This edition was prepared by Bernard Bertschinger — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Our lord who did the ox command
Staff Notation • Sacred, Christmas
Preview
0
0
Subscribed as
Want Sunday picks sent to another address too?
Free weekly email
Your choir should not be left out in what's trending
Sunday mass selections, psalms, and trending songs in your area — straight to your inbox.
Our lord who did the ox command by Bernard Bertschinger — Lyrics
Our Lord Who did the Ox command
To kneel to Judah's King,
He binds His frost upon the land
To ripen it for Spring
To ripen it for Spring, good sirs,
According to His Word.
Which well must be as ye can see
And who shall judge the Lord?
When we poor fenmen skate the ice
Or shiver on the wold,
We hear the cry of a single tree
That breaks her heart in the coldThat breaks her heart in the cold, good sirs,
And rendeth by the board.
Which well must be as ye can see
And who shall judge the Lord?
Read full lyrics
About Our lord who did the ox command
This moving SATB setting in English speaks of winter's grip and the promise of spring, linking the natural world to a divine plan. The text opens with an image of creation's obedience to God, even the ox bowing to the "Judah's King." It moves to the human experience of the cold, finding solace in the warmth of fire, a fire that can only be made from the wood of a tree broken by the frost. The carol contemplates our place within this cycle, questioning who can judge the Lord's will as nature endures hardship for future renewal. The music reflects this thoughtful, slightly somber yet hopeful, Christmas narrative.
