The Carols
See Amid the Winters Snow
See amid the winter’s snow,
Born for us on earth below,
See, the gentle Lamb appears,
Promised from eternal years
Chorus:
Hail thou ever blessèd morn,
Hail redemption’s happy dawn,
Sing through all Jerusalem:
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Lo, within a manger lies
He Who built the starry skies;
He Who, throned in height sublime,
Sits amid the cherubim.
Chorus:
Say, you holy shepherds, say,
Tell your joyful news today.
Why have you now left your sheep
On the lonely mountain steep?
Chorus:
Teach, O teach us, holy Child,
By Thy face so meek and mild,
Teach us to resemble Thee,
In Thy sweet humility.
Chorus:
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And peace to men on earth
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given.
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him,
still The dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us,
abide with us Our Lord Emmanuel.
Away in a Manger
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes
I love thee Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.
Be near me Lord Jesus I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever and love me I pray
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care
And fit us for heaven to live with thee there.
While Shepherds Watched
While shepherds watched their flocks by night All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down And glory shone around.
“Fear not,” said he for mighty dread Had seized their troubled minds
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you and all mankind.”
“To you in David’s town this day Is born of David’s line
The Saviour who is Christ the Lord And this shall be the sign.”
“The heavenly Babe you there shall find To human view displayed
And meanly wrapped in swathing bands And in a manger laid.”
“All glory be to God on high And to the earth be peace; Goodwill henceforth from heaven to men Begin and never cease!”
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Hark the herald angels sing
“Glory to the new born King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled”
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
“Christ is born in Bethlehem”
Chorus:
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the new born King!”
Christ by highest heav’n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Chorus:
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Chorus:
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power When we were gone astray
Chorus:
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
From God our Heavenly Father A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds Brought tidings of the same:
How that in Bethlehem was born The Son of God by name.
Chorus:
The shepherds at those tidings Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding In tempest, storm and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway The Son of God to find.
Chorus:
Now to the Lord sing praises, All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas All others do deface.
Chorus:
The Holly and the Ivy
The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
Chorus:
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir.
The holly bears a blossom
As white as any flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour.
Chorus:
The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to do us sinners good
Chorus:
The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.
Chorus:
The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
Chorus:
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Ding dong merrily on high,
In heaven the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! verily the sky
Is riv’n with angel singing.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
E’en so here below, below,
Let steeple bells be swungen,
And “io, io, io!”
By priest and people sungen.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Pray you, dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers;
May you beautifully rime
Your evetime song, ye singers.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
We Three Kings of Orient Are
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star.
Chorus:
O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light.
Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to rein.
Chorus:
Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Prayer and praising, all men raising
Worship Him, God most high.
Chorus:
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
Chorus:
Glorious now behold Him arise
King and God and Sacrifice
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah the Earth replies.
Chorus:
Once in Royal David’s City
Once in royal David’s city,
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby,
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ, her little Child.
He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall:
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.
And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle,
Is our Lord in heaven above:
And He leads His children on,
To the place where He is gone.
Not in that poor lowly stable
With the oxen standing by
We shall see him, but in heaven
Set at God’s right hand on high.
Where like stars his children crowned
All in white shall wait around.
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born.
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth “
O Come All Ye Faithful
O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
Chorus:
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
God of God
Light from Light
Lo he abhors not the virgin’s womb.
Very God Begotten not created.
Chorus:
Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all ye citizens of Heaven above
Glory to God
In the highest.
Chorus: