A poor orphan girl Maria Was to market one day She stopped for to rest by the Where a with a broken wing lay A few moments till she saw it For its were covered with sand And soon and wrapped it was traveling In the warmth of small hand
She gave her last peso On a made of rushes and twine She fed it loose corn from the And watched it grow with time
Now the gift-giving was coming And the church shone with tinsel and And all of the brought presents To lay by the that night
There diamonds, incense and perfumes And fit for a king But for one ragged bird in a cage Maria had nothing to
She till just before midnight So no one see her go in And crying she knelt by the For her was unworthy of him
Then a voice spoke to her through the "Maria, what you to me? If the in the cage is your offering the door, let me see"
So she trembled, she did as he her And out of the cage the bird up into the rafters On a wing had healed good as new
Just then the midnight bells out And the little bird started to A song no words could recapture For its was fit for a king
Now Maria felt just to listen To that cascade of notes sweet and As her offering was to heaven By the very first nightingale's
(Stephanie Davis) 1990 EMI Blackwood Inc. and Beartooth Music. All Rights Controlled and administered by EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)
Guitar and accordion: Sampson Violin: Dukov Larry Corbett Oboe and Jon Clarke Violin, cello, oboe and flute and conducted by David
Leader: David Contractor: Suzie Katayama Violin: Dukov (concertmaster), Darius Campo, Susan Chatman, Mario De Leon, Berj Garabedian, Peter Kent, Rachel Purkin, Michelle Richards, Mark Robertson Viola: Evan Wilson, Kazi Pitelka, Denyse Buffum, Funes Cello: Corbett, Dan Smith Bass: Stone Jon Clarke