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 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 newborn King"

Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Son 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"

(Charles Wesley, adapted. Source)

Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzgt7_UBIYo&list=PLRB9xddXCxeg8TQ7RT4PxFdPQAG7A1ExM&index=12

Happy Christmas!

I had to leave this one till last, because it’s probably my favourite (and that’s in a strong field). The lyrics are by Charles Wesley, the great 18th century hymn writer and brother of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. The words were adapted into more-or-less their modern form by George Whitfield, one of the Wesleys’ contemporaries who had a big impact on the church in America. The original tune Wesley intended it to be used with stays in hymnbooks as the tune to the Easter hymn ‘Christ the Lord is risen today’ but the carol is usually sung today to an adaption from a work written by Felix Mendelssohn to celebrate the anniversary of the European introduction of the printing press. (There's more on Hark! including a photo of the manuscript here.)

Once again we start with the angels, God’s heralds, bringing a message in song to the people of earth (‘angel’ comes from a word meaning messenger). In the Wesley original, the first line was “Hark how all the welkin rings” (welkin being an old word for sky or ‘heavens’). As ever, the angels’ message is a paraphrase of Luke 2 v14: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” There’s the call for the whole world to join in the song of praise: “Joyful all ye nations rise/ Join the triumph of the skies”.

The carol continues to be a good summary of the imagery and references we’ve seen in other carols. As well as the references to the “newborn King” that we’ve seen Herod was keen to dispose of, there are references to other prophecies of who this baby was and what he would do. There’s Prince of Peace, (Isaiah 9v 6-7) the ruler who would bring peace and justice to his people; and Son or sun of Righteousness, who would bring healing not just for individuals but for the nations (Malachi 4:2).

Most importantly, Emmanuel is back again, the constant theme we’ve been following since the start of advent. Christmas, the celebration of God’s coming to earth as Jesus, God with us, experiencing the world as we experience it, joy and sorrow, hurt and hope, fear and love. And because of his time on earth, he is able to change how humanity relates to God, to bring hope, light in the darkness of the mess the world seems to be in.

“Light and life to all he brings
Risen with healing in his wings”

I hope you are able to see some of that light this year. 

Happy Christmas!

 

 

O Come, All Ye Faithful

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:
O come, let us adore Him, (3×)
Christ the Lord.

God of God, light of light,
Lo, he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
Very God, begotten, not created:
O come, let us adore Him, (3×)
Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of Heaven above!
Glory to God, glory in the highest:
O come, let us adore Him, (3×)
Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
O come, let us adore Him, (3×)
Christ the Lord.

(Unknown, translated Frederick Oakley. Source)

Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktfl7ichGdU&list=PLRB9xddXCxeg8TQ7RT4PxFdPQAG7A1ExM&index=8

We’re nearly there!

This carol tends to appear in ‘midnight mass’ carol services, usually kept till last because then you can sing the final verse “born this happy morning” which only really applies on Christmas Day (although an easy way round this is to change it to “born that happy morning”). It’s unusual because the descant is then in the penultimate verse rather than the final one, although it’s quite nice in a way to bring everyone back together for a unison verse to finish. That’s assuming you’re allowed to sing descants...

The carol was originally in Latin, with various possible origins but often attributed to John Francis Wade, an English Catholic living in France who published it in 1751 (but probably didn’t actually write it himself). The music is similarly of uncertain origin. Wade’s version only had the 4 verses above, but 3 or 4 other verses were added at various times, including a verse about the shepherds and a verse about the magi which are included in most hymn books. I haven’t included them because they are fairly obvious in their meaning- the shepherds and wise men came to worship and we should follow their example.

There is an intriguing theory about Wade’s publication of the carol, though, which is that it is linked to the Jacobite cause- Wade himself was in exile due to his support for the attempt to reinstate the Catholic descendants of James II onto the English/ British throne. ‘Bethlehem’ was apparently a code for England, and there was a longstanding Latin pun (going all the way back to the 6th century about the similarity between the Latin for ‘angels’ (Angelorum) and ‘English’ (Anglorum). This has led some to suggest that the carol is a coded hymn of praise to Bonnie Prince Charlie. Even if that’s true, it doesn’t stop it being a great Christmas carol.

Like many other carols, this is a call to worship, to marvel at the wonder of the incarnation, God in the form of a baby, born in Bethlehem. The second verse emphasises this with its’ reminders that this baby is truly God’s son and therefore part of God himself. I think it’s quoting the Nicene Creed’s description of what Christans (or at least most Western Christians) believe about Jesus:
“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made...”

The final two verses return to giving praise to God. It’s something I have struggled with this year; not just because there doesn’t always seem a lot to give thanks and praise about [1] but because the main way we tend to do this as Christians is by singing.  Singing in groups has of course been something we’ve been unable to do this year and sung worship has been hard to replicate in online worship. There are other ways to worship, of course, and it’s been good to explore some of them and variety in worship is a good thing. Creative prayer and writing have been helpful for me- I guess you could say writing these blogs exploring the meaning of carols have been one way of expressing worship. But especially at this time of year singing feels a real loss- even though it’s allowed again in some circumstances that doesn’t help those of us still staying at home for whatever reason. Singing on your own is not the same as singing with a group.

But Christmas is nearly here, and so I encourage you- however you feel about your voice, spend a bit of time singing carols today- whether or not you think of them as worship.

[1] Our present circumstances don't change the things God has done for us in the past- Christmas, for example- but choosing to praise God for who and what he is is different from forcing ourselves to feel something we don't.  We don't have to pretend we always feel happy and joyful- God knows how we really feel and would prefer we are honest with him.  

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!

(J. Mohr, translated J. Young. Source)

Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n036kBC1HEw

Or here's a different version courtesy of my friend Helen and her ukelele (well, one of her ukeleles...)

Something simpler today. Silent Night (Stille Nacht) was written in 1818 in a village in Austria. The story goes that the church organ had been damaged in a flood, jeopardising the music for the Christmas Eve service. The priest, Father Joseph Mohr, asked local schoolmaster and organist Franz Xaver Gruber to write the music for some words he had written, which were to be sung accompanied by a guitar at the Christmas eve service. The organ repairer found the song and took it back to his hometown from where it was popularised by local folk singers.

The English lyrics vary, some attempting to modernise the original translation given above (which makes it very confusing to sing if you don’t have the words in front of you).

The words themselves (at least in English, my German is almost non-existent despite two years of school lessons) are simple musings on the nativity- the baby, his mother, the shepherds, the angels. The listener is invited to contemplate God’s love shown by this baby, God with us in human form- Emmanuel. It’s an opportunity to allow yourself to become lost in the wonder of the incarnation- that God, confronted with the problems of humanity, didn’t ignore them but stepped down into them.

Maybe that’s one reason why popular culture associates this carol with the Christmas truces of the First World War (shown most recently in the 2017 Doctor Who Christmas special). The other of course is that the carol was originally in German, providing something in common to remind us that we are not that different from other people, even if we don’t always understand them.

Amid all the business that this time of year usually brings, it’s good to be reminded to be still. The contemplative strand of Christianity has deep roots but is challenging for those, like me, who prefer doing to simply sitting and being. Especially when the story is as well known as the Christmas story. Maybe we could all do with a little more wonder-ing.

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

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 ever o'er its babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!

For lo!, the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

(E. Sears. Source)

Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U_Dzovu1XA

This one is something of a favourite of mine. (And that’s despite the alto part becoming almost unsingably low when people insist on changing the key.) The lyrics are by another American minister, Edward Sears, and there is more than one tune but the most familiar to UK singers will be the arrangement ‘Noel’ by Arthur Sullivan. As someone who is something of a geek about Gilbert & Sullivan operettas I can say that it’s a very Sullivany arrangement.

There are a lot of similarities with ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ but instead of light, there is song, the song of the angels bringing news of “peace on the earth, goodwill to [all]” because of Jesus’ birth. Once again the earth is in ‘solemn stillness’, unaware of the miracle that has just happened. The author sees this song, this good news, as reverberating down the centuries, a promise to those who choose to listen that there can and will be better times- that there is hope, hope for now and for the future.

The world is described as “weary”, “sad and lowly” with the “woes of sin and strife” with “two thousand years of wrong” almost drowning out the song. “Man at war with man” probably doesn’t just mean literal war, but all the ways humans abuse and hurt other humans, from individual violence and abuse to systemic racism and unfair economic systems. All of these are about selfishness, the opposite of giving and receiving love, so no wonder we ignore the ‘love-song’ of the angels. But however bad things might be, if we listen, there is still hope- because of Christmas and the baby born in Bethlehem.

Verse 4 is often dropped from hymn books and recordings, presumably because it picks up on what’s in other verses rather than adding much new, apart from some evocative description of how hard it can feel just to keep going through life ("toil along the climbing way...painful steps and slow").  But perhaps there’s something to be gained from the last couple of lines-

“O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!”

Rest is something we tend to struggle with as a society that considers busyness to be a sign of moral worth. Rest isn’t necessarily the same as doing nothing (though it could be), but of doing things which refresh you (that might even be singing carols!). In this year when we’ve been confined to our homes a lot more we might think the last thing we need is more rest, but actually- how much of what you’ve done has refreshed you, made you more able to face the world? It's actually hard to rest in the kind of scenario we've been in this year, so don't feel bad if you feel you need more rest. The bible, which has a surprising amount to say about rest, also describes it as refreshing your relationship with God, which ties in well with this carol’s call to focus on the angel’s song to help carry us the ‘crushing load’. I hope you are able to get some rest in the next week or two.

A few years back friends, or at least friends of friends, used to organise an annual carol singing event for charity in York.  Unfortunately, were a number of spelling mistakes in the sheet music we used, which means I can never sing the last verse without remembering that instead of the ‘age of gold’, the future was going to bring the ‘age of golf’. Not, to my mind, quite the age of peace and harmony that the final verse prophecies, where the love- song of the angels will win out over the noise of selfishness. Not that humanity is passive in this transformation- the whole world will “give back the song” as we join with the angels in praise and love-song. 

So once again we’re left hoping,, with the song to sustain us- hope for a better world we can work for now, and hope for an even better one in the future. 

With golf. Maybe.

We Three Kings

1. We Three Kings of Orient are,
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain,
Moor and mountain,
Following yonder Star.

CHORUS.
O Star of Wonder, Star of Night,
Star with Royal Beauty bright,
Westward leading,
Still proceeding,
Guide us to Thy perfect Light.

2. Born a King on Bethlehem plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King for ever,
Ceasing never
Over us all to reign.
O Star, &c.

3. Frankincense to offer have I,
Incense owns a Deity nigh:
Prayer and praising
All men raising,
Worship Him God on High.
O Star, &c.

4. Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;—
Sorrowing, sighing,
Bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
O Star, &c.

5. Glorious now behold Him arise,
King, and God, and Sacrifice;
Heav’n sings Hallelujah:
Hallelujah the earth replies.
O Star, &c.

(J. Hopkins. Source.)

Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx35_DRIZ8g

The visit of the wise men is celebrated as the Christian feast day of The Epiphany (6th January) which was also known as Twelfth night and marked the end of the extended period of the traditional Christmas festivities, a last chance to celebrate before heading back to work and facing the reality of the long weeks of winter cold and Lenten fasting ahead, although with the hope brought by lengthening days and increasing light.

Chapter 2 of Matthew’s gospel (here) describes the visit of the three kings, which seems to have taken place some months or even years after Jesus’ birth. The ‘kings’ or magi (‘wise men;’ ‘magician’ comes I think from the same word root) describe following a star which appeared when Jesus was born. Herod’s response (see the Coventry Carol) is to kill all the boys under 2 years old “in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi” about when the star had appeared. So it probably didn’t happen at the same time as the stable and the shepherds- sorry! 

There are various explanations of what the 'star' was, but one candidate is that it was a conjunction- when two planets are near each other- of Jupiter (which represented kingship in the ancient world) and Saturn (which apparently had some connection with Israel, though I can't find a source for that except a sermon recently).  A similar conjunction reaches its nearest point today (see here). Ultimately though I'd suggest what the star was matters less than what happened.

Both words and music were written by (yet another) American minister, John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857 for a Christmas pageant at the theological seminary where he taught. The intention was that verses 2, 3 and 4 would be sung as solos by the kings in turn, with the first and final verses sung together. In my experience all the men want to do the ‘myrrh’ verse! The carol sets out the traditional interpretation of the three gifts brought by the wise men (we don’t know if there were actually three, Matthew just tells us there was more than one and we tend to assume there were three because there are three gifts described).

Gold is seen as an indicator that Jesus will be a king. This is what got Herod worried, of course- the idea of a new king threatening his power.  In the end, this Herod was dead before Jesus began his ministry, but his successor, also called Herod, participated in mocking Jesus before his crucifixion by having a royal robe and crown of thorns placed on him. Jesus talked a lot about ‘the kingdom’ but again it wasn’t the sort of kingdom Herod had in mind.

The second gift was frankincense, or incense. Still used in worship in some churches today (I know some people who can be dangerous with an incense-wafting thurible!) this is seen as a sign that Jesus will be a priest, and also hints at his being God, worthy of worship. The priest in the Old Testament was seen as a mediator between God and humanity. Later in the New Testament, Jesus is indeed described as a High Priest (Hebrews 4 v14-15)[1], who is both sacrificer and sacrifice.

The ‘myrrh’ verse takes up this theme of sacrifice. Myrrh was used in the preparation of bodies for burial, and was also used as a painkiller medicine- foreshadowing Jesus’ death and burial.  Hebrews uses the image of the Old Testament ‘sin-offering’ sacrifice to describe how Jesus takes away our sins and repairs our relationship with God. It’s one image of how this works, and you might find others helpful to build up a fuller picture, but it is helpful as a metaphor.

But the story doesn’t end with burial. The final verse reminds us of that and brings the theme back to praise- “Heaven sings alleluia, alleluia the earth replies” -once again the whole earth, not just a few people, joins in the song of praise.

I’m reminded of Mary, Jesus’ mother, seeing the shepherds and wise men worshipping her tiny child, and ‘treasuring up all these things and pondering them in her heart.’  What did she feel when she saw her child crucified? Did she ask God why he had to die? Did she trust God, despite not understanding? It’s hard to trust, when you have to watch people you love suffer, or see people treated unfairly, or face bleakness and hardship. It really is hard to set all that alongside the hope we’ve found in many carols, and find something to sing joyfully about. But the hope is still there, maybe hidden, maybe drowned out some of the time- but still there.

---

[1] Hebrews in general would be a good place to look to understand the references going on in this carol, but it’s not the easiest book to get your head round. If you’re looking for an easier read, I recommend Matthew, although Luke is generally my favourite gospel.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

1 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.

2 O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to all on earth!
For Christ is born of Mary
And, gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wond'ring love.

3 How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv'n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heav'n.
No ear may hear his coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.

4 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 Immanuel!

(P. Brookes. Source) 

Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRuXdOb6TrA

We’re getting close to Christmas now, and the carols that most people will know or at least be able to hum the tune of. The words to ‘O little town of Bethlehem’ were written by Philips Brookes, an American priest, in 1868, a few years after he had visited Bethlehem. The music is more complicated- there are quite a few tunes which these words are sung to but in the UK the most familiar is “Forest Green” which was a traditional tune for a folk ballad called the “The Ploughboy’s Dream” collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams (from a Mr Garman of Forest Green in Surrey) and published in the early years of the 20th century.

The carol starts by describing Bethlehem, still and silent and dark, perhaps representing the whole world in their apparent lack of hospitality to visitors. It doesn’t feel a million miles away from the streets around where I live after dark, with people (as I write) stuck at home in lockdown. There’s something unsanitised about this Bethlehem. In a world before streetlights, darkness could be dangerous- especially if you were a woman.

Into these ‘dark streets’ comes the ‘everlasting light’ with the birth of Jesus.

The stars, previously silent, are now called to witness that God has arrived on earth: “O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth”. This perhaps mirrors the calling of the earth to witness that we looked at back in ‘Joy to the World’. Humans (or mortals), meanwhile, still sleep silently, unaware of the change that has happened literally overnight, while angels look on in amazement and adoration.   I’ve no idea why, but verse 2 sometimes appears with the second half first (beginning “For Christ is born of Mary”) rather than beginning “O morning stars”. I’m not even sure which is the original, but the 1928 Oxford Book of Carols has it as above, so I’m going with that.

I find it hard to imagine any birth being silent! But I don’t think it’s literal silence that’s being described, rather another reference to how unaware the human world was of what had happened at Bethlehem and its’ significance for the world. Even from a non-believing point of view, history was changed by this event, for better and for worse. Few could have had any idea of that at the time. But as well as world changing, there is the opportunity for it to be life-changing on a personal level:

“Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.”
[1]

The final verse picks up where verse 3 left off, calling for us to not be like silent Bethlehem or the sleeping mortals of verse 2, but to recognise Jesus as Emmanuel- that Jesus is God, that he came to earth and lived here, and died and was resurrected to repair our relationship with God.

But even if you don’t think you can believe that, maybe consider this a call to doing what you can to make the world a place where we’re not silent and unaware of the needs of others, but are listening and acting to make the world a better, more light-filled place.

“O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!”

[1] The Oxford Book of Carols includes an extra verse between the usual verses 3 and 4, which I don’t remember seeing before, and I certainly wouldn’t plan on using it. It feels very stereotypically Victorian.

Where children pure and happy
Pray to the blessed Child,
When 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.

There seems to have been something of a Victorian tradition of using Christmas hymns to tell children how to behave- see the middle verses of ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ for similar examples.

O Holy Night

 

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appear'd 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.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from the Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weaknesses no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Before Him lowly bend!

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! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.

 (P. Cappeau translated J.S. Dwight. Source)

Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTFG_nvreoI


O Holy Night was originally written in 1847 to celebrate the renovation of the church organ in Roquemaure in southern France. (Oddly, it doesn’t feel like a very organy carol to me). It was translated from the French original (lyrics by local poet Placide Cappeau with music was by the operatic composer Adolphe Adam) to English by American Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight in 1855. Wikipedia has the original French words alongside a literal English translation and Dwight’s English lyrics, which makes for an interesting comparison.

Verse one sets the scene- the starlit sky over a world where things are clearly not great. The descriptions of the ‘weary world’ (or ‘weary soul’, an alternative translation) and of the world ‘pining’ use the language of emotions to evoke an atmosphere of sadness and despair. Into this darkness (both literal and spiritual) comes the ‘thrill’ of hope. Jesus’ birth is depicted as the dawn, bringing light into the darkness (remember the ‘dayspring’ in ‘O come O come Emmanuel’?) and restoring ‘worth’ and hope to the world.

Verse two uses the image of the three kings, the great and good of their world, bowing before a baby born to peasants in a stable, to remind us of the need for humility. Verse three describes some of the consequences of this humility. It may feel a jolt to be confronted with slavery in a Christmas carol, but at the time that this was translated into English by an American minister, slavery was still legal in parts of the United States.

(I vaguely remember reading some years ago that ‘O Holy Night’ was banned from some American radio stations during segregation because of the ‘radical’ statement that slaves are brothers, that people of all colours were equal. I can’t find a reference for that so don’t quote me! It would perhaps explain why some versions of the carol omit verse 3).

It’s a reminder that the Christian faith shouldn’t just be concerned with ourselves. Caring and working for justice and social change is part of making the world a better place. Many abolitionists were church leaders or members, but many practicing Christians were also slave owners. It’s hard to understand how they could have squared that with faith in a God who made love the model for relationships- love for God and love for one another. Maybe in another couple of hundred years people will ask the same about Christians today- how we could have claimed to love one another and God when we participated in a society that felt it was acceptable to deny hungry children food, or to turn away those seeking asylum. We have to take seriously our responsibility to make ourselves aware of where there is injustice and oppression and to speak and act to bring about its end.

There’s so much evocative imagery in this carol, particularly around the theme of light- ‘stars are brightly shining’, ‘glorious morn’, ‘glowing hearts’ ‘star sweetly gleaming’.  Perhaps a reminder that Jesus described himself as the ‘Light of the World.’ Once again it’s a reminder that even in the darkest time of the year, spring is coming- even in the darkest times of our lives, there is hope. Let’s use our Christmas lights as a reminder of that!

 

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.
Chorus:
Hail, thou ever blessed morn,
Hail redemption's happy dawn,
Sing through all Jerusalem,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.

Lo, within a manger lies
He who built the starry skies;
He who, throned in height sublime,
Sits among the cherubim.
Chorus

Say, ye holy shepherds, say,
What your joyful news today;
Wherefore have ye left your sheep
On the lonely mountain steep?
Chorus

"As we watched at dead of night,
Lo, we saw a wondrous light:
Angels singing 'Peace On Earth'
Told us of the Saviour's birth."
Chorus

Sacred Infant, all divine,
What a tender love was Thine,
Thus to come from highest bliss
Down to such a world as this.
Chorus

Teach, O teach us, Holy Child,
By Thy face so meek and mild,
Teach us to resemble Thee,
In Thy sweet humility.
Chorus

 

 

(E. Caswell. Source)

 

Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PX7iTtKV04


When we used to sing this at church when I was growing up, the women would often sing v3 (‘Say you holy shepherds’) and the men v4 as the shepherds (‘As we watched at dead of night’). While we sang the verses in unison, some people (my mother often included) would just drop into harmonies as we got to the chorus. (Not always the right harmonies, I grant you!)  There’s a sense of belonging that comes from singing together in a group, whether that’s a congregation or choir, and missing that has been hard this year.

Once again we are reminded of God’s coming to earth in Jesus, the wonder that ‘he who built the starry skies’ and receives the praise of angels, is now a baby in a manger, whom shepherds are called by the angels to worship.

The shepherds, of course, turn up in lots of carols. One suggestion is that these particular shepherds were guarding the temple flocks, sheep bred to be offered as sacrifices. If that’s true it would be very appropriately symbolic, given Jesus’s role as the ‘Lamb of God (as referred to in verse 1) who would be ‘sacrificed’ as atonement for humanity’s broken relationship with God.

Israel had history with shepherds. Bethlehem was where David (of David and Goliath fame) was from and presumably where he had been shepherd of his family’s sheep before being anointed as the next king of Israel (see 1 Samuel 16 in the Old Testament). Bethlehem was known as ‘David’s town’ and the prophets had long said that the messiah (or ‘christ’, meaning saviour) who would save Israel would be born there to descendents of David and would himself be a sort of spiritual successor to David. Like David, the messiah/ christ would describe himself as both a king and a shepherd- someone who guides, leads, protects and cares for their followers, who knows them intimately, who is their pastor (which literally means ‘shepherd’).

The difference between David and Jesus, the messiah or Christ, is that David was human and was not always a good example- his flaws including committing adultery and trying to get the woman’s husband killed before he found out (see 2 Samuel 11). While he was seen as the best of Israel’s kings, he was still very human. Jesus, as described in the carol, is different- a ‘sacred infant, all divine’ and yet at the same time, the human shepherd. Mind bending, but amazing.

Anyway, enough about shepherds. Have a picture of a sheep. It was trying to steal my lunch at the time.

Christians Awake! Salute the happy morn

Christians, awake, salute the happy morn,
whereon the Savior of the world was born;
rise to adore the mystery of love,
which hosts of angels chanted from above;
with them the joyful tidings were begun
of God incarnate and the Virgin's son.

2 Then to the watchful shepherds it was told,
who heard th'angelic herald's voice: "Behold,
I bring good tidings of a Savior's birth
to you and all the nations on the earth:
this day hath God fulfilled his promised word,
this day is born a Savior, Christ the Lord."

3 He spake, and straightway the celestial choir
in hymns of joy, unknown before, conspire;
the praises of redeeming love they sang,
and heav'n's whole orb with alleluias rang;
God's highest glory was their anthem still,
peace on the earth, and unto men good will.

4 To Bethl'hem straight the happy shepherds ran,
to see the wonder God had wrought for man;
and found, with Joseph and the blessed maid,
her son, the Savior, in a manger laid;
amazed, the wondrous story they proclaim,
the earliest heralds of the Savior's name.

5 Oh, may we keep and ponder in our mind
God's wondrous love in saving lost mankind!
Trace we the babe, who hath retrieved our loss,
from his poor manger to his bitter cross.
Tread in his steps, assisted by his grace,
till our imperfect state God doth replace.

6 Then may we hope, th'angelic throngs among,
to sing, redeemed, a glad triumphal song;
he that was born upon this joyful day
around us all his glory shall display;
saved by his love, incessant we shall sing
eternal praise to heav'n's almighty King. 

 (J Byrom. Source) 

Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL-7g7QeFb0


I was pleased when someone else suggested this as it’s not a particularly well-known one, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered it outside Methodist circles (and yes, I’ll get the obvious joke out of the way: Methodists are good at going round in circles). It’s also quite a long one.

The lyrics were written in the 18th Century by John Byrom, who according to his wikipedia entry seems to have been an interesting chap. He was a poet and member of the Royal Society alongside Isaac Newton, as well as inventor of a system of shorthand used by John and Charles Wesley. There are links to both Jacobitism (those favouring the Stuart dynasty over the Hanovarians) and freemasonry and many of his papers apparently mysteriously disappeared some years after his death.

“Christians Awake! Salute the happy morn” was apparently written in 1745 as a Christmas present for his daughter Dorothy (Dolly). I’d love a carol for a Christmas present, if anyone feels up to it!

The lyrics tread well-worn ground, calling Christians to praise and celebrate Jesus’ arrival on earth, with reminders of the angels’ message to the shepherds and describing their wonder on seeing Jesus. The focus is on their reaction-

“amazed, the wondrous story they proclaim,
the earliest heralds of the Savior's name.”

The lyrics, especially verses 4 and 5, appear in slightly different versions. The former Methodist hymnbook Hymns & Psalms has ‘apostles’ instead of ‘heralds’ in the quotation above, giving a more direct impression of the shepherds as the first believers and followers of Jesus. Verse 5 in Hymns & Psalms also starts “Like Mary, let us ponder in our mind” rather than “Oh, may we keep and ponder in our mind” taking up the theme of Mary as understanding more of God’s plan for Jesus (which verse 5 reminds us of) than most of those around her. It’s an interesting change and I wonder which was original, especially given that the carol was first written for a woman or girl- it might have made sense to refer to the only female character in the story, perhaps to encourage her to think more deeply about it?

The end of verse 5 encourages the singer to ‘“Tread in his steps, assisted by his grace” i.e. to try to live in the way Jesus taught, until “our imperfect state he doth replace”, referring to being resurrected, ‘perfect’ or free from the desire to sin, and ready to do as the final verse says and sing with the angels “eternal praise to heaven’s almighty King”. Easier to sing than to do! 

In the Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak mid-winter
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 mid-winter
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.

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.

(C. Rosetti. Source)

Performances: Holst: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFca8sTbbkg
                        Darke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPpy3XSk6c0


There are two well-known tunes for this carol, one by Gustav Holst, one by Harold Darke, both published in the early 20th century. There are other tunes floating around but if you only know one, it’s probably one of the ones above. The Holst is probably more usual for congregational singing, but choral singers, in my experience, prefer the more complex Darke.

The words are by Victorian poet Christina Rosetti, an interesting character in her own right as well as through her family connections- although from my limited experience of her works, ‘bleak’ is a good description of her view of humanity. The verse which begins “Enough for Him, whom cherubim” is left out of a number of books- possibly because people are uncomfortable singing about breasts in church.

The first verse depicts Earth as an inhospitable place, ‘bleak’ with the cold and ‘hard’ mid winter perhaps referring as much to the spiritual state of Earth as to the weather. Into that bleakness comes God- an entity that cannot be confined even by heaven chooses to come down to earth as a tiny baby, to live as one of us, and is dependent on a stable for shelter. God, who needs nothing and is greater than all of us, makes himself dependent on a young woman to feed and care for him. God, who is rightfully worshipped even by angels, is only known to farm animals and poor folk.

Beyond the usual depiction of the nativity scene, the theme of the carol has some similarities with yesterday, leading us to ask what we would bring to this baby as our gift:

“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.”

I’m not someone with an obvious gift or talent- I enjoy singing but I’m not a great musician, I’m not a successful leader or visionary or teacher, and I don’t have loads of money to give. Sometimes I can feel like I’m not really ‘giving’ anything to God, that the service I can offer isn’t really worth much compared to others, or that I’m failing to do what I’m supposed to. This carol is a reminder that it isn’t what we can do that matters- it’s that we bring ourselves, our talents, whatever they are and however good or not we may feel we are at using them, and offer them to God. No one is too poor, too hurt, too unskilled, too inexperienced for God. Our hearts- our love, dedication, worship- are a greater gift than anything we can make or do. I hope you find that encouraging. 

 

Shepherd's Pipe Carol

Going through the hills on a night all starry
on the way to Bethlehem,
far away I heard a shepherd boy piping
on the way to Bethlehem.

Angels in the sky brought this message nigh:
"Dance and sing for joy that Christ the newborn King
is come to bring us peace on Earth,
and he's lying cradled there at Bethlehem."

"Tell me, shepherd boy piping tunes so merrily
on the way to Bethlehem,
who will hear your tunes on these hills so lonely
on the way to Bethlehem?"

"None may hear my pipes on these hills so lonely
on the way to Bethlehem;
but a King will hear me play sweet lullabies
when I get to Bethlehem."

Angels in the sky came down from on high,
hovered o'er the manger where the babe was lying
cradled in the arms of his mother Mary,
sleeping now at Bethlehem

"Where is this new King, shepherd boy piping merrily,
is he there at Bethlehem?"
I will find him soon by the star shining brightly
in the sky o'er Bethlehem."

"May I come with you, shepherd boy piping merrily,
come with you to Bethlehem?
Pay my homage too at the new King's cradle,
is it far to Bethlehem?"

(J. Rutter Source)

Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ousLBf0q1y8


My dad loved Christmas carols. Especially anything written, arranged or conducted by John Rutter. Three of us even sang an arrangement of Rutter's setting of 'The Lord bless you and keep you' at his funeral, although it wasn't my best performance. 

This is the carols I associate with dad more than any other, and was on the first CD I owned, which he gave me (I wasn’t exactly a ‘cool’ kid in my music choices!). Apologies to anyone out there who's groaning at this- I know not everyone's a fan but I think this one's worth including.  Although I don't recommend trying to get a congregation to sing it.  That had mixed results, but well done for trying, dad. 

It’s another song about the shepherds, this time about someone meeting a shepherd-boy on his way to visit the stable in Bethlehem.  It tends to be sung with the upper voices (generally women or boys) singing the verses spoken by the shepherd boy and the lower voices (generally men) singing the bits sung by the other person.

The idea of the child visiting the stable with nothing to give but themselves and their skill- usually music- seems to be one that pops up in various retellings of the story, probably because it’s more relatable for children hearing the story for the first time, and especially for children’s nativity plays.

It’s an idea I rather like. Partly because it’s a reminder that God is there for all ages, but also because of the challenge to think about what you might take as a gift, if you were in those circumstances. We tend to only think about the wise men (or kings, if you prefer) bringing gifts, but I’m sure others brought humbler presents- food, clothing perhaps- and maybe others used their time and their talents to help the new parents. One thing we’ve been reminded of this year is that a card, message or phone call may be as big a gift to someone you care about as any item you could spend endless money on- why would that be any different when it comes to gifts to God who cares about us as whole people, not about the size of our bank accounts?

As someone who enjoys singing, the idea of bringing music as a gift appeals. It also reminds us of the instruction given in the chorus, and in many other carols, to “Dance and sing for joy” at Jesus’ arrival. I think the shepherd boy got it right. Praise and worship is the appropriate gift for God, Emmanuel, come to bring “peace on earth”.

Perhaps singing carols itself could be our gift, if we mean it to be.
 

The Infant King (Sing Lullaby)

1. Sing lullaby!

Lullaby baby, now reclining,

Sing lullaby!

Hush, do not wake the Infant King.

Angels are watching, stars are shining

Over the place where he is lying.

Sing lullaby!

2. Sing lullaby!

Lullaby baby, now a-sleeping,

Sing lullaby!

Hush, do not wake the Infant King.

Soon will come sorrow with the morning,

Soon will come bitter grief and weeping:

Sing lullaby!

3. Sing lullaby!

Lullaby baby, now a-dozing,

Sing lullaby!

Hush, do not wake the Infant King.

Soon comes the cross, the nails, the piercing,

Then in the grave at last reposing:

Sing lullaby!

4. Sing lullaby!

Lullaby! is the babe a-waking?

Sing lullaby!

Hush, do not stir the Infant King.

Dreaming of Easter, gladsome morning,

Conquering Death, its bondage breaking:

Sing lullaby!

(Basque traditional, translated Source)

Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxSMCmERA14

Like a number of carols, this is a lullaby. Also like a number of carols, it’s a reminder to us of what will happen to this baby when he grows up. 

It was first published around the turn of the 19th to 20th century, although Carols for Choirs lists it as a Basque traditional carol so it’s likely that this was just the first time the tune and English words were published together and that its roots go much further back. 

The structure is very repetitive, with the ‘lullaby’ taking up most of each verse. Verse 1 is what you would expect from a nativity carol, mentioning angels and stars watching over the baby. The second and third verses foreshadow the Easter story and the death Jesus would go through- betrayed, condemned, crucified and pierced with nails, dead and buried. Verse 2 sums it up.

‘Soon will come sorrow with the morning,

Soon will come bitter grief and weeping”

Mary shows more understanding of what is going on than anyone else who appears in the Christmas story. We are told that “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2 v19). A few weeks after Jesus' birth, at his blessing in the temple, she is told that while Jesus would do great things, he would face opposition and that “a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2 v35). Did she remember that, when she stood at the foot of the cross all those years later? I think she did. I think she trusted God that even the pain of losing her child was not overlooked, not underestimated, but would be transformed into something meaningful. 

“Dreaming of Easter, gladsome morning,

Conquering Death, its’ bondage breaking”

Verse four is a good reminder that we can be too keen to focus on Good Friday and not enough on Easter Sunday. Jesus’ death is often described as being like the Old Testament sacrifice of a lamb as a sin offering, the idea being that the animal would be killed in place of the sins committed by the one(s) who provided the lamb. The act was symbolic; killing a lamb couldn’t really make up for human failures and repair our relationship with God after we let him down. The breakdown of that relationship and separation from God- death- was the consequence of our failures, and Jesus’s death and resurrection repaired that, meaning that death was no longer something to be feared. 

When I’ve heard this carol sung, it’s mostly quite quiet, as you would expect from a lullaby. Verse 4 tends to get louder, crescendoing up to the triumphant “Conquering Death” and then getting quieter again, as if the singers are remembering they are in the presence of a newborn baby, and that what they have been singing about is many years in the future. There is hope- but it’s hope for the future, not an end to suffering in the present. The world is still a mess. People still die and we face grief and sorrow over many things.  But there is hope.  Now, and not yet.

The Shepherds’ Farewell

Thou must leave thy lowly dwelling,

the humble crib, the stable bare.

Babe, all mortal babes excelling,

content our earthly lot to share.

Loving father, loving mother,

shelter thee with tender care!

Blessed Jesus, we implore thee,

with humble love and holy fear.

In the land that lies before thee,

forget not us who linger here!

May the shepherd’s lowly calling,

ever to thy heart be dear!

Blest are ye beyond all measure,

thou happy father, mother mild!

Guard ye well your heavenly treasure,

the Prince of Peace, the Holy Child!

God go with you, God protect you,

guide you safely through the wild!

(H. Berlioz, translated Source)

Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=4h7LZ9RmcCo


I don't know if you have pieces of music, or films, that are guaranteed to make you cry? Well, the third verse of this carol- if I get that far- seems to be that for me. I was in tears just reading it, and I don't even know why. So apologies if this entry is a bit less coherent than usual.

This carol, originally in French, was created by composer Hector Berlioz and formed part of a choral work called “L’enfance du Christ”, telling the story of Herod’s killing of the children and Mary and Joseph’s flight to Egypt with the young Jesus. In an era where we are continually told to watch out for refugees, for those seeking asylum and safety from threats in other countries, it’s a pertinent reminder that God’s own son had to flee from his homeland and seek asylum in Egypt.

Of all places for the Son of God to go for shelter, Egypt might seem the least likely. Israel’s previous history with Egypt had been troubled, to say the least. In Genesis, Abraham gets into trouble when he goes to Egypt and lies that his wife is his sister, because he is afraid that otherwise he will be killed so that the Egyptians can sleep with her. Then Abraham’s great-grandson Joseph (of Technicolour Dreamcoat fame) is sold into Egyptian slavery by his brothers, who then end up moving there under his protection to avoid a famine. Many years later Moses leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, only for them to spend four decades wandering in the desert because they were more willing to go back to Egypt than to obey God. The idea of God’s son voluntarily going to Egypt as a place of safety seems the opposite of what you would expect from the Old Testament. And yet- the Israelite prophet Hosea prophesied God as saying; “Out of Egypt I have called my son” (Hosea 11). In normal prophetic fashion, this prophecy has two (at least) interpretations- that it refers to the Exodus, and that it refers to Jesus’ family fleeing to Egypt for shelter from Herod.

The lyrics, at least in English, tell how, although the family will have to flee, they will not be alone. Joseph and Mary will care for the baby, and God will care for them all- they are reassured that even on the dangerous journey, even in Egypt, they will be safe. It’s perhaps also a reminder that thanks to Jesus, God is with us too, even in the metaphorical ‘wilds’ we may find ourselves in during our journey of life where things are tough and scary.

“God go with you, God protect you,
guide you safely through the wild!”

Guide you safely through the wild- it’s an image that fits well with shepherds, who would have spent a lot of time in the wild, guarding their sheep from wild animals and other threats. The fact it’s the shepherds singing is important in the middle verse:

“In the land that lies before thee,
forget not us who linger here!
May the shepherd’s lowly calling,
ever to thy heart be dear!”

It’s both a reminder that shepherds and the poor were (and are) important to Jesus and that Jesus later described himself and his role as “the Good Shepherd.” We’ll be looking more at the image of Jesus as a shepherd in a few days as it occurs in lots of carols. But this post has gone on quite long enough, so I’m going to finish with a reminder of the shepherds’ blessing, which I think applies to us as well as to Mary and Joseph.

“God go with you, God protect you,
guide you safely through the wild!”

 

 

Personent Hodie

Personent hodie                                               On this day earth shall ring
voces puerulae,                                                with the song children sing
laudantes iucunde                                            to the Lord, Christ our King,
qui nobis est natus,                                          born on earth to save us;
summo Deo datus,                                           him the Father gave us.
et de vir, vir, vir (2x)                                               Id-e-o-o-o, id-e-o-o-o,
et de virgineo ventre procreatus.                            Id-e-o gloria in excelsis Deo! 

In mundo nascitur,                                           His the doom, ours the mirth;
pannis involvitur                                             when he came down to earth,
praesepi ponitur                                               Bethlehem saw his birth;
stabulo brutorum,                                            ox and ass beside him
rector supernorum.                                          from the cold would hide him.
Perdidit, dit, dit,(2x)                                              
perdidit spolia princeps infernorum.

Magi tres venerunt,                                          God's bright star, o'er his head,    
munera offerunt,                                               Wise Men three to him led;
parvulum inquirunt,                                          kneel they low by his bed, 
stellulam sequendo,                                          lay their gifts before him,    
ipsum adorando,                                               praise him and adore him.
aurum, thus, thus, thus,(2x)                                              
aurum, thus, et myrrham ei offerendo.

Omnes clericuli,                                             On this day angels sing;
pariter pueri,                                                   with their song earth shall ring,
cantent ut angeli:                                            praising Christ, heaven's King,  
advenisti mundo,                                            born on earth to save us;  
laudes tibi fundo.                                           peace and love he gave us.   
Ideo, o, o, (2x)                                              
ideo gloria in excelsis Deo.

(Traditional, translated Jane M. Joseph. Source)

 

Recording: https://youtu.be/4NIBIWkgGDY


This is one of the oldest carols I’ve found. While I’m not at all familiar with the Latin words, the tune has been reused for a number of other hymns and songs (including an advent carol, Long ago, prophets knew (https://hymnary.org/hymn/NEH1985/10).

The Latin original was first published in 16th century Finland, but can be traced back to a 14th century manuscript and may well have older roots. At the time, European church music and liturgy would have been in Latin, which as a result had become a common language across Europe, since education was mainly limited to priests, monks and nuns. My Latin sadly is limited to the terms used in medieval wills and land documents, although I did once pass an exam with distinction because the passage used in the test was a bible passage I knew well enough to answer the questions from memory rather than by understanding the Latin!

You can find a translation of the lyrics at the link above. This time it’s children- or at least the boy choristers- who are specifically required to sing praise. There are indications that the carol was linked to the Feast of the Holy Innocents- the children killed by Herod (see 10th Dec), and to St Nicholas, patron saint of children. St Nicholas is one of the origins of our modern Santa Claus, but in parts of continental Europe his feast day is still marked by gift giving and other celebrations.

There was a medieval European custom of electing ‘boy bishops’ to take the place of the real bishop between 6th December (feast of St Nicholas) and the Feast of the Holy Innocents, celebrated on 28th December (also called Childermass). The boy bishop, probably a chorister, and his companions would lead services and take over some or all of the bishop and senior clergy’s duties for that time. The ideas of ‘misrule’ and a topsy-turvy time when those who were generally powerless could be in charge- within limits- for a short time potentially acted as a safety valve or at least a distraction from the tensions that must have existed in medieval and early modern society. Perhaps reflecting that, the music has a slightly rough and rowdy feel to it.

The custom of boy bishops died out after the Reformation, but has been resurrected in some places, for example Hereford, where a chorister is elected and preaches a sermon. It’s an interesting idea- many churches hold special services at Christmas for children, but how often do they play a leading part in choosing what goes into them? How often do we listen to what young people, or indeed less powerful people of any age, really want or think? Even in a world of vox pops and social media, many people still feel their concerns aren’t listened to, or that their needs are dismissed as less important than ‘the economy’ or ‘the market’. Maybe there are good reasons to do things which are unpopular, but feeling listened to and engaged in open conversation can take some of the sting out of it.  That doesn't mean engaging in every debate with trolls on Twitter, but, for example, in broadening your experience, recognising the assumptions you make and trying to understand people.  It’s hard, though, and life is rarely clear cut.

I guess that’s why we need Christmas, to remind us that everyone is equal before God and equally loved. Jesus didn’t judge people by their job or education and his early followers included hated collaborators, zealot nationalists, fishermen, women of allegedly shady reputation, members of the ruling religious council and busy housewives. Joseph was a carpenter and his family were about to become refugees, and the first visitors to the baby were lowly uneducated shepherds, summoned by angels to witness the arrival of God’s child, the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. More on shepherds tomorrow.

Wassail

Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green;
Here we come a-wand'ring
So fair to be seen.

REFRAIN:
Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too;
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year.

Our wassail cup is made
Of the rosemary tree,
And so is your beer
Of the best barley.
REFRAIN

We are not daily beggars
That beg from door to door;
But we are neighbours' children,
Whom you have seen before.
REFRAIN

God bless the master of this house
Likewise the mistress too,
And all the little children
That round the table go.
REFRAIN

Good master and good mistress,
While you're sitting by the fire,
Pray think of us poor children
Who are wandering in the mire.
REFRAIN

The lyrics above are intended to give a flavour of the typical lyrics, other versions from around the country can be seen found below: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_We_Come_A-wassailing, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloucestershire_Wassail 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gower_Wassail 

There's a Yorkshire variant too: https://youtu.be/5orHbsRcGi8?fbclid=IwAR3H4P30XLNk91lk3-9AjeqmbvUyZ6jQ15SXb0Q1va75_xMckq9oQDM5CMQ 

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05Bzbz-RXiA

Wassailing is a tradition that bears some resemblance to trick-or-treating and other older 'visiting customs'. A group (probably men traditionally) go from house to house singing, bringing good luck and are rewarded with drink and food. The word comes from Anglo-Saxon was hal, 'be you hale', or healthy. The singers offer wishes for a happy and prosperous new year for the household in return for the food, drink and possibly money.

"Bring us out a table
And spread it with a cloth;
Bring us out a mouldy cheese,
And some of your Christmas loaf."

Presumably that's a blue cheese rather than one that's gone off! 'We wish you a merry Christmas' fits in the same category, with its good tidings to 'you and your kin' and demands for figgy pudding- not to mention threats not to leave until the singers' demands have been met. It probably wasn't a good idea to refuse- let alone the 'bad luck', it's likely a group of well-lubricated wassailers could turn nasty if not rewarded.

There are a number of versions from different regions of the UK, and the links above are just some of them. There are a number of similarities between different versions- an address to the master and mistress of the house, wassail bowls or cups, requests for food and especially drink, references to servants and often animals. 

The book 'Folklore of Yorkshire' by Kai Roberts [1] describes groups of children going from door to door with a 'Vessel cup' and decorated figures of Mary and Jesus, or a decorated holly branch. Other Yorkshire visiting customs included 'first-footing' where it was considered lucky for certain types of people (dark rather than ginger haired, for example) to be the first to cross a house's threshold on Christmas or New Year's day, or for someone to symbolically sweep away the old year from a house- again in return for money or food. Poorer people could 'earn' a little from the lord of the manor and richer neighbors to help them through the darkest part of winter.

Wassailing also involved other customs. In cider-producing parts of England apple trees were wassailed as a sort of blessing or invocation to ensure a good crop the following autumn, in customs involving cider, toast dipped in cider hung on the tree branches (apparently for robins, who were seen as good spirits- don't try this at home unless you want drunk robins!), and singing to scare away evil spirits. This was done on Twelfth Night, the twelfth day of Christmas, that marked the end of celebrations before everyone went back to work- and to trying to survive the winter. [2]

This may not seem to have much to do with Christmas as a religious festival. Again there are hints of traditions that have more to do with pagan beliefs than Christian ones. But it did act as a way for a community to pull together to get through the worst of the winter, in a way perhaps not very far away from charity carol singers and Christmas appeals today. Humans seem to need festivals and celebrations, to act as markers and reminders that there is more than day to day life, that there is something beyond, whether that's the needs of the wider community or the call of faith. I hope Christmas can continue to be a time when we are reminded of the needs of others, and are able to act on that prompt, whether by giving money to charity, food to a foodbank, time to the lonely or your voice to calls for a better world.



[1] Available from York's e-library, worth a look if you're interested in local folklore.

[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wassail

Coventry Carol

Lully, lullah, thou little tiny child,

Bye bye, lully, lullay.

Lully, lullah, 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 sing,

"Bye bye, lully, lullay"?

Herod the king, in his raging,

Chargèd he hath this day

His men of might in his own sight

All young children to slay.

Then woe is me, poor child, for thee

And ever mourn and may

For thy parting neither say nor sing,

"Bye bye, lully, lullay."

(Traditional/ Sharp. Source)

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktgaToXxYfI&list=PLRB9xddXCxeg8TQ7RT4PxFdPQAG7A1ExM&index=11 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acAD34MG7Qs


This carol comes from a Coventry Mystery play, the 15th century Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors. Mystery plays were medieval presentations of biblical stories, often organised by various craft guilds in towns across Europe, a different guild taking responsibility for each ‘episode’. The York mystery plays have been revived and take place every couple of years, telling the whole story of the bible across the ‘cycle’ of 48 plays.

Probably the most sombre of all the carols, the Coventry carol is told from the perspective of the mothers of children killed by King Herod in his attempt to kill Jesus, thinking that he would be a threat to his kingship (Matthew 2 v16-18). The mothers ask how they can save their children from Herod’s death sentence, and lament for their loss. The early version of the carol seems to have been in 3 parts (alto, tenor & baritone) as like all parts the mothers would have been played by men.

It’s not a nice story, and it understandably doesn’t tend to appear in school nativity plays. But it’s important not to sanitise stories like this, not to try to pretend everything is fine when it’s really not. It’s understandable to ask why God allows this to happen- why did so many children have to die because of his plan for his son? Could God have avoided this massacre? It’s hard to understand, just as we can find it hard to understand why God lets things happen the way they do today- when a loved one is ill, when people are going hungry, when injustice and prejudice seem to win. One thing we can understand, unfortunately, is that Herod is all too human in his insecurity and jealousy.

While it might seem jarring to find this in a carol book alongside the Sussex carol or Ding Dong Merrily, it does serve as a reminder that for many of us- and perhaps especially this year- there is sadness alongside the celebration of Christmas. Carols like this perhaps give us a way to acknowledge that grief, to lament, to ask the questions that have no answers. To recognise that we are not alone in our grief and, perhaps, to remember that God doesn't look away, but grieves with us.

The unanswered questions bring us back to Coventry. Wikipedia says that the BBC broadcast this carol at Christmas 1940, sung in the bombed out ruins of Coventry Cathedral. The ruined cathedral and the new one built next door contain symbols of peace and reconciliation. It feels appropriate to remember that alongside this carol. The scars of suffering cannot be undone, but it is not the end.  There is hope in the dark- hope born as a baby at Bethlehem.

Coventry's medieval Cathedral, destroyed by bombing in the Second World War, taken by me in 2006.