Christmas hymn to St Joseph
  • PLTT
    Posts: 151
    I’m looking for any solid English hymns that mention the role of St Joseph in the Christmas story. In particular, the Annunciation to St Joseph which is the this years 4th Advent Sunday Gospel reading…..
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,117
    This is the closest old one I can find, but while it's labelled as a Common Meter tune, the text of all verses don't all scan that way. Otherwise, WINCHESTER OLD would be perfect.

    https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/righteous_joseph-agcb.htm
    Thanked by 2Chrism John_F_Church
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 719
    There is a hymn: Joseph, Pure Spouse which is a translation of Te Joseph Celebrent by Father Edward Caswall. There are two melodies, one is from the Arundel Hymns published in 1905 and harmonzied by S. P. Waddington. The second is a melody from the Parochial Hymn Book published in 1897 with a melody composed by Father Antoine Police, S.M.

    Hear are the first two verses, I think the second verse says the angel visited...

    Joseph, pure Spouse of that immortal Bride
    Who Shines in ever virgin glory bright,
    Through all the Christian climes thy praise be sung
    Through all the realms of light.

    Thee, when amazed concern for thy betrothed
    Had filled thy righteous spirit with dismay,
    An Angel visited, and with blest words
    Scattered thy fears away.

    You can find these and other hymns to St. Joseph on my website www.motherofmercycatholichymns.com. If you click on the LISTEN tab, you can hear both melodies. Hymn No.'s 33 and 34.

    Let me know if you need these and I can pm you the music or you can buy my hymn book which is available in e-book format or paperback.

    Hope this helps.
  • I cannot say whether this creation is solid, but it is an English hymn. Tune is named EDWARDSVILLE in honor of the Illinois hometown of my father, whose name is Joseph. I would welcome others' harmonizations and descants.

    https://cloudhymnal.org/view/1042/o-glorious-st-joseph

    1. O glorious St. Joseph,
    How great your soul, how strong,
    In toil and dust how wise and just,
    How true to God your song;
    Observant of His Torah,
    You knew His precious grace
    And saw His light in tender brightness
    Of Our Lady's face.

    2. How peerless was that Maiden,
    Our Galilean Queen!
    For her your heart was set apart
    In chastity serene,
    And when her very body
    Cast doubt upon her word,
    An angel came to guard her name,
    That you might guard Our Lord.

    3. At Bethlehem your lantern
    Met God within the straw;
    In Egypt's flight, in anxious night,
    A father's life you saw,
    A life of stalwart goodness
    And quiet sacrifice;
    At final breath, a holy death
    Was yours with Jesus Christ.

    4.And now you stand in friendship
    With archangelic throngs,
    For still the fight for love and light
    To Heaven's realm belongs;
    O how you frighten Satan!
    No evil can he do
    When you arise to heed the cries
    Of those who honor you.

    5. When lure of clan is rising,
    When we are weak with sin,
    When those unborn meet scythe and scorn,
    When demons taunt within,
    Your arms are quick to seize us
    And raise us high to greet
    The Rose in bloom at our true home,
    Our Lady, fair and sweet.

    6. Arise for us, St. Joseph,
    Arise for us today,
    Your Church defend, good man, good friend,
    And in your kindness pray
    That this your house may flourish
    And worthily may laud
    The Holy Name the skies proclaim
    Of Jesus, Son of God!
  • Felicia
    Posts: 117
    Another one is "As Joseph lay uneasy", text by the Dominican Nuns of Summit, New Jersey; tune, the CHERRY TREE CAROL (traditional English). It appears as no.172 in the Collegeville Hymnal (1990).
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,791
    Why not the Cherry tree carol? It may be a carol and not a hymn, but it is rather pretty.
    More carols involving Joseph can be found here, http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/HTML/results.htm?q=joseph
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Well, it's not English, but I wonder if anyone has translated:


    |: Joseph est bien marié à la fille de Jessé. :|
    C'était chose bien nouvelle D'être mère et pucelle.
    Dieu y avait opéré: Joseph est bien marié.

    2. |: Et quand ce fut au premier Que Dieu voulut nous sauver :|
    Il fit en terre descendre Son seul fils Jésus pour prendre
    En Marie humanité: Joseph est bien marié.

    3. |: Quand Joseph eut aperçu Que la femme avait conçu :|
    Il ne s'en contenta mie, Fâché fut contre Marie,
    Et se voulut en aller: Joseph est bien marié.

    4. |: Mais l'ange si lui a dit: Joseph n'en aie point dépit, :|
    Ta sainte femme Marie Est grosse du fruit de vie.
    Elle a conçu sans péché: Joseph est bien marié.

    5. |: Les anges y sont venus Voir le Rédempteur Jésus. :|
    De très belle compagnie, Püis à haute voix jolie
    Gloria ils ont chanté: Joseph est bien marié.

    6. |: Or prions dévôtement De bon coeur et humblement. :|
    Que paix, joie et bonne vie Impêtre Dame Marie
    A notre nécessité: Joseph est bien marié.
    Thanked by 1Patricia Cecilia
  • Nihil,

    Where did you find this?
  • I found it on this page! Thanks for asking, I had meant to include the link.
  • How's this?

    |: Happy Joseph married best, Jesse's daughter, Virgin blest :|
    Nature gasped and Heaven smiled, When the Virgin bore her Child.
    Let God's marvels be confessed: Happy Joseph married best.

    2. |: When first God, in gracious love, Pitied man from Heav'n above :|
    He sent down His only Son, to become with sinners One
    As a Babe at Mary's breast: Happy Joseph married best.

    3. |: But when Joseph first perceived That the Virgin had conceived :|
    He did not know what to say: tried to put his wife away,
    Yet though angry and perplexed: Happy Joseph married best.

    4. |: See the angel on him call, "Joseph, let your face not fall :|
    'Tis the fruit of life hath filled Your sweet bride, as God hath willed:
    Sinless she conceived and blest: Joseph, you have married best."

    5. |: All the angels came to see Jesus in His infancy :|
    Such a lovely company Raised their voices merrily;
    With each Gloria professed: "Happy Joseph married best."

    6. |: Let us pray with heart sincere, Humbly, that Our Lord might hear :|
    for the peace that Mary knew, For such joy and sweetness, too --
    Patron of a happy rest: Joseph, you have married best.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,200
    If you search under the title " Joseph est bien marié" you will find many instances of this lovely carol. Attached is an earlier score with 10 stanzas.

    joseph-est-bien-maric3a9-2vx-1.pdf
    81K
  • You just want to give me more work, Mr. Giffen!
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,200
    Also, take a look at the Kyrie of Charpentier's "Messe de Minuit pour Noël" ...

    Score at CPDL.

    And a recorder-continuo performance of the carol (also by Charpentier): https://youtu.be/mKtNGXOWY0Q
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,200
    And here is a spectacular, moving performance - organ & children's voices:

    https://youtu.be/aNzgE_fyNy4
    Thanked by 1sdtalley3
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,200
    And, for the organsists amongst us, try this by Pierre Dandrieu (attached score).
    Complete Score.pdf
    154K
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,200
    And, simply fabulous:

    Claude Balbastre (1724 - 1799) - Premier Suite de Noëls 1/4
    1. Prélude; 2. A la venue de Noël; 3. Joseph est bien marié; Mes bonnes gens attendez moi
    Orgue de l'Église Saint-Roch - Lesclop, Clicquot, Dallery, Cavaillé-Coll, Gutschenritter et Renaud
    Marina Tchebourkina, Michel Chapuis

    https://youtu.be/eX68xE3ef_I

  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,200
    This is my 5,000th post!!! Here is a 4-part choral score.
    Joseph_est_bien_marie.pdf
    80K
  • I think we found Charles' favorite French Noël!
  • I heard the Balbastre at St. Clothilde in Paris on Christmas Eve when I was studying abroad. It was thrilling, because the space is superbe and the organ has a 32’ bombarde that could part the Red Sea, which made the final variation stick with me lo these 15 years later.

    (It was sad, though, being in the heart of a city of over 10 million people, and being in a nearly empty church on Christmas… sigh. Gloria in excelsis, indeed, for there was little glory in the hearts of men that day.)
  • Also, Nihil, I marvel at your translation which was excellent. You are a man of many talents! (And languages, apparently!)
  • You are too kind to my French, Serviam... Merci beaucoup!

    It was sad, though, being in the heart of a city of over 10 million people, and being in a nearly empty church on Christmas… sigh. Gloria in excelsis, indeed, for there was little glory in the hearts of men that day


    They were all at Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet...
    Thanked by 2tomjaw ServiamScores
  • A church I did not know existed at the time, or no doubt I would have been there too.

    I did Christmas morning at St, Louis en Îsle (the church on the other island right behind Notre Dame) because they had a brand new organ. I believe I was one of only 16? people, in the literal center of Paris. I also used to attend regularly at St. Sulpice where I’d be one of about 30 in a church that can comfortably hold 3,000. And of those 30, I was the only one who bothered to kneel at the consecration and I’d get dirty looks from people. Blew my mind.

    I’ll never forget my first weekend there when I told my host mother I was leaving to go to Mass. her eyes became as big as saucers and she said with genuine shock in her voice,
    “Tu vais aller à la Messe?!” (You’re going to mass?!)
    “…ouais…” (…yes…)
    “O… ok…”
    *look of surprise and confusion in her face, and walked away*

    This poor woman, who was, ostensibly, “Catholic” genuinely couldn’t fathom why I would be going to mass.
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,486
    Getman carol Joseph Lieber, Joseph Mine.