English. Text Source: Netherlands folksong, st. 1, Anonymous, tr. 1928, sts. 2-4, Percy Dearmer, 1867-1936, from Oxford Book of Carols; Translation: Percy Dearmer.
"A Message Came to a Maiden Young" is an Annunciation carol set to a traditional Dutch melody.
This careful casting of the text by the dean of American church music, Richard Proulx, creates possibilities for exquisite musicality and for expressing the story of the appearance of the angel to the young maiden.
Choirs up for a modest SATB a cappella challenge would find this extremely satisfying.
Traditional Dutch carol.
