Christmas Special: Good King Wenceslas (12/26/21) | Music & the Spoken Word

Music & the Spoken Word broadcast with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. Conducting today’s program are Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy, with guest artists the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble, organist Richard Elliott, and the Spoken Word by Lloyd Newell.

Opening Credits (0:00)
1) “Joy to the World”
Music: Lowell Mason
Lyrics: Isaac Watts
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

2) “Away in a Manger”
Music: William J. Kirkpatrick
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

3) “Noe! Noe!”
Music: French Carol
Lyrics: David Warner
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

4) “Good King Wenceslas”
Music & Lyrics: Traditional

5) "Good King Wenceslas" (Spoken Word)

6) "Good King Wenceslas" (Organ Solo)
Music: Traditional
Arrangement: Virgil Fox

7) “Christmas Bells Are Ringing”
Music & Lyrics: Robert P. Manookin

8) “A Christmas Carol,” from Scrooge
Music & Lyrics: Leslie Bricusse

9) “Hallelujah Chorus,” from Messiah
Music: George Frideric Handel

Spoken Word: Good King Wenceslas
By: Lloyd Newell

I’m standing at Wenceslas Square, in the heart of Prague, near a statue of the Duke of Bohemia, affectionately known as good King Wenceslas. A caring Christian ruler and patron saint of the Czech Republic, Wenceslas has come to represent kindhearted generosity and selfless giving. And because these attributes are at the heart of Christmas, it’s not surprising that good King Wenceslas is also the subject of a beloved Christmas carol.

The carol is based on a story set during a feast day shortly after Christmas. But King Wenceslas is not feasting; instead, he looks out the window onto the wintry landscape and discovers a poor man, gathering whatever meager firewood he can find in the deep snow. Filled with compassion, Wenceslas calls his page and tells him to bring food and wood for the destitute man. Then, instead of sending his page on the errand alone, Wenceslas leaves his comfortable home and goes with the page into the cold night to deliver the gifts personally.

At one point, the snow becomes so deep and the wind so fierce that the page wonders if he can carry on. But Wenceslas invites him to walk in his footsteps, and as he does, the page finds strength to endure. Together they brave the storm and fill the poor man’s humble home with generous gifts.

Aren’t we all somewhat like Wenceslas’s page? We joyfully accept the invitation to generous giving that comes with the Christmas season. But sometimes meaningful giving, the kind that really makes a difference, requires sacrifice, and that can be difficult. When this happens, we can find strength as we walk in the steps of the Master Giver.

After all, as He once said, “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.”

This is why we honor good King Wenceslas more than a thousand years later: because he reminds us of the kindness and generosity of another King—one who also chose to be a servant, who lived among the poor and the weary so that He could give them relief. This is the King whose birth and life of service we celebrate at Christmas.

Episode aired December 26, 2021, Broadcast Number 4815.

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