A Star, a Star
Lyrics
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our savior
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy
In Bethlehem of Israel
This blessed babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
To which his mother Mary did
Take nothing then in scorn
Tidings of comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy!
O tidings of comfort and joy
From God our heavenly Father
A blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name
O tidings of comfort and joy
— Traditional, c. 1400s; arr. Zack Smith
Come Ye Redeemed
Come ye redeemed of the Lord
Your grateful tribute bring
And celebrate with one accord
The birthday of our King
Yet us with humble hearts repair
Faith will point out the road
To little Bethlehem and there
Adore our infant God
In swaddling bands the savior view!
Let none his weakness scorn!
The feeblest heart shall hell subdue
Where Jesus Christ is born
No pomp adorns, no sweets perfume
Where Jesus Christ is laid
A stable serves him for his room
A manger is his bed
The crowded inn, like sinners' hearts
Oh ignorance extreme
For other guests, of various sorts
Had room, but none for him
But see what different thoughts arise
In our and angels' breasts
To hail his birth they left the skies
We lodged him with the beasts
Yet let believers cease their fears
Nor envy heavenly powers
If sinless innocence be theirs
Redemption all is ours
— Joseph Hart, c. 1750; music Zack Smith
Love Came Down at Christmas
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Stars and angels gave the sign.
Worship we our Jesus,
Love Incarnate, Love Divine;
Worship we Immanuel:
Love's eternal sacred sign.
Love shall be our token,
Love be yours and love be mine,
Love from God to all of us,
Love for plea and gift and sign.
— Christina Rosetti, 1885; arr. Zack Smith
The Friendly Beasts
Jesus, our Brother, strong and good
Was humbly born in a stable rude
And the friendly beasts around him stood
Jesus, our Brother, strong and good
I, said the donkey, shaggy and brown
I carried his mother uphill and down
I carried his mother to Bethlehem town
I, said the donkey, shaggy and brown
I, said the cow, all white and red
I gave him my manger for his bed
I gave him my hay to pillow his head
I, said the cow, all white and red
I, said the sheep, with curly horn
I gave him my wool for his blanket warm
He wore my coat on Christmas morn
I, said the sheep, with curly horn
I, said the dove, from rafters high
I cooed him to sleep so he would not cry
We cooed him to sleep, my mate and I
I, said the dove, from rafters high
Thus, all the beasts, by some good spell
In a stable dark were glad to tell
Of the gifts they gave Emmanuel
Of the gifts they gave Emmanuel
Jesus, our Brother, strong and good
— Traditional, c. 1200; arr. Zack Smith
Angels We Have Heard on High
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo!
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo!
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord, the newborn King
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo!
See him in a manger laid
Him whose birth the angles praise
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid
While our hearts in love we raise
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo!
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo!
— Traditional, c. 1500; trans. James Chadwick, 1862; arr. Zack Smith
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Said the night wind to the little lamb
"Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb
Do you see what I see?"
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
"Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?"
A song, a song
High above the tree
With a voice as big the sea
With a voice as big the sea
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
"Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king
Do you know what I know?"
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Said the king to the people everywhere
"Listen to what I say
Pray for peace, people everywhere
Listen to what I say"
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
— Noel Regney + Gloria Shayne, 1962; arr. Zack Smith
Go Tell It on the Mountain
While shepherds kept their watching
O'er silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light
Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born
The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our savior's birth
Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born
Down in a lowly manger
Our humble Christ was born
And God send us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn
Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born
He made me a watchman
Upon the city wall
And if I am a Christian
I am the least of all
Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born
— John Wesley Work, Jr., 1907; arr. Zack Smith
We Three Kings
We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
Born a King on Bethlehems plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.
Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, voices raising,
Worshipping God on high.
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone cold tomb.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
Glorious now behold Him arise;
King and God and sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Sounds through the earth and skies.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light;
Guide us to thy perfect light;
Guide us to thy perfect light.
— John Henry Hopkins, Jr., 1863; arr. Zack Smith
Away in a Manger
[instrumental]
— William J. Kirkpatrick, 1895; arr. Zack Smith
O Come O Come Emmanuel
O come, O come Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel
O come thou Dayspring from on high
And cheer us by thy drawing nigh
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadow put to flight
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel
— Traditional; trans. John Mason Neale, 1851; arr. Zack Smith
Joy to the World
[instrumental]
— Isaac Watts, 1719; music George Frideric Handle, 1741; arr. Lowell Mason, 1836; arr. Zack Smith
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
While shepherds watched their flocks by night
All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around
Fear not, said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled minds
Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind
To you in David's town this day
Is born of David's line
The Savior who is Christ the Lord
And this shall be the sign
The heavenly babe you there shall find
To human view displayed
And meanly wrapped in swathing bands
And in a manger laid
All glory be to God on high
And to the earth be peace
Goodwill henceforth from God to man
Begin and never cease
All glory be to God on high
And to the earth be peace
Goodwill henceforth from God to man
Begin and never cease
— Words Nahum Tate, 1703; music 2015 Zack Smith