The ‘Christmas Oratorio’ (_Noël_) of Charles Camille Saint-Saëns (born 1835), although constructed in the oratorio style, scarcely exceeds the dimensions of a cantata. It calls for five soloists, and is scored for strings, organ and, in one number, the harp. While the text is based on the story of the Nativity, only two numbers mention the birth of Jesus and these at the beginning of the work, the remainder being liturgical matter, such as the Magnificat, Benedictus and Gloria Patri, and the triumph of the Church--all appropriate to the Christmas season. A quaint and melodious pastoral introduction of some length leads into a recitative, ‘And there were shepherds,’ after which the announcement to the shepherds is apportioned among three solo voices, closing with the chorus, ‘Glory to God in the highest.’ The most dramatic chorus in the work is ‘Wherefore are the nations raging,’ to which the accompaniment in itself furnishes an atmosphere of wild unrest. A portion of the opening pastoral prelude is heard again in the next to the last number, before the quintet takes up the words, ‘Arise now, Daughter of Zion,’ which, especially in the ‘Alleluia’ portion, contains some beautiful writing for the solo voices. A final chorus, written in majestic hymn style and also closing with an oft-repeated ‘Alleluia,’ concludes the oratorio. The composition, though short, is exceedingly beautiful, not only in its graceful and melodious voice-parts, but in its delicate and striking accompaniments. ‘The Deluge,’ a biblical scene which Saint-Saëns wrote in 1875, has steadily maintained its place in the choral repertoire. It is an effective, artistic work, nobly conceived and true to the scriptural narrative. The orchestra takes a leading part in the vivid portrayal of the commotions of Nature--the approaching rain, gradually bursting into torrents, the rising of the flood, the buoyancy of the ark as it ‘floated upon the mournful ocean,’ the darkness, and finally the receding waters. The narration of the most important events is given to the chorus, while the minor incidents are delegated to the soloists, largely in recitative. Especially effective is the passage at the beginning of the second part in which it is related that ‘the sun disappeared’ and ‘the rains from heaven poured,’ where the choral parts have little melodic movement, dwelling much on one tone, as though awed at the magnitude of the calamity, while the storm-tossed accompaniment vividly depicts the fierce force of the elements. One of the finest numbers is the fugal chorus, ‘This race will I blot out forever.’ In striking contrast to this is the delicately scored scene of the departing and the returning dove and the rainbow-music. The work closes with a massive contrapuntal chorus, in which the solo quartet joins, ‘Now increase, grow and multiply.’