Who is this baby?

Linda Mawson writes, ‘songs and hymns on the Christmas theme are not difficult to find, but each Christmas it is important to combine the familiarity of traditional Carols whilst expressing for each generation the challenge of the truth that “the Word was made flesh and made his dwelling among us.”’ Linda composed this song to be sung normally as three stanzas, and also to be combined as a three-part round, with sections combined. It was first introduced to the Slade Evangelical Church in Plumstead where the congregation bravely split into three sections. It was later practised and sung by the Crofton Youth Singers, Orpington. Although a simple song, the words still offer the truth that our God stepped into time in order to rescue the world he loved.

Linda was born in Woking, Surrey 1947. She studied at the Royal College of Music and gained a  BMus, GRSM, ARCM (Piano)  Having worked in Music Education as both Piano Teacher and Secondary Music Teacher, Linda retired from teaching in July 2006. Her husband Peter also retired from Music education and early in 2007, they moved to Bristol where Peter served as co-Pastor in an Evangelical church in Headley Park. In May 2012 they moved again to Tenterden , Kent, where Peter is currently the Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church. Linda has served as music coordinator in each of the local churches she has belonged to and has also served within the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches in preparing music and as organist and pianist for Conferences.

Linda was invited to be music adviser and member of the Modern Songs team for Praise!, where her work is first published; subsequently she joined its Editorial Board as Member and Trustee. As such Linda has been involved in reviewing and selecting words and reviewing, composing and arranging music for both the book and online versions of the collection.

For many years she prepared a children’s chorus for a summer Bible Club; she had 23 compositions and 41 arrangements (many for instrumental groups and choirs) to her credit by the time of the publication of the hymn-book in 2000.  Text nos.378, 796. Tune nos.2A, 100=440, 119A*, 119E*, 133B, 166, 190*, 195*, 202*=548*, 245, 248*=815*, 270, 275*, 295*, 324*, 328*, 350*, 361*, 363*, 367*, 371*, 378, 404, 408*, 432*, 453*=910*, 462*, 474*, 480*, 510*, 512, 516*, 519, 531=784, 534=623, 579*, 598, 614*, 636*, 655, 667*, 675*, 676*, 683*, 684*, 710*, 715*, 729*, 733*, 779, 784, 789=926, 795=887, 796, 804*, 869*, 882, 885*, 895*, 914, 920*, 922*, 937*, 946*, 948*, 973*, 1205*, 1217*, 1252*.