Slowly Fall the Snowflakes (A Christmas Carol)

A quiet snowfall becomes a vivid metaphor for the mystery of Christmas in this gentle, expressive setting of Frederick George Lee’s nineteenth-century Christmas poem. Slowly Fall the Snowflakes pairs wintry imagery—snow-covered earth, chiming bells, and the stillness of Christmas morning—with a deeply Christian meditation on the Incarnation: “Christ the curse reversing, Mary’s Son is born.” The music unfolds with an unhurried, flowing character, allowing the piano to create a delicate winter atmosphere beneath warm, lyrical SATB writing. The choral texture gradually expands from intimate passages into fuller, resonant sonorities, giving the familiar imagery increasing breadth and weight. Particular attention to text setting makes the piece especially effective for ensembles that value expressive phrasing and clear storytelling. The second verse draws a beautiful connection between falling snow and divine grace—“In the chill descending, like the grace of God”—before arriving at the central proclamation, “Lies in Bethlehem’s manger / Great Emmanuel.” Taylor’s adaptation of Lee’s third verse then turns explicitly toward the imagery of light: the snow becomes “angel-like,” the darkness gives way to sunlight, and those who “walked in darkness” are invited to greet the Light of Light. The result is a Christmas carol that feels both peaceful and purposeful—well suited to a Christmas concert, worship service, or program centered on the quieter, contemplative side of the season. Its moderate demands and predominantly lyrical vocal writing make it accessible while still offering opportunities for an experienced choir to shape beautiful tone, balance, and harmonic color. Performance time: approximately 3½ minutes. About the Lyrics This setting draws on Frederick George Lee’s nineteenth-century Christmas poem, preserving the first two verses while adding an original third verse by M. Ryan Taylor. Taylor’s new final stanza shifts the imagery from falling snow and the manger at Bethlehem toward the dawning light of Christ, bringing the carol to a luminous conclusion. Slowly fall the snowflakes, Clothing earth in white, Sweetly bells are chiming, On this Christmas night; Dark the earth aforetime, White on Christmas morn; Christ the curse reversing, Mary’s Son is born. Slowly fall the snowflakes, Virgin white the sod, In the chill descending, Like the grace of God; Wild the varied chimings, One tale all they tell: Lies in Bethlehem’s manger Great Emmanuel. Slowly fall the snowflakes, Glinting in the dawn, Angellike they greet us, With their sparkling song: “Earth is dark no longer, Sunbeams drown the night. You, who walked in darkness, Greet the Light of Light!” Lee’s original 3rd verse for comparison: Slowly fall the snowflakes, Hang the holly high, Bright its berries greeting God Incarnate nigh; Dark the earth no longer, Barren nevermore, Grace-flowers spring to blossom On the eternal shore.