Of the Father’s Love Begotten

Hark! The stories behind our favorite Christmas carols

If you’re in search of an ancient, theologically rich carol this season, look no further than “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.” Long before it became a Christmas carol in the 19th century, this hymn was first penned as a poem in the 4th century by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius. As Brian Flanagan, theologian and church historian, explains, this was a time of significant turmoil in church history, with Christian doctrine being defined and refined through heated debates and councils. Prudentius’ poetry appears to have been a creative way of conveying some of the core teachings that emerged from the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. to the faithful.

The elegant verse was later paired with a Eucharistic hymn, thought to be from either the 10th or 13th century, and translated by the renowned Victorian composer John Mason Neale. This poem-hymn has thus endured over 1,500 years of history, proclaiming the mystery of the incarnation that we celebrate at Christmas. Host Maggi Van Dorn also welcomes back Colin Britt to help us appreciate the musical subtleties of this great work, and best-selling writer and novelist Nicole Baart shares why she chose to sing this carol on her wedding day.

We owe a great debt of thanks to Richard Jeffrey Gray and the members of the Clifton Cathedral Choir, accompanied by Stephen Bryant and directed by Dr. David Bednall; the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter’s in the Loop, directed by J. Michael Thompson; the Mount Holyoke Glee Club, conducted by Colin Britt; and Lori Pappajohn and Ricardo da Silva, S.J., for providing the music featured in this episode.

The show wraps with “Of the Father’s Heart Begotten,” arranged by Sir David Willcocks and performed by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, under the direction of Daniel Hyde. This recording is included on their album In the Bleak Midwinter, available through King’s Recordings.

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This season of Hark! is sponsored by Saints for Sinners, offering divine saint medals imported from Italy and meticulously hand-painted in New Orleans.

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