BBC Concert Orchestra, Crouch End Festival Chorus, Coldfall Primary School Choir, Hannah Brine Choirs and Mark le Brocq - Saint Nicolas, Op 42: Nicolas and the Pickled Boys

CHORUS
Famine tracks us down the lanes
hunger holds our horses' reins
winter heaps the roads with snow
O we have far to go!
Starving beggars howl their cry
snarl to see us spurring by
times are bad and travel slow
O we have far to go!

SOPRANOS (IN GALLERY)
We mourn our boys, our missing sons!
We sorrow for three little ones!
Timothy, Mark and John are gone, are gone!

CHORUS
Landlord, take this piece of gold!
Bring us food before the cold
makes our pangs of hunger grow
O we have far to go!

ALTOS (IN GALLERY)
Day by day we seek to find
some trace of them but oh! Unkind!
Timothy, Mark and John are gone, are gone!

CHORUS
Let us share this dish of meat
Come, my friends, sit down and eat!
Join us, Bishop, for we know
that you have far to go!

SOPRANOS & ALTOS (IN GALLERY)
Mary meek and Mother mild
who lost thy Jesus as a child
our Timothy, Mark and John are gone, are gone!

CHORUS
Come, your Grace, don't eat so slow!
Take some meat!

NICOLAS
O do not taste! O do not feed on sin!
But haste to save three souls in need!
The mothers' cry is sad and weak
within these walls they lie
whom mothers sadly seek.
Timothy, Mark and John
put your fleshly garments on!
Come from dark oblivion! Come!

CHORUS
See! Three boys spring back to life
who, slaughtered by the butcher's knife
lay salted down!
And entering, hand in hand they stand and sing

THREE SMALL BOYS, GALLERY & CHORUS
Alleluia to their King!

Written by:
Benjamin Britten

Publisher:
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC

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