Shepherds in Judea

About the Christmas anthem Shepherds in Judea

Shepherds in Judea tells the story of the announcement of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds. The verse in 2/4 contrasts with a lilting refrain in 3/8. The mood is joyful, with energy. In each refrain, the angels give the shepherds the news as well as advice. The refrain’s words, repeated twice, are different for each verse.

The original song is by William Billings, titled “Emanuel”, from his book the Psalm-Singer’s Amusement, from 1781. This version sets four of the six verses, with some changes to the words.

Shepherds in Judea is part of a larger cantata, Shepherds and Angels, with violin, harp, and tambourine. Instrumentally, that set aligns well with Britten’s Ceremony of Carols or Susa’s Carols and Lullabies. Teach your chorus Shepherds in Judea this year, and expand to Shepherds and Angels next season.

View and listen

Preview score  Click the big button to download a free perusal score. The watermarked PDF is disabled for printing.

Listen  The Master Singers of Lexington, MA sang Shepherds in Judea in 2010 in the Shepherds and Angels version with violin and harp.

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