Christmas At Midnight
Fall 2025
Program Notes
This year's concert features Marc-Antoine
Charpentier’s delightful Mass setting based on early
French Christmas Carols with period instruments,
along with Arvo Pärt’s Magnificat and other
treasures of the season!
CONCERT ORDER
Messi de Minuit - Kyrie
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704)
Messi de Minuit - Gloria
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704)
Little Lamb
John Tavener (1943 - 2013)
Messi de Minuit - Credo
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704)
Magnificat
Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)
Messi de Minuit - Sanctus/Benedictus
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704)
Messi de Minuit - Agnus Dei
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704)
O Magnum Mysterium
Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943)
TEXT AND
TRANSLATIONS
Messi de Minuit - Kyrie
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704)
Kyrie, eleison. Kyrie, eleison.
Christe, eleison. Christe, eleison.
Kyrie, eleison. Kyrie, eleison.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Messi de Minuit - Gloria
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704)
Glória in excélsis Deo et in terra pax homínibus
bonæ voluntátis.
Laudámus te, benedícimus te, adorámus te,
glorificámus te, grátias ágimus tibi propter magnam
glóriam tuam, Dómine Deus, Rex cæléstis, Deus
Pater omnípotens. Dómine Fili Unigénite, Iesu
Christe, Dómine Deus, Agnus Dei, Fílius Patris,
qui tollis peccáta mundi, miserére nobis; qui tollis
peccáta mundi, súscipe deprecatiónem nostra qui
sedes ad déxteram Patris, miserére nobis.
Quóniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dóminus, tu
solus Altíssimus, Iesu Christe, cum Sancto Spíritu:
in glória Dei Patris. Amen.
—
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to
people of good will.
We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we
glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God,
Lamb of God, Son of the Father, take away the sins
of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the
sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated
at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the
Lord, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory
of God the Father. Amen.
Little Lamb
– John Tavener (1943 - 2013)
Little lamb, who made thee,
Dost though know who made thee.
Gave thee life and bid thee feed,
By the stream and o'er the mead.
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing wooly bright.
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice.
Little lamb who made thee,
Dost thou know who made thee.
Little lamb I'll tell thee,
Little lamb, I'll tell thee.
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a lamb.
He is meek and he is mild,
He became a litle child.
I a child and thou a lamb,
We are called by his name.
Litle lamb God bless thee,
Litle lamb God bless thee,
Messi de Minuit - Credo
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704)
Glória in excélsis Deo et in terra pax homínibus
bonæ voluntátis. Laudámus te, benedícimus te,
adorámus te, glorificámus te, grátias ágimus tibi
propter magnam glóriam tuam, Dómine Deus,
Rex cæléstis, Deus Pater omnípotens. Dómine
Fili Unigénite, Iesu Christe, Dómine Deus,
Agnus Dei, Fílius Patris, qui tollis peccáta mundi,
miserére nobis; qui tollis peccáta mundi, súscipe
deprecatiónem nostra qui sedes ad déxteram Patris,
miserére nobis. Quóniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus
Dóminus, tu solus Altíssimus, Iesu Christe, cum
Sancto Spíritu: in glória Dei Patris. Amen.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to
people of good will. We praise you, we bless you,
we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks
for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only
Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of
the Father, take away the sins of the world, have
mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand
of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are
the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
Magnificat
– Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)
Magnificat anima mea Dominum; et exsultavit spir-
itus meus in Deo salutari meo, quia respexit humil-
itatem ancillae suae; Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me
dicent omnes generationes quia fecit mihi magna,
qui potens est, et sanctum nomen eius,
Et misericordia eius a progenie in progenies
timentibus eum.
Fecit potentiam in brachio suo; dispersit superbos
mente cordis sui; deposuit potentes de sede, et
exaltavit humiles; esurientes implevit bonis et divites
dimisit inanes.
Suscepit Israel puerum suum, recordatus misericor-
diae suae, sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abra-
ham et semini eius in saecula. Magnificat anima
mea Dominum.
—
My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded: the lowliness of his hand-
maiden: For behold, from henceforth: all genera-
tions shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is
his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him: throughout
all generations. He hath shewed strength with his
arm: he hath scattered the proud in the imagination
of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from
their seat: and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the
rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holden
his servant Israel: As he promised to our forefathers,
Abraham and his seed for ever. My soul doth
magnify the Lord.
Messi de Minuit - Sanctus/Benedictus
– Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704)
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dóminus Deus Sábaoth.
Pleni sunt cæli et terra glória tua. Hosánna in
excélsis. Benedíctus qui venit in nómine Dómini.
Hosánna in excélsis.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts. Heaven
and earth are full of Thy Glory. Hosanna in the
highest. Blessed is He Who cometh in the Name of
the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Messi de Minuit - Agnus Dei
–Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704)
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: dona nobis
pacem.
—