| Gabriel's Message | |
|---|---|
| Gabriel’s Message 23 | |
| Christmas carol | |
 The Angel Gabriel sheet music | |
| Native name | Birjina gaztetto bat zegoen |
| Full title | The angel Gabriel from heaven came |
| Text | The Magnificat |
| Language | Basque |
| Melody | "Angelus Ad Virginem" |
| Composed | 13th century |
"Gabriel's Message" or "The angel Gabriel from heaven came" (Basque:Birjina gaztetto bat zegoen) is aBasque Christmas folkcarol about theAnnunciation to theVirgin Mary by thearchangelGabriel that she would become the mother ofJesus Christ theSon of God.
It quotes the biblical account of the Annunciation (Luke, Chapter 1, verses 26–38) and Mary'sMagnificat (Luke 1.46–55) with the opening lines:[1]
The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
"All hail", said he, "thou lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favoured lady." Gloria.
A Basque folk carol, originally based onAngelus ad virginem, a 13th or 14th Century Latin carol,[2] it was collected byCharles Bordes (pub. Paris 1897) and then paraphrased into English bySabine Baring-Gould (pub. 1922), who had spent a winter as a boy in the Basque country. The tune is called "Gabriel's Message".[3] It is commonly performed in an arrangement byEdgar Pettman published in 1922.
The use of the lilting phrase "Most highly favoured lady" made it the favourite carol ofRichard Harries,Bishop of Oxford.[4]
Notable modern interpretations include a track onSting's single "Russians" (1985) and on his albumIf on a Winter's Night... (2009). Sting's interpretation of this carol is part of the best-selling albumA Very Special Christmas, first released in 1987.[5] English rock bandMarillion recorded a version for their 1999 fan club-exclusive albumChristmas.Marillion, which was also performed on their 2003 DVDChristmas in the Chapel. Canadian roots musicians Terry McDade andThe McDades on their 2001 release "Midwinter".
In 2004, it was recorded byAled Jones on his albumThe Christmas Album.Jars of Clay recorded a version for its 2007Christmas Songs album.Charlotte Church recorded a version of this song for the 2000 Holiday albumDream a Dream.Amanda Palmer is featured on Amazon's Exclusive Holiday Playlist "All Is Bright" singing the song a cappella, accompanied by a choir.Madonna use this reference to theVirgin Mary (Intro) on herThe MDNA Tour on 2012. Ukrainian singer, composer and multi-instrumentalistDilya [uk] made his version of "Gabriel's Message" in Ukrainian folk tradition using bandura, guitar and organ with ethnic female back vocals. It is the first single from his Christmas EP with the same name, released on December 20, 2015.Moya Brennan, the singer of the Irish bandClannad, recorded the song on her Christmas album of 2005,An Irish Christmas.
Media related toGabriel's Message at Wikimedia Commons
