This edition was prepared by Richard Mix — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Behold, I bring you glad tidings, Z 2
Staff Notation • Sacred, Verse anthems
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6 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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Behold, I bring you glad tidings, Z 2 by Henry Purcell — Lyrics
Behold, I bring you good[glad] tidings of great joy, which shall be to [you and] all people.
For unto you is born this day [in the city of David] a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
Glory to God in the highest, and on[in] earth peace, goodwill toward men.
Variant 1
O Jesu, born of Virgin pure,
Immortal glory be to Thee,
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost eternally.
Amen.
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About Behold, I bring you glad tidings, Z 2
Henry Purcell’s Behold, I bring you glad tidings is a verse anthem for SATB choir and instruments, setting words from the Book of Common Prayer’s Christmas Day service. The text announces the birth of Christ the Lord, presenting it as a sign of salvation and peace on earth. The music reflects the jubilant message, with the choir’s declamations of good news powerfully supported by instrumental interludes, characteristic of the verse anthem form. Purcell masterfully contrasts moments of grand pronouncement with intimate solo passages, drawing the listener into the sacred narrative. This is a significant work from the English Baroque, offering a profound musical meditation on the Nativity.
