Tag Archives: xmas songs

What Child Is This?

What Child is This?
Words: William Dix, 1865. Music: 16th Century English melody.
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What child is this, who laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing,
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Why lies he in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king, to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Spanish Lyrics:

¿Qué niño es éste que al dormir
En brazos de María,
Pastores velan, ángeles
Le cantan melodías?

CORO:
El es el Cristo, el Rey;
Pastores, ángeles cantad;
Venid, venid a él,
Al hijo de María

¿Por qué en humilde establo asi_
El niño es hoy nacido?
Por todo injusto pecador
Su amor ha florecido.
(Coro)

Traed ofrendas en su honor,
El rey como el labriego;
Al Rey de reyes, Salvador,
Un trono levantemos.
(Coro)

Silent Night

Silent Night
Words: Josef Mohr, 1816-1818; Music: Franz Gruber, 1820.
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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 host sing alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior 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.
(Repeat First Verse)

Spanish Lyrics:
¡Noche de Paz, Noche de Amor!

¡Noche de paz, noche de amor!
Todo duerme en derredor,
Entre los astros que esparcen su luz,
Bella anunciando al niñito Jesús,
Brilla la estrella de paz,
Brilla la estrella de paz.

¡Noche de paz, noche de amor!
Oye humilde el fiel pastor
Coros celestes que anuncian salud,
Gracias y glorias en gran plenitud,
Por nuestro buen Redentor,
Por nuestro buen Redentor.

¡Noche de paz, noche de amor!
Ved que bello resplandor
Luce en el rostro del niño Jesús,
En el pesebre del mundo la luz,
Astro de eterno fulgor.
Astro de eterno fulgor.

O Holy Night

O Holy Night
Words: Placide Cappeau, 1847. Music: Adolphe Adam.
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O holy night, the stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth;
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth;
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn,
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices,
O night divine, O night when Christ was born,
O night divine— O night, O night divine.

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace;
Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother,
And in his name all oppression shall cease;
Sweet hymns of joy, in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name;
Christ is the Lord! Oh praise his name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim!
His power and glory evermore proclaim!

Spanish Lyrics:
Santa La Noche

Santa la noche hermosas las estrellas
La noche cuando nació el Señor
El mundo envuelto estuvo en sus querellas.
Hasta que Dios nos envió al Salvador
Una esperanza todo el mundo siente
La luz de un nuevo día al fin brillo
Hoy adorad, a Cristo reverente,
¡Oh, noche divina!
¡Nació el Salvador!
Divina noche
De Cristo el Señor

Nos enseñó a amar entre nosotros
Su ley amor, su evangelio trae paz
Nos enseñó que hermanos somos todos
y de opresión El nos lleva a Su luz
Gozosos hoy con gratitud cantando
Al nombre del Señor cantad con dulce alabanza
Hoy su poder y gloria proclamando,
A Cristo dad gloria
y honor y majestad
Dad Gloria eterna
A Cristo el Salvador

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Words: Various Latin antiphons, 12th century; Music: Veni Emmanuel arr. Thomas Helmore, 1856.
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O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

CHORUS:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Drive away the shades of night,
Pierce the clouds and bring us light
(Repeat Chorus)

O come, O come, Thou Rod of Jesse free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of hell Thy people save
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave
(Repeat Chorus)

Spanish Lyrics:
¡Oh ven!, ¡Oh ven, Emanuel!

¡Oh ven!, ¡Oh ven, Emanuel!
Libra al cautivo Israel,
Que sufre desterrado aquí,
Y espera al Hijo de David.

CORO:
¡Alégrate, oh Emanuel!
Pronto vendra Israel!

¡Oh ven, Tú, Aurora celestial!
Alúmbranos con tu verdad,
Disipa toda oscuridad,
Y danos días de solaz.
(Coro)

¡Oh ven, Tú, Vara de Isaí!
Redime al pueblo infeliz
Del poderío infernal
Y danos vida celestial.
(Coro)

Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming

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Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming
Words: 15th Century German Carol, tr. Theodore Baker, 1894. Music: Es Ist Ein Ros’, 1599, arr Sufjan Stevens.

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming,
As those of old have sung.
It came, a flower bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind;
And so then we behold it,
The virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright,
She bore to us a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere;
True Man, yet very God,
From sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

O Savior, Child of Mary,
Who felt our human woe,
O Savior, King of glory,
Who dost our weakness know;
Bring us at length we pray,
To Thy bright court of heaven,
And to Thy endless day!

Joy To The World

Joy to the World
Words: Isaac Watts, 1719. Music: Antioch, arr. Lowell mason, 1836
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Joy to the world! The Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing;
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the world! The Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy;
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

CHORUS:
The Lord is come, The Lord is come!
Joy to the world! The Lord is come!

No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.
(Chorus)

He rules the world with truth and grace
and makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love;
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love.
(Chorus)

Spanish Lyrics:
Gozo Del Mundo

Gozo del mundo es el Señor,
que viene a rescatar;
con gratitud y con amor
al Rey glorificad,
al Rey glorificad,
al Rey, al Rey glorificad.

Viene al mundo a reinar
Contada bendición.
nos da perdón, consuelo, luz
y paz al corazón,
y paz al corazón,
y paz y paz al corazón

Coro:
The Lord is come! The Lord is come!
Glory Hallelujah, the Lord is come!

Que el mundo acepta a su rey
con gratitud y honor;
que cumpla fiel y con fervor
la ley de su Señor;
la ley de su Señor
la ley, la ley de su Señor
(Coro)

Que el gozo cunda en derredor,
por tan precioso don,
que Dios nos da con gran amor:
El don de nuestro Dios,
el don de nuestro Dios,
el don, el don nuestro Dios.
(Coro)

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Words: Charles Wesley, 1739. Music: Felix Mendelssohn, 1840.
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Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem

CHORUS:
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King!

Christ by highest heav’n adored,
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of the Virgin’s womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail, Incarnate Deity
Pleased as Man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel
(Repeat Chorus)

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;
Ris’n with healing in His wings,
Light and life to all he brings,
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Hail, the heav’n born Prince of Peace
(Repeat Chorus)

Spanish Lyrics:
Escuchad el Son Triumphal

Escuchad el son triunfal de la hueste celestial
Paz y buena voluntad; salvación Dios os dará.
Cante hoy toda nación la angelical canción;
estas nuevas todos den: Nació Cristo en Belén.

Coro:
Escuchad el son triunfal
Nació Cristo en Belén.

¡Salve, Príncipe de Paz! redención traído has,
luz y vida con virtud, en tus alas la salud.
De tu trono has bajado y la muerte conquistado
para dar al ser mortal nacimiento celestial.
(Coro)

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,
Ris’n with healing in His wings; Light and life to all he brings,
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! Hail, the heav’n born Prince of Peace
(Coro)

Angels We Have Heard On High

Angels We Have Heard On High
Words Traditional French Carol, tr. by James Chadwick, 1862.
Music: Gloria, Edwin Barnes, arr. Cameron Gray.
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Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.

CHORUS:
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
(Latin for “Glory to God in the highest”)

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?
(Repeat Chorus)

Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
(Repeat Chorus)

O Come All Ye Faithful

O Come All Ye Faithful
Words & Music: John F. Wade, 1743.

O come all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant
Come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him,
Born the king of angels

CHORUS:
O come let us adore Him,
Oh come let us adore Him,
Oh, come let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation
Sing, all ye citizens of Heaven above
Glory to God
In the highest glory
(Repeat Chorus)

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning
Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing
(Repeat Chorus)

Spanish Lyrics:
Venid, Fieles Todos

Venid, fieles todos, a Belén marchemos,
De gozo triunfantes, henchidos de amor,
y al Rey de los cielos humilde postraremos.

CORO:
Venid, adoremos, venid adoremos,
Venid, adoremos a Cristo el Señor.

Cantad jubilosas, celestes criaturas;
Resuenen los cielos con vuestra canción:
“¡Al Dios bondadoso, gloria en las alturas!”
(Coro)

El Hijo eterno, del eterno Padre
y Dios verdadero que al mundo creó,
Del seno virgíne nació de una madre.
(Coro)

Ye Simple Men of Heart Sincere, Songwriting Exercise

Version 1:

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Bruce shared this link to a collection of Advent and Nativity hymns by John Wesley. I loved the first one I saw, so I wrote a tune to go with it and made a quick recording (version 1). After posting it here and getting some feedback, I came up with an alternate tune and made another quick recording (version 2). Now my idea is to turn this into a music-writing exercise, attempting to approach Wesley’s text from a variety of melodic and stylistic angles. Unfortunately, I don’t have that many ideas, so this might be a short exercise. If you’ve got an idea for this text, record it and send it to me and I’ll post it here. I’d be really interested to see what people come up with.

Is it Christmas already?

Ye Simple Men of Heart Sincere

Words by John Wesley, 1810. Music by Cameron Gray, 2009
©2009 Rough Harbor Music

Original text:
Ye simple men of heart sincere,
Shepherds, who watch your flocks by night,
Start not to feel an Angel near,
Nor tremble at his glorious light.

A herald from the heavenly King,
I come your every fear to chase;
Good tidings of great joy I bring,
Great joy to all the fallen race.

To you is born on this glad day,
A Savior, by our host adored;
Our God in Bethlehem survey,
Make haste to worship Christ the Lord.

By this the Savior of mankind,
Th’ incarnate God shall be displayed,
The Babe, ye wrapped in swathes shall find,
And humbly in a manger laid.