The words describe Joseph and Mary’s arrival at a bitterly cold Bethlehem, His lowly birth, the shepherds and angels, and most importantly that ‘hope is born’. From the first striking chords of the introduction the scene is set. This is followed by a melody of sweeping melodic contours that captures the mood of the piece. The second verse adds a counter melody. This leads to a middle section that builds to a powerful climax culminating in the proclamation ‘light is come’, before returning to the opening melody.