(NOTE: this is the 10th post in the 12 Days of Christmas series.)
“Gesu Bambino” is an Italian Christmas carol composed by Pietro Yon in 1917. (It was translated to English by Frederick H. Martens.) The traditional Christmas song “I Saw Three Ships” derives its melody from the “Gesu Bambino” carol, even though it’s a simpler version of the same tune. And even if you’ve never heard this song before now, the chorus will seem quite familiar to you because the melody and lyrics of the “Bambino” chorus are taken from one of the most beloved Christmas carols of all time: “O Come All Ye Faithful.”
As for Jessye Norman, she has one of the most extraordinary operatic voices of the 20th century~~nobody performs this song better than she does. This lovely piece as performed by the amazing force of nature that is Jessye Norman is simply stunning. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I have.