"THE WEXFORD CAROL" - YO-YO MA AND ALISON KRAUSS

I love the The Wexford Carol; I love this performance; I love the musicians; I love the instruments; and I love the video which shows the interplay of the musicians as they perform. Have I made my love clear?

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT

Collect for the Second Sunday in Advent

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to
preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation:
Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins,
that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our
Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer)

Below is one of the most beautiful passages in Scripture and a favorite of mine.

Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.

A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

A voice says, ‘Cry out!’
And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’
All people are grass,
their constancy is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
when the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand for ever.
Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
‘Here is your God!’
See, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep."

(Isaiah 40:1-11)

Here I break the Advent rule and post a Christmas carol: Alison Krauss and Yo-Yo Ma in an exquisite performance of  "Wexford Carol".  My Canadian friend, Tim Chesterton posted the carol, and I couldn't resist.  The carol is in my music collection, but I love to watch the musicians' performance.