Song of the Day - 28th December

Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents - a day to remember the babies of Bethlehem massacred by order of King Herod in his attempt to murder the Baby Jesus. The slain children were regarded by the early church as the first martyrs, but it is uncertain when the day was first kept as a saint’s day. It may have been commemorated with Epiphany, but by the 5th century it was kept as a separate festival. In Rome it was a day of fasting and mourning.

I have written two songs for this Feast Day, the second of which I will share tomorrow, when the Eastern Church commemorates this feast day.

Today's song is a setting of a poem, beautiful in its simplicity, by Christina Rossetti, simply called "Holy Innocents". It equates their terrible fate with a sleep, watched over by angels, out of which they will awaken to a world of everlasting love, light and warmth, surrounded by the "eternal Arms" of God.

My setting is appropriately simple and lullaby-like, but (if I'm allowed to say this about my own work) I think it is quite beautiful. It may even draw a tear if you're a sappy sort like me!

Holy Innocents

Christina Rossetti

Sleep, little Baby, sleep;

The holy Angels love thee,

And guard thy bed, and keep

A blessed watch above thee.

No spirit can come near

Nor evil beast to harm thee:

Sleep, Sweet, devoid of fear

Where nothing need alarm thee.

The Love which doth not sleep,

The eternal Arms surround thee:

The Shepherd of the sheep

In perfect love hath found thee.

Sleep through the holy night,

Christ-kept from snare and sorrow,

Until thou wake to light

And love and warmth to-morrow.