I have several CDs which provide musical-spiritual accompaniment in preparing liturgies and homilies during this holy season.Bach's "Christmas Oratorio" has pride of place, as it takes me from the first days of Christmas through New Year's Day and culminates on the feast of Epiphany. But another favorite is the King's College Choir's rendition of Benjamin Britten's "A Ceremony of Carols."On this particular recording (Argo), a wonderful bonus is the young Britten's lovely "A Boy Was Born" -- a setting of mostly anonymous early English poems and hymns. Here is the text for the deeply simple "Jesu, as Thou art our Saviour:"

Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, Jesu: save us all through Thy virtue.Jesu, as Thou art our Saviour, that Thou save us from dolour! Jesu is mine paramour: Blessed be Thy name, Jesu.Jesu was born of a may, upon Christemas Day. She was may beforn and ay: Blessed be Thy name, Jesu.Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, Jesu: save us all through Thy virtue.