The First Mercy - A short Christmas song written in 1927 by Peter Warlock (1894-1930), originally for voice and piano. This edition is arranged for solo piano by Nigel Edmund-Jones (Fullscore Publishing). 
 
Biography 
Peter Warlock (known under his birth name as Philip Heseltine before 1916) was an English composer of ‘flawlessly inspired’ songs (The Curlew song-cycle is considered his masterpiece) and other miniatures. He also was an author (biographies of composers Gesualdo, with Cecil Gray, and Delius), editor, critic and transcriber of early English musical works, but found it difficult to settle into a life that created stability, both physically and mentally, ending up in what has been described as an artistic ‘cul-de-sac’ and losing his creative inspiration. 
 
Bethlehem Down is his most well-known and popular Christmas carol and is still sung regularly (as is his Balulalow). Capriol Suite (written in 1926) is his best-known orchestra work. He was given military exemption in 1916; a maverick, depressive alcoholic, he was also (very briefly) music critic of the Daily Mail. He died young, of asphyxiation by coal gas poisoning, aged 36.
 
Song Lyrics by Bruce Blunt (1899-1957)
 
Ox and ass at Bethlehem
On a night, ye know of them:
We were only creatures small
Hid by shadows on the wall.

We were swallow, moth and mouse;
The Child was born in our house,
And the bright eyes of us three
Peeped at His Nativity.

Hands of peace upon that place
Hushed our beings for a space -
Quiet feet and folded wing,
Nor a sound of anything.

With a moving star we crept
Closer when the Baby slept:
Men who guarded where He lay
Moved to frighten us away.

But the Babe, awakened, laid
Love on things that were afraid,
With so sweet a gesture He
Called us to His company.
 
Recordings:
- Solo song: John Mark Ainsley, accompanied by Roger Vignoles - Spotify link
- Choral carol: Allegri Singers, cond. Louis Halsey - Spotify link
- String orchestra arrangement: RTÉ Concert Orchestra (Naxos) - Spotify link.
 
Cover image: Adoration of the Shepherds by Matthias Stom (c. 1650).
 
More Christmas piano music published by Fullscore Music: fullscoremusic.co.uk/christmas
Two Catalan carols: La Nit de Nadal (Miguel Llobet), Villancico de Navidad (Agustín Pio Barrios [Mangoré], The Cradle in Bethlehem (Roger Quilter), Gebet in der Christnacht (Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel), Mariä Wiegenlied (Max Reger), The Little Girls' Dance (Niels Gade), Julstämning (Elfrida Andrée), Chant de Noël (De Séverac), Waltz (The Christmas Tree) (Rebikov), Don oíche úd i mBeithil (That star-lit night in Bethlehem) (Trad. Irish)- and more Christmas works for choir or flute and piano (Silent Night by Hans Sitt and Christmas Sonatina by Carl Reinecke).
 
The following songs are also arranged for solo piano and published by Fullscore Publications (full versions are included in Songs without Words, Book 1, available only from Amazon link here): Morgen! (Richard Strauss), A Mirage (Amy Beach), Au bord de l'eau (Gabriel Fauré) and many more.