“Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” is Eric Chapelle’s orchestral arrangement of one of the most popular classical Christmas pieces ever composed. The song does have lyrics, but this version includes orchestra, piano and a few places with choral voices. Slow, relaxed and elegant, it’s a beautiful arrangement!

It is unknown who composed the melody for “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” (“Es ist ein Ros entsprungen”), but it originally appeared in the Catholic Speyer Hymnal that was printed in Cologne (Germany) in 1599. The familiar harmonization was written by German composer Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) in 1608, and that arrangement appeared in Lutheran churches around that time. The lyrics for the song come from The Bible.


Eric Chapelle’s arrangement begins with with a symphonic prelude that gradually expands to include the piano before segueing to the actual song. Stately yet warmly inviting, it’s a contemporary version that remains true to the traditional / original song. Very nicely done!

"Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" is available to stream or download from Amazon, Apple/iTunes and Spotify.