A Shepherd's Tale

set to music by Richard Nye

for SATB chorus (with descant), treble soloist, children’s choir,
organ, and optional trumpet and timpani

SATB performance time approx 4m 30s

Music

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Words

On Bethlehem’s hills, a shepherd boy
Kept a dark and lonely vigil;
As elder shepherds slept ‘neath stars,
He braved the desert noises.
And so it was, on that dark night,
The boy first saw the brilliance
Of a swift-approaching angel host,
And heard their golden voices.

He turned his face up to the light;
His eyes were filled with stardust.
He heard the message that they brought
And knelt before their glory.
Then shepherds all awoke and stared,
They scarce believed his story;
A babe was born to save their souls
And deliver them from darkness.

What babe was this? Whence came his power,
But from a heavenly father?
The shepherds knelt in joyful praise,
‘Til the angel voices left them.
Then shepherds all, with little thought,
Left care of flock behind them,
And turned their steps to Bethlehem,
Where a light shone in the darkness.

And in a lowly stable there,
A mother rocked her first-born;
A son of God, a child of man,
A saviour of all mankind.
There in the hay, amongst the beasts,
The golden child was lying.
The shepherds brought a gift of love;
A lamb for this blessèd shepherd.

The shepherd boy has long since grown,
And knows the angels’ promise
Was kept upon another hill.
But from that dark, a light burst through,
And mankind knelt in wonder;
The shepherds stood upon the earth,
But felt the touch of heaven.

Mandy Anson

Price

The price of this piece depends on the number of singers in your group. This is a single payment for a licence to make as many copies as you need for your group to rehearse and perform the song as often as you wish. Copies of the song must not be given, lent or sold to any other group.