The Cradle in Bethlehem is an original art song based on the Christmas story, composed by Roger Quilter. This edition is arranged for solo piano as both 'Intermediate' and 'Easier' versions (the latter is transposed, with added fingering and more pedalling suggestions). The two, different Fullscore Publishing piano versions are included in this free, single pdf Solo Piano Edition.
 
The vocal song is also published by Fullscore Publishing with modern re-engraving, in identical format to the original publication (ie with the same original piano accompaniment). It is available in a combined edition of three transposed versions - Low voice (in D), Medium (in E) and High (in F) here.
 
Biography 
British composer Roger Cuthbert Quilter was born on 1 November 1877. He wrote over a hundred songs, many of which are settings of texts by William Shakespeare. He was a younger son of Sir William Quilter, 1st Baronet (a wealthy noted landowner, politician and art collector) and educated at Eton public (private) school. He studied composition at the Hoch Conservatory in Germany, under Professor Iwan Knorr; his fellow composition students there included Percy Grainger, H. Balfour Gardiner and Cyril Scott; he is said to have influenced English composer Peter Warlock (Philip Heseltine, 1894-1930). 
 
Quilter is best known for his many English art songs and band trios. He also wrote piano music and arranged folk songs as part songs for women's voices. He died on 21 September 1953.
 
This short Christmas song is originally a setting of words by Harry Rodney Bennett (1890-1948), published in 1945.
 
Song Lyrics
There was no cradle for Jesus
When He was small,
Only a rough wooden manger
In a poor stall;
Yet the baby who lay there so lowly
Was king of us all.
 
See the Fullscore Song combined edition here for the full lyrics.
 
Anne Sofie Otter sings (in the low key of D) this lovely carol on her album Noël (Deutsche Grammophon, 2005): YouTube or Spotify
 
Other versions of the original song:
 
Voice & Piano - (Spotify or YouTube) sung (in F - the Fullscore Easier piano version key) by Charlotte de Rothschild, accompanied by Adrian Farmer.
Voice & Piano - (Spotify or YouTube) - sung (in D - the more difficult key of the Intermediate piano edition is actually in E) by baritone Mark Stone, accompanied by Stephen Barlow. Fullscore vocal triple edition available here.
 
There is no recording of the Fullscore arrangements for piano.
 
Oil painting (above) of Roger Quilter by Wilfred Gabriel de Glehn (1920), held by the National Portrait Gallery (NPG 3904), London.
 
Cover image: detail from stained-glass nativity scene in Notre Dame du Rosaire Catholic church, Saint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-Denis, France
 
The following songs are also arranged for solo piano and published by Fullscore Publications:
Morgen! by Richard Strauss - Score preview & download link
A Mirage by Amy Beach - Score preview & download link
Au bord de l'eau by Gabriel Fauré - Score preview & download link