Rejoice, Rejoice, the Savior Comes has a text (1735) by the English clergyman Philip Doddridge. "The Savior promised long" is a primary reference to Advent. Other stanzas have poetic descriptions of Christ's mission to earth. The opening tune ST. MARTIN is by Englishman William Tans'ur (1706–1783) who influenced colonial American composers like William Billings. A second tune, from a southern-style hymnbook, reflects the text "His silver trumpets publish loud the jubilee of the Lord." "Heaven's eternal arches ring with your beloved name" provides a rousing, triumphant ending.
When Christ Was Born uses the angels' song "in excelsis gloria" as a refrain. The stanzas tell key events of the Christmas story and their significance. Both the text and melody are from ancient British manuscripts. The arrangement has both repeated passages and varied ones, textures both spare and luscious six-part.