Something was born at Bethlehem that denies the right of one man or one group - ever or anywhere - to exploit and oppress another.' The dignity and beauty of the common life demand that men shall be free from want and fear - free to express honest thought and to develop their God-given personalities. '.Two principles stand out vividly in the hopes which cluster around Christmas. Fortunately for me, many of his beautiful lines of prose are written so poetically that I was able to extract whole phrases and construct a new text for this year's carol around them: In these writings, dating from 1940-1946, Bates speaks passionately about his hopes for a more loving world, his unwavering belief that a better peace exists, and wonders out loud whether we can each find that peace through the love inherent in the story of Christmas. Justin Karch, tenor.įor my fourth annual Christmas carol, I looked to the Christmas sermons and political speeches of my great-grandfather, Bates Burt.
The Singers-Minnesota Choral Artists (Matthew Culloton, conductor), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
