Glory to God in the Highest..........

[Colin]

And there were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.

And lo ! The angel of the Lord came upon them , and the glory of the Lord shone round about them , and they were sore afraid .

And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying , Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth , good will toward men.

Glory to God in the Highest .......

13. Pifa + 14a + 14b + 15 + 16 + 17. Glory to God. Messiah, G. F. Handel. AD LIBITUM. Francesc Gamon - YouTube

 

[Colin]

Hark the Herald Angels 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 the angelic host proclaim
'Christ is born in Bethlehem'
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King.

Christ by highest heaven 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!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.

Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen 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.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.


Hark the Herald Angels Sing

King's College Cambridge Choir - Hark the Herald Angels Sing - YouTube

 

[S.ilvio]

Spectacular artwork, Colin...

 

[Colin]

Angels From The Realms of Glory

Angels from the realms of glory
Wing your flight over all the earth
Ye, who sang creations story
Now proclaim Messiah's birth .

Refrain
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo !

Shepherds in the fields abiding
Watching over your flocks by night
God with man is now residing
Yonder shines the Infant light .

Refrain .....

Sages leave your contemplations
Brighter visions beam afar
Seek the great Desire of nations
Ye have seen His natal star .

Refrain .....

Saints before the altar bending
Watching long in hope and fear
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear .

Refrain .....


Angels From The Realms of Glory

King's College Cambridge 2008 #5 Angels From The Realms of Glory arr. Philip Ledger - YouTube

 

[Colin]

Be near us , Lord Jesus , we ask Thee to stay close by us forever .

Away in a manger

Away in a manger,
no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus
lay 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.

Away in a manger

King`s College Choir, Cambridge - Away in a manger (Carols from King 2001) - YouTube

 

[Colin]

In The Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long long ago.

Our Godhead cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter 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.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But only His mother , in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

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.




In The Bleak Midwinter

In The Bleak Midwinter : Choir of Kings College, Cambridge - YouTube

 

[Colin]

The Holly and the Ivy

The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grow ,
Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.

Refrain:Oh, the rising of the sun and the running of the deer,
the playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom as white as any flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to be our sweet saviour

Refrain

The holly bears a berry as red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do poor sinners good.

Refrain

The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ on Christmas Day in the morn.

Refrain

The holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ for to redeem us all.

Refrain

The Holly and the Ivy

King's College Cambridge 2008 #4 The Holly and the Ivy arr Walford Davies - YouTube

 

[Gracelands]

Thats lovely! Thanks

 

[Colin]

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.

Silent Night

Silent Night : Kings College, Cambridge - YouTube

 

[Colin]

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 Savior 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.


Once In Royal David's City

Once In Royal David's City : Westminster Cathedral Choir - YouTube

​

 

[Colin]

While shepherds watched their flocks by night

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
A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
And this shall be the sign:

The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands
And in a manger laid."

Thus spake the seraph,--and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels, praising God, and thus
Addressed their joyful song:

"All glory be to God on high,
And to the earth be peace;
Good will henceforth from Heaven to men
Begin and never cease."


While shepherds watched their flocks by night

2000 Carols from King's No.7 While shepherds watched their flocks by night - YouTube

 

[Colin]

O Magnum Mysterium

The choir of Westminster Cathedral sing Morten Lauridsen's setting of O Magnum Mysterium during Midnight Mass .

O magnum mysterium
et admirabile sacramentum,
ut animalia viderent Dominum natum,
jacentem in præsepio.

Beata virgo, cujus viscera meruerunt
portare Dominum Christum, Alleluia!


Translation:

O great mystery
and wondrous sacrament,
that animals should see the newborn Lord
lying in their manger.

Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy
to bear the Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!


O Magnum Mysterium

O Magnum Mysterium : Westminster Cathedral Choir - YouTube

 

[Colin]

This time Winchester Cathedral Choir sing Morten Lauridsen's hauntingly beautiful O Magnum Mysterium.

Winchester Cathedral Choir - O Magnum Mysterium - YouTube

 

[Colin]

Ding! Dong! Merrily on High.

Ding dong merrily on high,
In heav'n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! verily the sky
Is riv'n with angels singing.

Gloria,,,,, Hosanna in excelsis!
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!
Gloria,,,,, Hosanna in excelsis!

Pray you, dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers;
May you beautifully rhyme
Your evetime song, ye singers.

Gloria,,,,, Hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria,,,,, Hosanna in excelsis!

Hosanna in excelsis!!!!!!

Ding! Dong! Merrily on High

King's College Cambridge 2010 #9 Ding! Dong! Merrily on High - YouTube


​

 

[Colin]

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.




O Little Town of Bethlehem

2000 Carols from King's No.12 O Little Town of Bethlehem - YouTube

 

[Colin]

God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen.

1. God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay ,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray:
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

2. 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: O tidings ...

3. 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,
This blessed Babe to find:
O tidings ...

4. But when to Bethlehem they came,
Whereat this Infant lay,
They found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His mother Mary kneeling,
Unto the Lord did pray:
O tidings ...

5. 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 efface:
O tidings ....

God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen

King's College Cambridge 2010 #10 God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen - YouTube

 

[Colin]

The First Nowell .

The first Nowell the angel did say
was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
in fields as they lay, keeping their sheep,
on a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Refrain:
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
born is the King of Israel.

They looked up and saw a star
shining in the east beyond them far,
and to the earth it gave great light,
and so it continued both day and night. Refrain

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 wherever it went. Refrain

This star drew nigh to the northwest,
o'er Bethlehem it took its rest,
and there it did both stop and stay
right over the place where Jesus lay. Refrain

Then let us all with one accord
sing praises to our heavenly Lord;
that hath made heaven and earth of nought,
and with his blood mankind hath bought. Refrain

The First Nowell .

King's College Cambridge 2010 #15 The First Nowell - YouTube

 

[Colin]

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.

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,
Worshipping 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




We Three Kings Of Orient Are

We Three Kings Of Orient Are : Kings College, Cambridge - YouTube