Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Recently I’ve been listening to Images of Christ , a collection of music based on the life of Christ sung by the Cambridge Singers under the direction of John Rutter. The first track on the CD is Bairstow’s “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent.” The piece opens with haunting low chords, then whirls into a description of the “cherubim with many eyes and winged seraphim who veil their faces,” swirling before the throne of God. The words and music are below:

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
and stand with fear and trembling,
and lift itself above all earthly thought.
For the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Christ our God,
cometh forth to be our oblation,
and to be given for food to the faithful.
Before him come the choirs of angels,
with every principality and power;
the Cherubim with many eyes, and winged Seraphim,
who veil their faces as they shout exultantly the hymn,
Alleluia.