146

32. Just a tale

A song for Christmas
Words: Stephen Clark Music: Howard Goodall

Easy and flowing (q = c.76)

p
 
SOPRANO        
  
It is a
p

ALTO        
  
It is a

TENOR       

 
BASS
      

Easy and flowing (q = c.76) 

          
  
        


 
   
 

  
      
    
 
PIANO p    
    

  
   
    
 
con Ped.

5         
 
        

 
sto - ry, a sim -ple sto - ry, a sto - ry told in lands we’ve ne - ver
ba - by, a new-born ba - by, a ba - by bathed in swathes of love and
  
  
              

 
sto - ry, a sim -ple sto - ry, a sto - ry told in lands we’ve ne - ver
ba - by, a new-born ba - by, a ba - by bathed in swathes of love and
p 
             
    

 
 sto - ry, a sim -ple sto - ry, a sto - ry told in lands we’ve ne - ver
ba - by, a new-born ba - by, a ba - by bathed in swathes of love and
p
     

 
            
sto - ry, a sim - ple sto - ry, told in lands we’ve ne - ver
ba - by, a new-born ba - by, bathed in swathes of love and

 
 
    

        
 

 
        
    


© Copyright 2003 by Faber Music Ltd. This music is copyright. Photocopying is ILLEGAL.

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 147

8    
       

 
  

seen. And though we’ll al - ways ask, ‘What can it mean?’ it’s just a
dreams. But no - thing in this sto - ry’s as it seems for this one

  
         

  
seen. And though we’ll al - ways ask, ‘What can it mean?’ it’s just a
dreams. But no - thing in this sto - ry’s as it seems for this one
              
 
 seen. And though we’ll al - ways ask, ‘What can it mean?’ it’s just a
dreams. But no - thing in this sto - ry’s as it seems for this one
  
             
seen. And though we’ll al - ways ask, ‘What can it mean?’ it’s just a
dreams. But no - thing in this sto - ry’s as it seems for this one


 
   


 
 


   
   

 
  
      
  
  
  

1 mf 2
mp
11     
 
   
   


tale, a - no - ther tale. There was a
child, this spe -cial child. How
mf mp

 
 
  

   
 
  
tale, a - no - ther tale. There was a
child, this spe - cial child. How
mf mp
     
     

 tale. There was a
child. How
mf mp
   
    
     
tale. There was a
child. How

1 2
    



     


     



 
    
 


  

 
mf mp
   
   
       
  
       
  

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 148

                
cresc. sempre
14
of - ten does a young man teach be - yond his years, be - yond his reach, to

        
cresc. sempre

       
of - ten does a young man teach be - yond his years, be - yond his reach, to

                 
cresc. sempre

 of - ten does a young man teach be - yond his years, be - yond his reach, to

        
 
cresc. sempre
       
of - ten does a young man teach be - yond his years, be - yond his reach, to

                        
        
  
cresc. sempre

     
 

       
16
       
touch the lives, so ma- ny lives, who came to know that truth sur -

               
touch the lives, so ma- ny lives, who came to know that truth sur -

               

touch the lives, so ma- ny lives, who came to know that truth sur -

       
         
touch the lives, so ma- ny lives, who came to know that truth sur -

 
    
                     
           



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 149

               
18 mf

-vives? How of - ten does a wise man die be - cause he dared to

     
mf
         
-vives? How of - ten does a wise man die be - cause he dared to

               
mf

 -vives? How of - ten does a wise man die be - cause he dared to

               
mf


-vives? How of - ten does a wise man die be - cause he dared to

                               
 
mf
          

20
                
que - stion why we live with fear, and wit - ness lies with tired and soft un -

                
que - stion why we live with fear, and wit - ness lies with tired and soft un -

                 
 que - stion why we live with fear, and wit - ness lies with tired and soft un -



               
que - stion why we live with fear, and wit - ness lies with tired and soft un -

                        
       
         
 

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 150

22  
f
  
    
    
 

-see - ing eyes? How of - ten does a man live on when

f
  
             
 
-see - ing eyes? How of - ten does a man live on when
f
      

 
        
 -see - ing eyes? How of - ten does a man live on when
f
  
      
       
-see - ing eyes? How of - ten does a man live on when

              
               
  

  
cresc. f
   
   
   
   
 


largamente, poco rall.

più f
24
     
  
 
      

flesh and blood have long since gone? There was a

più f

    
        
flesh and blood have long since gone? There was a

più f
  
        
   
 flesh and blood have long since gone? There was a

più f 
  
     
    
flesh and blood have long since gone? There was a

largamente, poco rall.

 
           



   
 
    

      

 
       
     

ff f
 
     
      
 
   
 

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 151

a tempo
27 
 
mf
 
      
    
    
 
ba - by, a new - born ba - by whose words would one day warm the cold - est
sto - ry, it’s just a sto - ry of how a peo -ple learned to love and
 mf 
       
        
   
ba - by, a new - born ba - by whose words would one day warm the cold - est
sto - ry, it’s just a sto - ry of how a peo - ple learned to love and
 mf 
        
         
  
 ba - by, a new - born ba - by whose words would one day warm the cold - est
sto - ry, it’s just a sto - ry of how a peo - ple learned to love and
mf
         
          
  
ba - by, a new -born ba - by who’d one day warm the cold - est
sto - ry, it’s just a sto - ry of how a peo - ple learned to
a tempo
   
        
   
   
                

              
mf

      
  
   
    

30 
     
         
  
3
night, whose sword was peace, whose gen - tle touch was light to those who
trust, and learned to see the hope in bar - ren dust, from just one

      
     
    
night, whose sword was peace, whose gen - tle touch was light to those who
trust, and learned to see the hope in bar - ren dust, from just one
3
  
         
   
 night, whose touch, whose gen - tle touch was light to those who
trust, and see the hope in bar - ren dust, from just one
         
 

night, whose gen - tle touch was light to those who
trust, and see the hope in dust, from just one


   
     
    

 
      
 
   
  
 

  
     

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 152

1 2 f
33 
  
 
 
  
   

heard: and soon they heard this sim -ple
tale, one Christ - mas tale.
f

        
      

heard: and soon they heard this sim -ple
tale, one Christ - mas tale.
 f
               
 

 heard: and soon they heard this sim -ple
tale, one Christ - mas tale.
f
   
        
     
heard: and soon they heard this sim -ple
tale, one Christ - mas tale, a tale.
1 2     
          
    
 
      
  
       

 
 
 

        f 
   




        
    


 
   

  
       
37


    
 
 
 
 


    

          
 
 
dim. sempre
   
  
     

   
  
       
   

molto rall.
41 
 
p
 

    
   
It’s just a tale, a Christ - mas tale.
p 

          
  
It’s just a tale, a Christ - mas tale.
 p 
      
    
  
 It’s just a tale, a Christ - mas tale.
p
          
  
 
It’s just a tale, a Christ - mas tale.
molto rall.  

 
 


 
       
   


   
   

pp
  
      
    
  


  
   
 


Up Integrated - 28897.1912.20231030 - 1 authorised copy purchased for private use by Molly Newton on 30/10/2023 - Photocopying or digital distribution of any kind without a licence is proh