Anthem 44 - Hush, my dear

Welcome to Anthem 44 in my attempt to write a new choir anthem every week for a year. I’m Kevin Mulryne and I hope you will enjoy listening to my progress throughout 2024. Please do visit the website Anthem52.com, follow along on x.com - @realanthem52 or Instagram - @realanthem52 and send me a message to show@anthem52.com.

It was time for an unaccompanied anthem this week - in fact another Christmas Carol. You won't be surprised to hear that the words come from Isaac Watts yet again. It's a lullaby sung by a mother, recalling the infant Jesus and Mary. From my experience of singing many carols, I think it's a little unusual. However, it's rather effective, in my opinion.

Here are the words I chose:

Hush, my dear, lie still and slum­ber,
Holy an­gels guard thy bed,
Heav’nly bless­ings with­out num­ber,
Gently fall­ing on thy head.
How much bet­ter thou’rt at­tend­ed,
Than the Son of God could be,
When from Hea­ven He des­cend­ed,
And be­came a child like thee!

Soft and easy is thy cra­dle,
Coarse and hard thy Sav­ior lay:
When His birth­place was a stable,
And His soft­est bed was hay.
Oh, to tell the won­drous sto­ry,
How His foes ab­used their king;
How they killed the Lord of glo­ry,
Makes me an­gry while I sing.

Hush, my child, I did not chide thee,
Though my song may seem so hard;
’Tis thy mo­ther sits be­side thee,
And her arms shall be thy guard.
May’st thou learn to know and fear Him,
Love and serve Him all thy days;
Then to dwell for­ev­er near Him,
Tell His love and sing His praise.