Once upon a time...

Once upon a time, I wrote my first twenty-first century fugue back in December, 2015. (I do have one ancient twentieth century fugue as well.) I've played this fugue at some point just about every year since, but have never been happy with the original piano recording I made on an out-of-tune piano. So, the other day when I found time on a beautiful Steinway to record my new "O come, all ye faithful" fugue, I did a few takes of Fugue in Royal David's City and definitely improved on the old version. (A better organ version is still on the to-do list.) 

Just in case you don't know the original tune which famously opens every King's College Lessons and Carols service, here it is. Some of the verses are printed below as well.

MMerry Christmas!

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1 Once in royal David’s city

stood a lowly cattle shed,

where a mother laid her baby

in a manger for His bed:

Mary was that mother mild,

Jesus Christ her little Child.

2 He came down to earth from heaven

who is God and Lord of all,

and His shelter was a stable,

and His cradle was a stall:

with the poor, and meek, and lowly,

lived on earth our Savior holy.

3 And our eyes at last shall see Him,

through His own redeeming love;

for that Child so dear and gentle

is our Lord in heav'n above,

and He leads His children on

to the place where He is gone.

4 Not in that poor lowly stable,

with the oxen standing by,

we shall see Him, but in heaven,

set at God’s right hand on high;

when like stars His children crowned

all in white shall wait around.