Words: Dr. Edmund Hamilton Sears;
Music: traditional English/Arthur Seymour Sullivan

It came upon the midnight clear
That glorious song of old
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold.
“Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heaven’s all gracious king.”
The world in solemn stillness lay
to hear the angels sing

Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing.
And every o’er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long’
Beneath the heavenly hymn have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And warring humankind hears not
The tidings which they bring;
O hush the noise and cease your strife
and hear the angels sing!

For lo! The days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And all the world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

Traditional African-American spiritual
Words and music adapted by Shannon Heaton

Baby born in Bethlehem
Oh, sing Gloria
Oh, sing Gloria
Glory be to the newborn baby

When cold winds blow, sing Gloria
OhÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡

When trials rise, sing Gloria
OhÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡

Through toil and strife, sing Gloria
OhÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡

When hope is dim, sing Gloria
OhÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡

While the world reels, sing Gloria
OhÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡

For the baby born, sing Gloria
OhÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡

Words & Music by Matt Heaton c. 2007

The Day it grew Dark and the streetlamps came on
            The first snowfall of December
Tonight would be longest before breaks the dawn
            Through all the wintry weather

Young Sally she watched through the windowpane
            The first snowfall of December
Wondering if she’d see that young man again
           Through all the wintry weather

Her house was lit for a party grand
           The first snowfall of December
A night of dancing, impeccibly planned
            Through all the wintry weather

As the guests arrived, the music flowed
            The first snowfall of December
Still Sally she stared at the street down below
            Through all the wintry weather

Sally spotted the boy she longed for to meet
            The first snowfall of December
At the door of  her house on Governor’s Street
            Through all the wintry weather

Paul took in his breath and he knocked on the door, just as he’d so often dreamt of doing before;
There stood Sally’s father so proper and stern, Paul felt his cheeks start to redden & burn
He looked at him up and he looked at him down, this poor young laborer from the town
But he opened the door and smiled just as wide, “Happy Christmas young man! Won’t you come on inside”

The yule was lit and the feast was laid
            The first snowfall of December
The couples twirled as the music played
            Through all the wintry weather

Sally and Paul danced into the night
           The first snowfall of December
Till came the warmth of morning’s first light
            Through all the wintry weather

The toast was raised to “when good friends meet”
            The first snowfall of December
And the longest night passed ever so fleet.
            Through all the wintry weather

Words and Music c. Shannon Heaton

Deep and fierce winter chill brings us in Inside to survive and flourish within The warmth of the hearth, the stringing of cheery lights Brightens the cold as the season begins.

CHORUS:
All on a fine winterÔø‡s night In the quiet of snow
The heavenly stars refresh the sky
And the wintry world below
The heavenly stars refresh the sky
And the wintry world below

Nights of stillness illuminate the earth
Darkness surrounds before dawnÔø‡s coming birth
From eveningÔø‡s first hour, the world wrapped in silence
Glorious streams bringing gladness and mirth

CHORUS

The yearÔø‡s longest eve brings a melancholy peace

The troubles of day melt with nightÔø‡s slowing ease
The late winter hours bring hope for the coming dawn
Midnight wraps round like the lambÔø‡s downy fleece

CHORUS

 

Words and Music by Shannon Heaton c. 2007

A song awoke him from his nap
Julius, the barnyard cat.
To him the angels sang the news
Of the babe to come on morningÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s dew.

He shrugged the sleep from his furry head
And found a spot for the manger bed.
He trampled straw to a downy ring
A plush warm bed for the newborn king.

To clean His chilly, humble home
He cleared the mice and filled their holes.
With care he patched his drafty barn
To keep the noble couple warm.

The beasts at rest in the stable lay
With matted coats and cool dark hay
For hours that night, from bed to bed
Julius groomed each furry head

With weary eyes he found the dove
And bowed his head with peaceful love:
This holy night thereÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡ll be no chase
No harm to her or to her mate.

From the rafters she sent feathers warm
To Julius for his final chore.
And with feathers strewn in the babyÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s nest
He woke each beast then went to rest.

And when appeared that blessed babe
The creatures gently warmed that day.
In the shadows of the barn he napped,
Sweet Julius, the Christmas cat

Traditional c/o Cathal McConnell

Good people all, this Christmas-time
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending his beloved Son.
With Mary holy we should pray
To God with love this Christmas day;
In Bethlehem upon that morn
There was a blessed Messiah born.

The night before that happy tide,
The noble Virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down,
To find a lodging in the town.
But mark how all things came to pass;
From every door repelled alas!
As long foretold, their refuge all,
Was but an humble ox's stall.

There were three wise men from afar,
Directed by a glorious star,
And on they wandered night and day,
Until they came where Jesus lay,
And when they came unto that place,
Where our beloved Messiah was,
They humbly cast them at his feet,
With gifts of gold and incense sweet.

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep,
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep;
To whom God's angels did appear,
Which put the shepherds in great fear.
"Prepare and go", the angles said.
To Bethlehem, be not afraid,
For there you'll find this happy morn,
A princely babe, sweet Jesus born.

With thankful heart and joyful mind,
The shepherds went the babe to find,
And as God's angel had foretold,
They did our savior Christ behold.
Within a manger he was laid,
And by his side the virgin maid,
Attending on the Lord of life,
Who came on earth to end all strife.

Words by Robert Herrick 1591-1674 adapted by S. Heaton,
Music by Shannon Heaton

Tell, oh thou clear and heavenly tongue
WhereÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s the babe but lately springing
Lies he, lies he in the lily banks
Lies he the lily among

Say if this new birth of ours
Sleeps in some ark of flowers
Spangled with dew, Oh thou can
clear all doubts and manifest the new (the hours?)

CHORUS:
Come and see him rest
Come and see him rest
A princely babe a ly-ing
On his motherÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s breast

Tell bright star, if we shall
Week him in morningÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s blushing cheek
Or find him in beds of spices through
To find a king to serve the meek

No thi ye need not press
But only come see him rest
Lies hi, lies he, a princely babe
a-sleeping on his motherÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s breast

CHORUS

HeÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s seen, he is seen
Why then a round, let us kiss the sweet holy ground
Let us all rejoice, that we have seen a King
Before conception crowned

CHORUS

Come, come then and let us bring
Unto our pretty Twelfth tide King
Gifts to serve a newborn, and when night comes
WeÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡ll give him wassailing.

Words: Phillis Brooks (1835-1893), rearranged by S. Heatn Music: St. Louis, Lewis H. Redner (1831-1908)

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.

For Christ is born of Mary; and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love;
O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth.

Where children safe and happy pray to the blessed Child,
Where misery cries out to thee, Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

(performed with "The WinterÔø‡s NestÔø‡, music c. Shannon Heaton)

Upon this holy night
When God's great star appears
And floods the earth with brightness

Birds' voices rise in song
Warbling all night long
Express their glad heart's lightness

The Nightingale is first

To bring his song of cheer
And tell us of His gladness

Jesus, our Lord, is born
To free us from all sin
And banish ev'ry sadness!

The answ'ring Sparrow cries
"God comes to earth this day,
Amid the angels flying."

Trilling in the sweetest tones
The Finch his Lord now owns
"To Him be all thanksgiving."

The Partridge adds his note:
"To Bethlehem I'll fly
Where in the stall He's lying.

There, near the manger blest,
I'll build myself a nest,
And sing my love undying