Ein Kind geborn zu Bethlehem

This Christmas motet for SATB choir opens with a sense of gentle joy, as the voices enter in succession to build a warm texture. The German text, Ein Kind geborn zu Bethlehem, celebrates the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, and the text’s joyful exclamation, Halleluja, is embraced by the music. Döring’s setting is homophonic for much of its length, allowing the words and the clear harmonic progressions to shine through, though there are moments of simple contrapuntal interest. It offers a direct and heartfelt expression of the Christmas message, making it suitable for services during the festive season.