What Sweeter Music

I saw three ships come sailing in,
Come sailing in, come sailing in;
I saw three ships come sailing in
⁠On Christmas day in the morning.

Pray whither sailed
those ships all three,
⁠those ships all three,
those ships all three?
Pray whither sailed
those ships all three,
⁠On Christmas day in the morning?

O they sailed into Bethlehem,
to Bethlehem, to Bethlehem.
O they sailed into Bethlehem,
⁠On Christmas day in the morning.

And who should be
in those three ships,
In those three ships,
in those three ships?
And who should be
in those three ships,
But Joseph and his Lady?

And he did whistle and she did sing,
And she did sing, and she did sing;
And he did whistle and she did sing,
On Christmas day in the morning.

And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On earth shall ring, on earth shall ring;
And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas day in the morning.

And all the angels in heav’n shall sing,
in heav’n shall sing,
in heav’n shall sing;
And all the angels in heav’n shall sing,
⁠On Christmas day in the morning.
Then let us all rejoice amain,
rejoice amain, rejoice amain;
Then let us all rejoice amain,
⁠On Christmas day in the morning.

What sweeter music can we bring
Than a carol, for to sing
The birth of this, our heavenly King?
Awake the voice! Awake the string!

Dark and dull night, fly hence away,
And give the honor to this day
That sees December turned to May,
That sees December turned to May.

Why does the chilling winter’s morn
Smile, like a field beset with corn?
Or smell like meadow newly shorn
Thus on the sudden?
Come and see the cause,
Why things thus fragrant be:

‘Tis he is born, whose quickening birth
Gives life and lustre, public mirth,
To heaven and the under-earth.

We see him come, and know him ours,
Who, with his sunshine
and his showers,
Turns all the patient
ground to flowers,
Turns all the patient
ground to flowers.

The darling of the world is come,
And fit it is, we find a room
To welcome him, to welcome him.
The nobler part of all the house here,
Is the heart,
Which we will give him;
And bequeath this holly
And this ivy wreath,
To do him honor; who’s our King,
And Lord of all this revelling.

What sweeter music can we bring
Than a carol, for to sing
The birth of this, our heavenly King.

Green leaves all fallen,
withered and dry;
Brief sunset fading, dim winter sky;
Lengthening shadows,
dark closing in;
Then, through the stillness,
carols begin!

O fallen world, to you is the song!
Death holds you fast,
and night tarries long.
Jesus is born, your curse to destroy;
Sweet to your ears, a carol of Joy!

Pale moon ascending,
solemn and slow;
Cold barren hillside, shrouded in snow.
Deep, empty valley,
veiled by the night:
Hear angel music, hopeful and bright.

O fearful world, to you is the song!
Peace with your God,
and pardon for wrong.
Tidings for sinners,
burdened and bound,
A carol of joy – a Savior is found!

Earth wrapped in sorrow,
lift up your eyes!
Thrill to the chorus filling the skies.
Look up sad hearted!
Witness God’s love;
Join in the carol swelling above!

O friendless world, to you is the song!
All heaven’s joy to you may belong!
You who are lonely, laden, forlorn:
Now unto you a Savior is born!

Noel, noel!
The angels tell the story of this night,
When Emmanuel came
with us to dwell:
The Christ, the Child of Light.
He was not born in gilded halls
befitting of his reign,
But rather in a lowly stall
to feel our human pain.

All glory be to God on high!
We heed the angels’ call,
And joyfully return their cry:
Sing peace to one and all!

Noel, noel!
Their praises swell
o’er hill and over sea.
O hear the bells, o’er hill and dell,
that sing of jubilee!
The Lord has come to
show us how iniquity might cease.
O let us be your servants now,
and walk the paths of peace.

All glory be to God on high!
We heed the angels’ call,
And joyfully return their cry:
Sing peace to one and all!

Noel, noel!
O come and quell
the fear of earthly care
O teach us well, Emmanuel,
to nourish and to share,
To grasp each far and distant hand and to knock down every wall
‘til peace and light reign o’er the land,
and love embraces all.

All glory be to God on high!
We heed the angels’ call,
And joyfully return their cry:
Sing peace to one and all!

I too shall walk to Bethlehem
along each lonely road;
I did not have the strength until
I heard the story told.
There is a place where all may rest
and set down any load:
In a stable where once
a child was born,
where once a child was born.

I too shall walk to Bethlehem
on through the darkest night;
I did not have the courage until
I saw the holy light
Of brightest star to guide my
way on to the holy site
Of a stable where once
a child was born,
where once a child was born.

I too shall walk to Bethlehem
and never shall I fall;
I did not have the heart until
I heard the angels call,
And quicken then each eager step,
with tidings for us all,
To a stable where once
a child was born,
where once a child was born.

I too shall walk to Bethlehem,
for now I know the way
Lies with a child who lies within
asleep where oxen lay.
The road to heaven shall
begin that blessed Christmas day
From a stable where once
a child was born,
where once a child was born.

The first Noel, the angels did say,
Was to certain poor shepherds
in fields as they lay,
In fields where they lay
keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night
that was so deep.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel!
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.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel!
Born is the King of Israel.

Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
That hath made heaven
and earth of naught,
And with his blood
mankind hath bought.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel!
Born is the King of Israel.

What child is this, who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet
with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds watch
and angels sing;
Haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come, peasant, king to own Him.
The King of kings salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
This is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard
and angels sing;
Haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

What Child is this?

Now to this infant gather ‘round;
Why should we longer tarry?
For this is Christ, the holy Child,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
This is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son, of Mary!

What Child is this?

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, good will 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.
Look now, for golden is the hour,
Come swiftly on the wing.
The Prince was born
to bring you peace;
Of Him the angels sing. Gloria!

For lo, the days have come to pass
by prophet seen of old,
When down into the circling years
Came Christ as was foretold.
His word of peace shall to the earth
God’s ancient promise bring,
And all who take this gift will hear
The song the angels sing, Deo Gloria!

In excelsis Deo Gloria!

The season swells with Noel
Lights are shining, Yuletide dawning
Here I am alone
Looking past gold and glass
A future lost, cold as the frost
Oh, where is home?

Carols ring, choirs sing
Candles burning, memories swirling
All around me
Here I stand with open hands
I’m drawing near and I hear
Echoes of joy

In this night of silence
My broken past is left behind
Dreams are born from the ashes
So beautiful as they rise

Tears flow walking through the snow
I can’t see the path before me
But hope still burns
A velvet sky, arching high
Warmed by starlight, all is bright
And love returns

In this night of silence
The light of heaven shines
Peace, be still, I’m not alone
I’m filled by grace divine

Were you there, were you there
on that Christmas night,
when the world was
filled with a holy light?
Were you there to behold
when the wonder foretold
came to earth?

Did you see, did you see
how they hailed him King,
with the gifts so rare that
they chose to bring?
Did you see how they bowed,
as they praised him aloud at his birth?

Did you hear
how the choir of angels sang
at the glory of the sight?
Did you hear
how the bells of heaven rang
all through the night?

Did you know, did you know
it was God’s own Son,
the salvation of the world begun?
Did you know it was love
that was sent from above
to the earth?