Roland and Helen Parry
A Child is Born
About the Oratorio,
"A Child is Born"
His oratorio, A CHILD IS BORN began to take shape when Roland was young. It was a different texture of music---seven choirs placed distantly apart from the stage, from the balcony, from the sides of the auditorium, and from the orchestra pit, each unit singing its unique arrangement.
First performed in 1940 in the Auditorium on the college grounds, it was part of the school Christmas offering. The second year, there were not enough seats for everyone. A larger auditorium and multiple shows were required that year and for many years to follow.
The Assembly Hall on the Salt Lake City Temple grounds proved to be the ideal place for this novel type of production, when the Weber State singers and community choirs performed it as one of the Centennial Celebration offerings for four performances in 1946.
A Child is Born rang out over the city of Ogden for decades during the yuletide. In the early days the singing was called antiphonal singing for want of a more truly correct name. The new word stereophonic comes closer to this new texture. Mr. Parry coined the word stereophony.
A CHILD IS BORN has been presented more than fifty times throughout northern Utah.
ALL FACES WEST has been presented forty-seven times in Utah.
David O. McKay, President of the L. D. S. Church when ALL FACES WEST was being performed, saw the show in 1959. He was so taken with it that he made arrangements to have Roland return to Hastings, New Zealand, with his wife Helen. Igor Gorin played the part of Brigham Young as he had done in Utah.
Gorin and a New Zealand cast performed the show nine times, under the direction of Mr. Parry. He and James Elkington translated several Parry songs to the Maori language.
Sheet Music
Click or right-click on the name of the underlined songs below to download and bring up the sheet music. You can then print it out on your printer. You must have Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or later to do this.
CD's are available as well. Contact us at ghelenparry@yahoo.com.
A Christmas Oratorio
Below is the Narration and Music Lyrics for the Christmas Oratorio, " A Child is Born". You can listen along by clicking on the "Start Narration" button above.
Sheet Music for "A Child is Born" is available below.
A Child is Born CD's are available! Contact Gloria at ghelenparry@yahoo.com.
Silent Night
by Franz Gruber, arranged by Roland Parry
Silent Night, Holy Night,
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon virgin mother and child,
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent Night, Holy Night,
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glory streams from heaven afar.
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia.
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born.
Silent Night, Holy Night,
Son of God, Love’s pure light.
Radiance streams from thy holy face.
With the dawn of redeeming grace.
Jesus, Lord at thy birth,
Jesus, Lord at thy birth.
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Sing praises to the new born King.
Alleluia Alleluia,
Singing praises to the Savior’s name,
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,
Angel voices singing Alleluia, Alleluia,
Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
(Music only)
The Lord's Prayer
God our Eternal Father, Hallowed be thy name,
We are grateful unto thee for thy manifold blessings.
We offer our humble heart to thee,
We seek thy wisdom, We ask thy guidance.
Be merciful upon us, Oh wilt thou bless us,
And cause his face to shine upon us,
That thy way may be known on earth.
And may thy saving grace be upon all the world.
Oh may the nations have hope and strength in thee.
And may the people shun the evil ways.
For thou shalt judge the people righteously,
And they shall be recompensed accordingly.
Oh God be merciful upon us, Oh wilt thou bless us,
And cause his face to shine upon us,
That thy ways may be known on earth.
Narration
Hear Oh heavens and give ear Oh earth.
For the Lord hath spoken.
I have nourished and brought up children,
And they have rebelled against me.
They have forsaken the Lord.
They have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger.
They have gone away backward.
Isaiah's Lament
Israel, ye have provoked the Holy One, Oh Israel.
Israel, ye have forsaken your God again, Oh Israel.
For the day of the Lord shall be upon everyone,
And the wrath of their God shall be upon them.
Repent ye and walk in the light of the Lord!
Hear Oh Ye Heavens
Hear Oh heavens and give ear Oh earth,
For the Lord hath spoken.
For unto us a Child is born,
Yea unto us the Son is given.
And His name shall be called Wonderful,
And His name shall be called Counselor,
The Prince of Peace.
Hear Oh ye heavens and give ear,
Ye have gone away backward, Ye have gone away backward,
Hear Oh ye heavens and give ear,
For the Lord hath spoken, For the Lord hath spoken.
And the government shall be upon His shoulders,
And the government shall be upon His shoulders,
Shall be upon His shoulders,
The government, the government shall be upon His shoulders.
And the government shall be upon His shoulders,
And the government shall be upon His shoulders,
Shall be upon His shoulders.
The government, the government shall be upon His shoulders.
For Unto Us A Child is Born
For unto us a Child is born, to us the Son is given.
Thus saith the Lord, "It shall be done, the Son is given.
For unto us a Child is born, behold a Child is born."
Thus saith the Lord, "It shall be done the Son is given.
Verily, verily, it shall be done."
And his Name Shall be Called Wonderful
And His name shall be called Wonderful,
And His name shall be called Counselor,
And His name shall be called Wonderful,
Shall be called the everlasting One,
The Prince of Peace.
Narration
They lavished gold out of the bags and weighed silver in the balance, and hired a goldsmith, and he maketh it as a God. They fell down, yea, they worshipped.
Bow Down and Worship Baal
Oh hear ye, Oh Judah, I come from my King from Assyria,
Oh hear ye the words of King Senacharib of Assyria.
And hark ye and listen for my King he hath spoken,
Oh hear ye the words of King Senacharib of Assyria.
Harken ye not to the King of Judah,
From not the Lord of Israel.
Let not the promise of Judah deceive you,
Bow down and worship Baal.
Beware yet Hezekiah persuade you.
Saying “The Lord will deliver us!"
Hark ye and listen, for my King he hath spoken,
Bow Down and Worship Baal.
Golden God of Babylon
Mighty Succothbenoth, golden God of Babylon, praise to the idol of gold.
Mighty Succothbenoth, golden God of Babylon, mighty God of Babylon.
Mighty Succothbenoth, golden God of Baal,
Praise to thee, golden God of Baal.
Mighty Succothbenoth, golden God of Babylon.
The Prophet's Rebuke
Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, "Have you forgotten the God of thy salvation?
Hear my voice, ye careless daughters.
Put away the evil of your doings from before thine eyes.
For the day cometh where every man will cast away his idols of silver and of gold,
Which your own hands have made unto you, for a sin.
Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword,
Surely the Lord breaketh the staff of the wicked and the scepter of the proud."
Isaiah's Lament
Israel, ye hath provoked the Holy One, Oh Israel.
Israel, ye hath forsaken your God again, Oh Israel.
For the day of the Lord shall be upon everyone,
And the wrath of their God shall be upon them.
Repent ye and walk in the light of the Lord!
For unto us a Child is born,
To us the Son is given, behold a Child is born,
Thus saith the Lord it shall be done, the Son is given.
And His name shall be called Wonderful,
And His name shall be called Counselor.
For unto us a Child is born, behold the Son is given.
Thus saith the Lord, It shall be done, "It shall be done, the Son is given".
Orchestral interlude
The Zeal of the Lord
The zeal of the Lord of heaven,
Shall verily this perform.
He shall come forth in the day of the Lord,
What joy to the world at His birth.
The zeal of the Lord of heaven,
Shall verily this perform.
He shall come forth in the day of the Lord; what joy to the world at His birth!
And the Government shall be upon His shoulders,
He shall come forth in the day of the Lord,
The mighty One, the everlasting Father.
The zeal of the Lord of heaven, shall verily this perform,
He shall come forth in the day of the Lord.
The zeal of the Lord shall verily this perform.
And the government shall be upon His shoulders,
And the government shall be upon His shoulders.
He shall come forth in the day of the Lord,
The mighty one, the everlasting Father.
The zeal of the Lord of heaven, shall verily this perform.
He shall come forth in the day of the Lord.
The zeal of the Lord shall this perform.
It Is Not Far To Bethlehem
It is not far to Bethlehem.
The shortest way I know is through the heart,
The way the children go.
Narration
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem saying. “Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His Star in the east and are come to worship Him."
And, lo, the Star which they saw in the east went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was. They saw the young child with Mary, His mother. And fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold and frankincense and myrrh.
The Song of the Wise Men
The star appeareth to guide us, the star it goeth before us,
We come from out the East, we seek the King,
We follow the guiding star of night.
Our cup of joy o’erfloweth, for this we surely knoweth,
That He is born who is the King of Kings.
Gifts of gold, of myrrh, of frankincense we bring to Him,
And we shall bow down with humble hearts to worship Him.
The Star appeareth to guide us, the Star it goeth before us,
We come from out the east, we seek the King.
Narration
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Then Let the Angels Sing
Then let the angels sing the wondrous story.
Then let the angels tell of heavenly glory.
Hosannah, give praise to the Lord,
Hosannah give thanks to your God.
Then let each mortal hark the joyful word.
And the glory of the Lord shone round about them.
For unto you is born this day,
A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Then let the angels sing the wondrous story.
Then let the angels tell of heavenly glory.
Hosannah, give praise to the Lord,
Hosannah, give thanks to your God.
Then let each mortal hark the joyful word.
Ring out the Bells
Ring bells, Ring bells, Ring bells.
Then ring out the bells and herald the night!
The night He was born in Bethlehem, near Jerusalem.
Oh sing out the tidings and carol the story of old.
‘Tis the night when the Savior was born.
Oh, ring out the bells,
Oh, rejoice and sing,
Ring out the bells and rejoice!
Heavenly voices proclaim,
Humbly the shepherds attend.
The star in the east points the way,
The worshipping Wise Men bow down.
Oh, rejoice, for the Savior is born.
Ring bells, Ring bells, Ring bells, Ring bells, Ring bells,
Ring bells, Ring bells,
Then Ring out the bells and herald the night,
The night He was born in Bethlehem, near Jerusalem.
Oh sing out the tidings and carol the story of old,
‘Tis the night when the Saviour was born.
Oh, Ring out the bells, oh, rejoice and sing!
Ring out the bells, oh, rejoice and sing!
Ring out the bells and rejoice,
Oh, rejoice, for the Saviour is born!
Ring bells, Ring bells, Ring bells, Ring bells, Ring bells, Ring bells, Ring!