3  O Sing A Song of Bethlehem

Traditional English
Words written by Louis Fitzgerald Benson, 1899

O sing a song of Bethlehem, Of shepherds watching there,
And of the news that came to them From angels in the air.
The light that shone on Bethlehem fills all the world today;
Of Jesus’ birth and peace on earth the angels sing alway.

O sing a song of Galilee, of lake and woods and hill,
Of Him who walked upon the sea and bade the waves be still.
For though like waves on Galilee, Dark seas of trouble roll,
When faith has heard the Master’s word, falls peace upon the soul.

O sing a song of Calvary, its glory and dismay;
Of Him who hung upon the tree, and took our sins away.
For He who died on Calvary is risen from the grave,
And Christ our Lord, by heaven adored, is mighty now to save.

4  Sussex Carol

Traditional English

On Christmas night all Christians sing,
To hear the news the angels bring–
News of great joy, news of great mirth,
News of our merciful King’s birth.

Then why should men on earth be so sad,
Since our Redeemer made us glad,
When from our sin He set us free,
All for to gain our liberty.

5  Comfort, Comfort, Ye My People

“Psalm 42” Genevan Psalter, 1551
Text: Isaiah 40:1-5; Johann Olearius, 1671; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1863

Comfort, comfort, ye My people,
Speak ye peace, thus saith our God;
Comfort those who sit in darkness,
Mourning ‘neath their sorrows’ load.
Speak ye to Jerusalem of the peace that waits for them;
Tell her that her sins I cover and her warfare now is over.

Yea, her sins our God will pardon,
Blotting out each dark misdeed;
All that well deserved His anger
He no more will see or heed.
She hath suffered many a day, now her griefs have passed away;
God will change her pining sadness into ever-springing gladness.

Hark, the Herald’s voice is crying
In the desert far and near,
Bidding all men to repentance
Since the Kingdom now is here.
Oh, that warning cry obey! Now prepare for God a way;
Let the valleys rise to meet Him and the hills bow down to greet Him.

Make ye straight what long was crooked,
Make the rougher places plain;
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits His holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
Now o’er earth is shed abroad,
And all flesh shall see the token
That His Word is never broken.

6  Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

“Picardy” (French carol)
Liturgy of Saint James (fourth century)

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of Light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

7  Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella

French Re­nais­sance car­ol

Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabella
Bring a torch, to the cradle run!
It is Jesus good folk of the village;
Christ is born and Mary’s calling;
Ah! ah! beautiful is the mother
Ah! ah! beautiful is her Son!

Hasten now, good folk of the village;
Hasten now the Christ Child to see.
You will find him asleep in the manger;
Quietly come and whisper softly,
Hush! hush! see how the child is sleeping;
Hush! hush! see how he smiles in his dreams.

8  Coventry Carol

English, 1591
Words Attributed to Robert Croo, 1534
Named after the city of Coventry, England, where the 15th Century Pageant of
the Shearmen and Tailors depicted Herod’s slaughter of the innocents.

Lullay, Thou little tiny Child, By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do for to preserve this day.
This poor youngling for whom we sing, By, by, lully, lullay.

Herod the king, in his raging, charged he hath this day.
His men of might, in his own sight, all young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee! And ever morn and day,
For thy parting neither say nor sing, By, by, lully, lullay.

9  The Friendly Beasts

“Orientis Partibus,” med­ie­val French mel­o­dy
Unknown author, 12th Century

Jesus our brother, kind and good
Was humbly born in a stable rude
The friendly beasts around Him stood,
Jesus our brother, kind and good.

“I,” said the donkey, shaggy and brown,
“I carried His mother up hill and down;
I carried her safely to Bethlehem town.”
“I,” said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

“I,” said the cow all white and red
“I gave Him my manger for His bed;
I gave him my hay to pillow his head.”
“I,” said the cow all white and red.

“I,” said the sheep with curly horn,
“I gave Him my wool for His blanket warm;
He wore my coat on Christmas morn.”
“I,” said the sheep with curly horn.

“I,” said the dove from the rafters high,
“I cooed Him to sleep so He would not cry;
We cooed him to sleep, my mate and I.”
“I,” said the dove from the rafters high.
Thus every beast, remembering well,
In the stable dark was glad to tell
Of the gift he gave Immanuel,
The gift he gave Immanuel.

10  Away in a Manger

1)“Cradle Song,” William J. Kirkpatrick, 1895
2)“Mueller,” James R. Murray, 1887
Verses 1 & 2 anonymous, Verse 3 is by John T. McFarland (1851-1913)

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.
The stars in the 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 cradle til 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 take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.