My selection was “No Crowded Eastern Street” (Common Praise #129), for reasons both theological and personal. The lyrics began as a poem written in Winnipeg by Frieda Major in 1958; she later gave rights to her home parish (St. Luke’s, where I did my student internship). The music was written by Robert Fleming, who has roots in Saskatchewan, and is believed to have played at St. John’s (where I now serve as rector).
The hymn speaks of Christmas in the context of the prairies, which makes me feel at home - as I was growing up, we moved around quite a bit, and some of my formative years were spent on the prairies. I associate winter with a vast blanket of snow and equally vast sky. As an adult, Winnipeg is where my heart found home, and Manitoba brings my soul peace. This hymn encapsulates what it means for me to be home for Christmas.
I shared with the AFP gathering that the conjunctions in the hymn captivated my inner word-nerd. In verses 1 and 3, the poem conveys what the prairies lack at Christmas – a bustling eastern scene, camels, celestial choirs, etc. – “YET still to us is born tonight the child, the King of glory.”
The second verse describes the pastoral scene of uniquely Canadian setting, including the ubiquitous “great red barn” – “AND still to us is born tonight the child, the King of glory.”
The final verse then serves as equaliser for the whole human family, that whatever scenario one finds oneself in, we are brought together by the presence of Jesus: “in his presence all may stand with loving heart and willing hand; FOR still to us is born tonight the child, the King of glory.“
It’s a powerful carol, and I sing it every year. It reminds me that whatever life is like that year, home is still there: in the presence of the child, the embodiment of Love.
What’s your favourite carol? What seasonal hymns resonate for you?
Merry Christmas!
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