Seek Him that Maketh the Seven Stars
Jonathan Dove
(text: Amos 5:8, Psalm 139)
Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion
and turneth the shadow of death into the morning.
Alleluia, yea, the darkness shineth as the day
the night is light about me
Amen
Christ’s Nativity: 1. Christ’s Nativity
Benjamin Britten
(text: Henry Vaughan)
Awake, glad heart! Get up and sing!
It is the birthday of thy King.
Awake! Awake!
The sun doth shake
Light from his locks, and all the way
Breathing perfumes, doth spice the day.
Awake! Awake! Hark how the wood rings,
Winds whisper and the busy springs
A concert make.
Awake! Awake!
Man is their high priest, and should rise
To offer up the sacrifice.
I would I were some bird, or star
Fluttering in woods, or lifted far
Above this inn
And road of sin;
Then either star or bird should be
Shining or singing still to Thee.
I would I had in my best part
Fit rooms for Thee! Or that my heart
Were so clean as
Thy manger was!
But I am all filth and obscure
Yet if thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.
Sweet Jesu! will then. Let no more
This leper haunt and soil thy door!
Cure him, ease him, O release him!
And let once more, by mystic birth,
The Lord of life be born in earth.
Christ’s Nativity: 2. Sweet Was the Song
Benjamin Britten
(text: William Ballet’s ‘Lute Book’)
Sweet was the song the Virgin sung
When she to Bethlem Juda came
And was deliver’d of a Son
That blessed Jesus hath to name.
Lulla, lulla, lullaby
Lulla, lulla, lullaby
Sweet Babe, sang she
My son and eke a saviour born
Who hast vouchsafed from on high
To visit us that were forlorn.
Lalula, lalula, lalulaby
Sweet Babe, sang she
And rockt Him sweetly on her knee.
Christ’s Nativity: 3. Preparations
Benjamin Britten
(text: Christ Church manuscript)
Yet if His Majesty, our sovran Lord,
Should of his own accord
Friendly himself invite
And say ‘I’ll be your guest tomorrow night’
How should we stir ourselves, call and command
All hands to work. Let no man idle stand!
‘Set me fine Spanish tables in the hall;
See they be fitted all;
Let there be room to eat
And order taken that there want no meat.
See every sconce and candlestick made bright
That without tapers they may give a light.
Look to the presence; are the carpets spread
The dazie o’er the head,
The cushions on the chairs,
And all the candles lighted in the stairs?
Perfume the chambers, and in any case
Let each man give attendance in his place.’
Thus if a King were coming would we do;
And ’twere good reason too;
For ’tis a duteous thing
To show all honour to an earthly king
And after all our travail and our cost,
So he be pleased, to think no labour lost.
But at the coming of the King of Heaven
All’s set at six and seven;
We wallow in our sin,
Christ cannot find a chamber in the inn.
We entertain him always like a stranger
And, as at first, still lodge Him in the manger.
Christ’s Nativity: 4. New Prince, New Pomp
Benjamin Britten
(text: Robert Southwell)
He spar’d not his own son, but delivered him up for us all.
The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
Behold a silly tender babe,
In freezing winter night,
In homely manger trembling lies;
Alas a piteous sight.
Despise Him not for being there,
First what He is inquire;
The Prince Himself is come from Heaven
This pomp is praised there.
Christ’s Nativity: 5. Carol of King Cnut
Benjamin Britten
(text: C.W. Stubbs)
O merry rang the hymn
Across the fenlands dim;
O Joy the day!
When Cnut the king sailed by,
I row my men, more nigh
And hear that holy cry,
Sing Gloria!
It was the Christmas morn
Whereon the child was born
O Joy the day!
On lily banks among
Where fragrant flowers throng
For maiden posies sprung?
Ah nay! ah nay!
It was the winter cold
Whereon the tale was told.
O Joy the day!
What hap did then befall
To men and women all
From that poor cattle stall,
O Gloria!
The shepherds in a row
Knelt by the cradle low,
O Joy the day!
And told the angel song
They heard, their sheep among,
When all the heavenly throng
Sang gloria!
Sing joy, my masters, sing,
And let the welkin ring,
O Gloria!
And Nowell! Nowell! cry
The Child is King most High
O sovran victory!
Sing Joy the day
The First Nowell
Traditional, arr. Ola Gjeilo
The first Nowell the angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep
Nowell, born is the King of Israel
They looked up and saw a sta
Shining in the east, beyond them far
And to the Earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night
Nowell, born is the King of Israel
And by the light of that same star
Three wise Men came from country far
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star wheresoever it went
Nowell, born is the King of Israel
Then entered in those Wise Men three
Fell reverently upon their knee
And offered there in his presence
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense
Nowell, born is the King of Israel
My Lord has Come
Will Todd
(text: Will Todd)
Shepherds called by angels
Called by angels.
Called by Love and angels.
No place for them but a stable.
My Lord has come, my Lord has come, my Lord has come!
Sages searching for stars.
Searching for Love in Heaven.
No place for them but a stable.
My Lord has come, my Lord has come, my Lord has come!
His Love will hold me!
His Love will cherish me.
Love will cradle me.
Lead me, lead me to see Him.
Sages and Shepherds and angels.
No place for them but a stable.
No place for them but a stable.
No place for them but a stable.
My Lord has come.
My Lord has come, My Lord has come!
Jingle Bells
Traditional, arr. Ben Parry
(text: James Pierpont)
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Bells on bob tails ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing
This sleighing song tonight
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Traditional, arr. Andrew Carter
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Three french hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Ten lords a-leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me:
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Twelve drummers drumming
Eleven pipers piping
Ten lords a-leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
Carol of the Bells
Mykola Leontovich, arr. Peter Wilhousky
(text: Peter Wilhousky)
Hark! How the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say
Throw cares away
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold
Ding dong ding dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From everywhere
Filling the air
Oh, how they pound
Raising the sound
O'er hill and dale
Telling their tale
Gaily they ring
While people sing
Songs of good cheer
Christmas is here
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
On, on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone
To every home
Ding, dong, ding, ding dong
Hark! How the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say
Throw cares away
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold
Ding dong ding dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From everywhere
Filling the air
Oh, how they pound
Raising the sound
O'er hill and dale
Telling their tale
Gaily they ring
While people sing
Songs of good cheer
Christmas is here
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
On, on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone
To every home
Ding, dong, ding, ding dong
On, on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone
To every home
Ding, dong, ding, dong, dong!
Christmas Song
Mel Tormé & Robert Wells, arr. Peter Knight
(text: Mel Tormé & Robert Wells)
All the folk we love and me,
Yuletide brings us all together
This time of year
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny little tots with their eyes all aglow
Will find it hard to sleep tonight
They know that Santa’s on his way
He’s loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And ev’ry mother’s child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly
And so I’m offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it’s been said many times, many ways
“Merry Christmas to you”
Veni Emmanuel
Ben Parry
(text: Garth Bardsley)
Veni, veni, veni Emmanuel
Bring forth light
Bring forth light
Out of our darkness shining bright
Bring joy, bring gladness
Our fears to dispel
Veni, veni Emmanuel
Bring us peace
Bring us peace
Out of His love our faith increase
Bring joy, bring gladness
Bid sorrows farewell
Veni, veni Emmanuel
Hear the story of Gabriel
To Mary, God’s promise, he did foretell
And she became his sentinel
To bring about the first Noël
Bring us might
Bring us might
Out of God’s grace, our hearts unite
Bring joy, bring gladness
In our lifetime to dwell
Veni, veni Emmanuel
Silent Night
Franz Xaver Gruber, arr. Bob Chilcott
(text: Joseph Mohr)
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.
Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds first saw the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heav’nly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Saviour is born!
Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiance beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
