastable)

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• (Posted 2025-12-04)  CPDL #87679:       

Editor: Jennifer Bastable (submitted 2025-12-04).   Score information: Letter, 7 pages, 494 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: The Carol of the Three Brothers
Composer: Jennifer Bastable
Lyricist: Frances Chesterton
Number of voices: 5vv   Voicing: SSATB
Genre: Sacred, Carol

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published:
Description: A setting for five voices, plus soloists from within the choir, of part of Frances Chesterton's poem

Original text and translations

English text

Come with me little brothers three
And though the winds blow chill,
And dark the night, the star burns bright
Over Bethlehem’s hill.

The path is rough with splintered stones
And heavy lies the snow,
But here a latch and ’neath the thatch
A lamp swings to and fro.

 “What brought you, brother, to the Child?”
“A crown of holly bright;”
“A crown of thorn, shall His head adorn;
Holly He wears to-night.”

“Have you a gift, oh! brother, dear?”
“A silver reed I bring;”
“At passion-tide, it pierced His side
Now a sceptre for a King.”

“What bring you Him, brother, so small?”
“A bunch of hyssop wild;”
“A drink of gall, for the Lord of all;
A posy for a Child.”