Gesù, Bambino
About the Song
Music by Pietro Yon
Text by Frederick H. Martens
Arranged by Sally DeFord
Gesu, Bambino is one of the most beautiful of what I always think of as the “modern Christmas classics.” It’s old enough to be a standard, but newer than many of our favorites. In its original form, it is peaceful and restful. My aim in this arrangement of it was to up the “fun factor” a notch, so the tempo is a bit quicker, and the chords and key changes are a bit more modern. You can take it at a fast clip like Allyse did in the recording, or slow it down a bit to maintain the restful feeling.
As often happens when I arrange a song for solo voice first and do the choral arrangement afterwards, the accompaniment has been modified somewhat for the SATB to accommodate the way the parts are written. The SSA and Solo accompaniments are interchangeable.
Sheet Music Downloads
Spotify, Soundcloud (inc. free downloads)
Click the 
to download the free track for personal use.
Recording featuring vocals by Allyse Smith Taylor:
Accompaniment track:
Apple Music, Amazon
These files may be copied/shared in any quantity in any physical format unless otherwise noted. They may not be re-sold or offered for download.
Apple Music: Gesu, Bambino (feat. Allyse Smith Taylor)
Apple Music: Gesu, Bambino (Accompaniment Track)
Amazon: Gesu, Bambino (feat. Allyse Smith Taylor)
Amazon: Gesu, Bambino (Accompaniment Track)
YouTube
(Video provided to YouTube by outside parties may contain ads that may be skipped after a few seconds.)
Lyrics
When blossoms flowered ‘mid the snows
Upon a winter night
Was born the Child, the Christmas Rose
The King of love and light
The angels sang, the shepherds sang
The grateful earth rejoiced
And at His blessed birth the stars
Their exultation voiced
Oh come, let us adore Him
Christ, the Lord
Again the heart with rapture glows
To greet the holy night
That gave the world its Christmas Rose
The King of love and light
Let every voice acclaim His name
The grateful chorus swell
From paradise to earth He came
That we with Him might dwell
Oh come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
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15 Comments
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Absolutely lovely!
Thank you sooo much.
A great singable key, also!
Thank you!
Thank you!!! Gesu Bambino is so delightful! Plenty of happy memories…
Thank you and have a very Happy Christmas
Blessings
You’re the best! Our choir director (Melissa Ballard–she’s incredible) assigned us your arrangement only last Sunday and I was panicking and have never sung in the choir before but your tracks helped me memorize the song before we perform on Sunday! Thank you for being so generous with your work–they truly light the world.
Hi Sally, my wife and I are singers/voice teachers/choir directors here in Houston, Texas!! It looks like you grant permission to perform, as long as it is not commercial – may I have permission to record and post it to the Houston Community College website or use as promo material? We would do the SATB version with Flutes. I have read your FAQ, as instructed, and wasn’t sure about your answer.
Absolutely! Send me a copy or a link–I’d love to hear you!
Love your Christmas arrangements.
My choir is singing this in our concert tonight and our Christmas service Sunday. We have a violinist playing the flute part and it works great! We love this addition to our repertoire. Thank you!!!
Hi Sally – I absolutely love the recorded version of this by Allyce Smith Taylor but didn’t find the women’s vocal harmony part that is in the recording written in the solo music. Is that arrangement available? Or should I just use the soprano and alto parts only in the SATB arrangement?
She sings the SSA version.
Love it, love it, love it. Thank You
What a beautiful arrangement! I love the flute part, also! Thank you so much for sharing! Bless you!
Re Gesu Bambino I would love to have a piano version of this .my Dad sang it every Christmas when i was a little girl I have been trying to make a piano version out of your solo but is not going so well love Norrita Sanders
Thank you so much for providing this! I had a copy of the music, and I have been asked to sing it at our upcoming Christmas Eve service. The last time I sang it was right before my mother’s death, and in the confusion thereafter, I have misplaced my copy. I’m eternally grateful for the sheet music you provided *and* the transposing tool. God bless you, and have a Merry Christmas!!
I, to love this song! But, It’s a bit repetitive and draggy.
This is wonderful! Modern and yet Elizabethan at the same time.
Thank you, thank you!