Once in Royal David’s city
Solist: Yoran
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 Savior holy
And through all His wondrous childhood
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.
All:
Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in heaven,
Set at Gods right hand on high;
Where like stars His children crowned,
All in white shall wait around.
In the bleak midwinter
Solisten: Alyssa, Annalinde en Henk (of Arian)
In the bleak midwinter Frosty wind made moan
Earth stood hard as iron Water like a stone
Snow had fallen Snow on snow on snow
In the bleak midwinter Long, long ago
Our God, heaven cannot hold Him Nor earth sustain,
Heaven and earth shall flee away When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty — Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, whom Cherubim Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom Angels Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel Which adore.
What can I give Him, Poor as I am?
If I were a Shepherd I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him, Give my heart.
Adam lay ybounden (concertkoor only)
Adam lay ybounden,
Bounden in a bond;
Four thousand winter
Thought he not too long.
And all was for an apple,
An apple that he took,
As clerkes finden written
In their book.
Ne had the apple taken been
The apple taken been;
Ne had never our lady
A-been heavene queen.
Blessed be the time
That apple taken was,
Therefore we moun singen
Deo gratias!
Veiled in darkness
Solist: Levi
Veiled in darkness Judah lay, waiting for the promised day,
While across the shadowy night streamed a flood of glorious light,
Heavenly voices chanting then, “Peace on earth, good will to men;”
Heavenly voices chanting then, “Peace on earth, good will to men.”
Still the earth in darkness lies. Up from death’s dark vale arise
Voices of a world in grief, prayers of men who seek relief.
Now the darkness pierce again, “Peace on earth, good will to men;”
Now the darkness pierce again, “Peace on earth, good will to men.”
Light of light, we humbly pray, shine upon Thy world today;
Break the gloom of our dark night, fill our souls with love and light,
Send Thy blessed Word again, “Peace on earth, good will to men.”
Send Thy blessed Word again, “Peace on earth, good will to men.”
Sussex carol
On Christmas night all Christians sing
To hear the news the angels bring
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
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?
When sin departs before His grace
Then life and health come in its place
When sin departs before His grace
Then life and health come in its place
Angels and men with joy may sing
All for to see the newborn King
All out of darkness we have light
Which made the angels sing this night
All out of darkness we have light
Which made the angels sing this night
“Glory to God and peace to men
Now and for evermore, amen!”
Gabriël’s message
Solisten: Annalinde en Arian
The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
“All hail,” said he to meek and lowly Mary,
“most highly favored lady.” Gloria!
For known a blessed Mother thou shalt be
All generations laud and honour thee
Thy Son shall be Immanuel, by seers foretold,
most highly favored lady.” Gloria!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said.
“My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name.”
Most highly favored lady, Gloria!
Of her, Immanuel, the Christ, was born
In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say,
“Most highly favored lady.” Gloria!
Ding dong! Merrily on high
Ding-dong! Merrily on high in heaven the bells are ringing
Ding-dong! Verily the sky is riven with angels singing
“Gloria, hosanna in excelsis!”
“Gloria, hosanna in excelsis!”
E’en so, here below, below, let steeple bells be swungen
And i-o, i-o, i-o, by priest and people sungen
Gloria, hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria, hosanna in excelsis!
Pray you, dutifully prime, your matin chime, you ringers
May you beautifully rhyme, your eve time song, you singers
Gloria, hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria, hosanna in excelsis!
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 You, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my side until morning is nigh
All:
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
God rest you merry gentleman
God rest you merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day
to save us all from Satan’s pow’r when we were gone astray.
Refrain: O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy; O tidings of comfort and joy.
From God our heav’nly 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.
[Refrain]
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 other doth deface.
[Refrain]
Personent hodie (concertkoor only)
Personent hodie voces puerulae,
laudantes iucunde qui nobis est natus,
summo Deo datus, et de vir, vir, vir (2x)
et de virgineo ventre procreatus.
In mundo nascitur, pannis involvitur
praesepi ponitur stabulo brutorum,
rector supernorum. Perdidit, dit, dit, (2x)
perdidit spolia princeps infernorum.
Magi tres venerunt, munera offerunt,
parvulum inquirunt, stellulam sequendo,
ipsum adorando, aurum, thus, thus, thus, (2x)
aurum, thus, et myrrham ei offerendo.
Omnes clericuli, pariter pueri,
cantent ut angeli: advenisti mundo,
laudes tibi fundo. Ideo, o, o, (2x)
ideo gloria in excelsis Deo.
Kings of Oriënt
Solisten: Wernard of Yoran, Alyssa en Levi
We three kings of Orient are;
bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star.
Refrain: O star of wonder, star of light,
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 reign. [Refrain]
Frankincense to offer have I;
incense owns a Deity nigh;
prayer and praising, voices raising,
worshiping God on high. [Refrain]
Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
breathes a life of gathering gloom;
sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
sealed in the stone-cold tomb. [Refrain]
Glorious now behold him arise;
King and God and sacrifice:
Alleluia, Alleluia,
sounds through the earth and skies. [Refrain]
Coventry carol
Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child
Bye bye, lully, lullay
O sisters too, how may we do
For to preserve this day?
This poor youngling for whom we do sing
“Bye bye, 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
“Bye bye, lully, lullay”
Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child
Bye bye, lully, lullay
O come all ye faithfull
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.
Refrain: O come, let us adore him, (3x) Christ the Lord!
God of God, Light of light,
Lo! He abhors not the virgin’s womb
Very God, begotten, not created
Refrain: O come, let us adore him, (3x) Christ the Lord!
All:
Sing, choirs of angels,
sing in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest:
Refr: O come, let us adore him, (3x) Christ the Lord!
Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
born this happy morning;
Jesu, to thee be all glory giv’n!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing:
Refr: O come, let us adore him, (3x) Christ the Lord!
Hark! The herald angel sing
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 th’angelic hosts proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King”
All:
Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of the Virgin’s womb:
veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail th’incarnate Deity,
pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Refr: Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King”
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun 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 son of earth,
born to give them second birth.
Refr: Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King”
