Description
A truly beautiful setting for a movingly beautiful prayer, the setting supports the earnest humility of the text. Christianity-wide, the opening words of this prayer are familiar to all. Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi.
St. Francis, born 1181/1182, died in 1226, and was canonized on July 15, 1228. Biographical data for St. Francis is readily available on the Internet.
At the time of publishing this solo, one lovely fact had already caught the attention of DARCEY PRESS during research into Christmas carols: note the following information.
“In 1223, Francis was conducting Christmas services at Grecchio, in the province of Umbria. For some time, he had been seeking a way to present the concept of the Incarnation of God to his parish. On Christmas Eve, he borrowed some farm animals, collected the trappings of a stable, and placed a statue of the infant Christ in a manger filled with hay. In a cave near the ancient castle of Grecchio, he arranged them to re-create the setting of the first Christmas night. By special permission of the Pope, Francis was allowed to conduct a midnight Mass [in conjunction with] his handiwork. Friars composed and sang new, joyful songs much more akin to carols than hymns to accompany the tableau. Thus, the way was opened for the church and carols to become reconciled. Manger scenes, . . . universally present in the Christmas observances of all Mediterranean countries and Latin America, stem from Saint Francis’ presentation.” (Int’l Book of Carols, p.5) (Partially quoted in Christmas Carols for Friends and Families, pp. 84:1-2.)