December Listening Activity – Benjamin Britten’s “This Little Babe” from A Ceremony of Carols

As the year winds down, this month’s listening turns to one of the most electrifying movements from Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols. “This Little Babe” bursts with rhythmic intensity and vivid musical storytelling, created by the brilliant combination of treble voices and harp.

The text, by 16th-century poet Robert Southwell, describes the newborn Christ as a tiny warrior defeating darkness through innocence and light. Britten’s driving rhythms, tightly layered texture, and sparkling harp writing bring this imagery to life with excitement and urgency.