V. van den Bijlaard

7 Kerstliederen Voor de Samenzang

Vincent van den Bijlaard wrote these transparent arrangements of seven Christmas songs that are extremely popular in the Netherlands and in Flanders. The arrangements are most appropriate to support and accompany community singing. 'Komt allen tesamen' is a French carol with lyrics in Latin dating from about 1745 and better known abroad under the title 'Adeste Fideles'. 't Was nacht in Beth'lems dreven' (Night at Bethleem), 'Nu zijt wellekome' (You are welcome now) - one of the oldest Middle Dutch carols from about 1600 -, 'O Kindeke klein' (O that little child) and 'De Herdertjes lagen bij nachte' (ca 1700) are old traditional Dutch carols. 'Ere zij God' (Glory to God) was first included in a Dutch church song book as late as 1933. The other 'foreign' carol is 'Silent Night, Holy Night' (1818), the immortal German Christmas song by Franz Xaver Gruber that conquered the whole world