This is an arrangement I made of the Catalan carol “Salten y Ballen” – “Shepherds and Lasses.” I have been told that the original song is not really associated with Christmas at all – but was adapted as a Christmas carol by Elizabeth Posten (most famous for “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree.”) I shuffled the order of the verses and wrote the lyrics for the very end of the piece. The soloists are, in order of vocal appearance: Kurt Sesko, Nick Gonzales, Riley Cook, Elena Cressy, and Christopher Wojciechowicz – and Christopher is also the flutist.
What I envision in this carol is that we have some exuberant shepherds and their wives who are caught up in the joy of the Messiah’s birth – not realizing that the Mother is trying to getting the Baby to fall asleep. That’s why the carol ends so very quietly.