This piece of poetry set to music was produced by collaboration of a poet, Philip Wells, and I, a musician. Written at Christmas time, it tells a the story of the birth of Christ from a different perspective. I also produced a piece of ink-pen artwork in response to the poem, as displayed below.
As this journal has encouraged me to think about things from a different perspective, I decided to apply this to my thoughts about this Christmas period. With a faith in Christianity, the story of Jesus' birth is very familiar, but when I thought about it, I realised that the nativity story of Christmas is often over-glamourised. This poem, written by Philip Wells, strips this all away, and writes the nativity story from a very different perspective. It is raw, honest and beautiful. I worked alongside him to set his words to music. I have left the chords in place to illustrate where the music fits with the words.
Bm Gm
Newborn, every dawn.
A Bm Sunrise: lamb's open eyes.
Bm Gm Manger-boy, stranger-boy,
A Bm Refugee –
Bm Gm What you do for the child
A Bm You do for me.
Bm Gm
Mother's love, holy dove:
A Bm
Light below and light above.
Bm Gm Far from home, fearful,
A Bm Always on the run –
Bm Gm The newborn gift
A Gm Glitters like sun.
Bm Gm
Stablelight, donkey-fur,
A Bm The oxen's radiant gaze:
Bm Gm Baby in a linen
A Huddle & Swaddled
Bm In nurturing rays.
Bm Gm
Shepherd stars, sacred sheep,
A Bm Humankind our quantum leap:
Bm Gm Manger-boy, stranger-boy,
A Bm Refugee –
A Let every child
Gm Come to me.
F# F#/Bb
Dusty feet, humble straw,
Bm G7 Bring in the poverty king:
F# Rest your feet,
F#/Bb Nestle deep –
G7 E7 Snuggle in my arms
G7 E7 Like angel wings.
Bm Gm
Mother's calm, mother's palm,
A Bm Fingers soft as lullabies
Bm Cheeks of light,
Gm Cheeks of down –
A Daddy's weeping
Gm Silver eyes.
Bm Gm
Newborn, every dawn.
A Bm Sunrise: lamb's open eyes.
Bm Gm Manger-boy, stranger-boy,
A Bm Refugee –
Bm Gm What you do for the child
A Gm You do for me.
F# F#/Bb
Let every child come to me:
Bm G7 Manger-boy,
F# F#/Bb stranger-boy and Refugee –
G7 E7 What you do for the child
G7 E7 You do for me: [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
A Gm
Let every child come to me
A Bm Let every child come to me.
-Words by Philip Wells-
-Music by Jess Duckworth-