Come, Lord Jesus (SATB)
$1.25
SATB and Piano
Also available for TTBB
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Text: From Savior of the World: His Birth and Resurrection
Thank you for purchasing the number of scores you intend to copy. All scores are delivered digitally via e-mail.
A minimum-score purchase for digital scores is standard in choral music publishing. It ensures that composers receive a higher base of compensation should someone be intent on illegally copying more scores than they purchase, which sadly occurs far too often. I have provided full sample scores (with a few redactions) so you can determine if the piece is right for your needs.
Text from Savior of the World: His Birth and Resurrection
Come, Lord Jesus, to the manger;
May we see thy tender face?
Great Creator, here a stranger,
Infant in this humble place.
Darkness scatter, morning swell;
Come, dear Lord Immanuel.
Come, Lord Jesus, to the manger;
Come, Lord Jesus, come!
Come, Lord Jesus, to the wounded,
Broken heart and bended knee.
Worthy Lamb, thy love unbounded,
Bid our souls to rest in Thee.
Come in glory to the earth;
Come to us to rule and reign.
Ready us to kneel and greet thee;
Come, Lord Jesus, come!
Come, Lord Jesus, great Redeemer,
Light of morning from the East.
We will be Thy children ever;
Dry our tears, all weeping cease!
Come in glory to the earth;
Come to us to rule and reign.
Ready us to kneel and greet thee;
Come, Lord Jesus, come!
Many years ago, Professor Rosalind Hall, then-director of the BYU Men's Chorus, showed me a carol from Savior of the World: His Birth and Resurrection, a dramatic production that was part of the programming on the Salt Lake Temple Square during the 2002 Winter Olympics Games. I was immediately taken by the beautiful melody, and the simple, but poignant text. She said that she wanted to arrange it for men's voices as some point, so I didn't pursue it at the time.
A few years later, she asked me to arrange it for the choir's upcoming performance at BYU's "Celebration of Christmas," and I reminded her that she intended to do it herself some day. She responded in her characteristic way, "Well, then, you better make it a good arrangement."
I'll leave it to others to determine if it is a good arrangement, but it is the arrangement of mine that, by far, is most widely performed. The BYU Men's Chorus, during Ros's tenure, made it a staple of their Christmas repertoire, performing it not only in concert and on albums, but also for this video they produced, in the gallery outside the concert hall, and in other performances during the Christmas season.