… In every carol warbled, In ev'ry cry for peace: A little Christmas presence is released…
Leonard Ballantine here exploits the homophones “presents” and “presence” to suggest how the “presence” of Christ in the world can make a difference. The melody is first in the lower voices, with some simple “oo” accompaniment from the upper voices, and later the text is sung by all verses in block harmony. A feature of the piece is the florid and expansive piano accompaniment.
