A Canadian Christmas

 
A Northern Nativity William Kurelek

1 No crowded eastern street, no sound of passing feet;
  far to the left and far to right
  the prairie snows spread fair and white;
  yet still to us is born tonight
 the child, the King of glory.

2 No rock-hewn place of peace shared with the gentle beasts,
  but sturdy farm house, stout and warm,
  with stable, shed, and great red barn;
  and still to us is born tonight
 the child, the King of glory.

3 No blaze of heavenly fire, no bright celestial choir,
  only the starlight as of old,
  crossed by the planes' flash, red and gold;
  yet still to us is born tonight
 the child, the King of glory.

4 No kings with gold and grain, no stately camel train:
  yet in his presence all may stand
  with loving heart and willing hand;
  for still to us is born tonight
 the child, the King of glory.

Ruth asked me recently if I had a favourite Christmas carol and a favourite Christmas song. With a lump in my throat I named No Crowded Eastern Street as the former. It is a truly Canadian carol and I was a little choked up because when our son Isaac was but a lad he named this as his favourite.

Frieda Major wrote the lyrics as a poem in Winnipeg in 1958, which is "only" sixty years ago. Robert Flemming, who worked for the National Film Board composed the tune in 1970 or 1971. So, this carol is fairly new by the standards of some of the European perennials, but so is Canada. 

Todays' Groundling blog is about Peace, Joy and...Snow?

https://groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.com/2018/12/peace-joy-andsnow.html