Bethlehem (O little town of Bethlehem)

Stanley E. Saxton (1904-2002) was professor emeritus of music at Skidmore College. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Syracuse University; he also studied organ with Marcel Dupre and Charles Marie Widor at the American School in Fontainbleau in France, as well as composition with Nadia Boulanger. He held his first church organist job at the age of 12, formed his own orchestra as a college freshman, and toured Europe with Paul Whiteman’s Collegians. A member of the American Guild of Organists, Saxton designed and built many pipe organs in the eastern U.S. He also pursued research in indigenous folk music as source material for compositions, and composed many published works for organ, piano, voice, and chorus.

"Bethlehem" is another undated work and also only in manuscript. It uses American organist Lewis Redner (1831-1908) famous 1861 tune "St. Louis" for its subject.

Redner was organist of Trinity Church in Boston, which is also were the Rev. Phillips Brooks (1835-1893), later Bishop, author of the words, was rector.

In England, these words are always sung to the tune "Forest Green".

I confess that the "American tune" has always been one that I "resisted," but I've come to terms with many things as time as moved on.

I felt that I had to take a "different approach" then the one that Saxton gives in his score. His indications call for an ultra-slow tempo, almost twice as slow as I've done, and I simply could not make that work.

In the original text there are 5 verses, but the 4th is almost always omitted. I give that below:

Where children pure and happy
Pray to the blessed Child,
Where misery cries out to Thee,
Son of the Mother mild;
Where Charity stands watching
And Faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks,
And Christmas comes once more.

THANKS to Carson Cooman for this score.

A photo of Stanley Saxton is attached below.