CAROLS IN THE MARKET SQUARE 2023
GOD REST YE MERRY, GENTLEMEN
God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Saviour
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
In Bethlehem, in Israel
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Fear not then, said the Angel
Let nothing you affright
This day is born a Saviour
Of a pure Virgin bright
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan's power and might
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
SEE AMID THE WINTER’S SNOW
See amid the winter's snow
Born for us on earth below
See the tender Lamb appears
Promised from eternal years
Hail, thou ever blessed morn
Hail, redemption's happy dawn
Sing through all the world Amen
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Say, ye holy shepherds, say
What your joyful news today
Wherefore have ye left your sheep
On the lonely mountain steep?
Hail, thou ever blessed morn ...
Sacred infant, all divine
What a tender love was thine
Thus to come from highest bliss
Down to such a world as this
Hail thou ever blessed morn ...
THE DUKE OF YORK CAROL
The moon is bright – and the air is clear
And we’ll do what we do each year –
At The Duke of York we’ll drink some beer
And sing a song of Christmas.
We’ll sing of when the angel came -
And called a young girl out by name, Saying,
“Mary, this shall be your fame - You’ll be the mother of Jesus.”
We’ll sing about that starry night
When shepherds saw a wondrous sight -
Angels singing with all their might - About the birth of Jesus.
The moon is bright …
We’ll sing about the kings from far
Who followed many a mile the star
That led them to the stable door, and the holy baby Jesus.
We’ll sing of God’s amazing grace
To liberate the human race
And guarantee a heavenly place - With faith in his Son Jesus.
The moon is bright …
So hearken to our merry call -
And come and sing with us, you all,
Raise your glass and stand up tall
And toast our Saviour, Jesus.
Repeat from – Raise your glass ...etc
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 Saviour holy.
And through all his wondrous childhood
he would honour and obey,
love and watch the lowly maiden,
in whose gentle arms he lay:
Christian children all must be
mild, obedient, good as he.
For he is our childhood’s pattern,
day by day like us he grew,
he was little, weak and helpless,
tears and smiles like us he knew;
and he feeleth for our sadness,
and he shareth in our gladness.
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
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,
heav’nly 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.
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 in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell:
O come to us, abide with us,
our Lord Emmanuel.
CALYPSO CAROL
See him lying on a bed of straw,
a draughty stable with an open door;
Mary cradling the babe she bore –
the Prince of glory is his name.
O now carry me to Bethlehem
to see the Lord appear to men:
just as poor as was the stable then,
the Prince of glory when he came!
Star of silver, sweep across the skies,
show where Jesus in the manger lies;
shepherds, swiftly from your stupor rise
to see the Saviour of the world!
O now carry me to Bethlehem …
Angels, sing again the song you sang,
sing the glory of God’s gracious plan;
sing that Bethl’em’s little baby can
be salvation to the soul.
O now carry me to Bethlehem …
Mine are riches, from your poverty;
from your innocence, eternity;
Mine, forgiveness by your death for me,
child of sorrow for my joy.
O now carry me to Bethlehem …
HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING
Hark! the herald angels sing
glory to the new-born 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 new-born 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 new-born 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 new-born King.