Sunday, 14 December 2014

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

SONG: COME NOW, LORD JESUS

Artist: Wellington Cathedral Choir
Words/Music: Murray/Trad
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941001

Come now, Lord Jesus,
       enter our Christmas,
be to us no stranger
       in this new-made manger.

Come, small and human,
       born of a woman,
yet a Son much greater
       of our own Creator.

Come, cold and crying,
       comfort denying,
no place to receive you,
       few yet to believe you.

Come, poor and simple,
       our flesh your temple,
in your body feeling
       hurt as well as healing.

Come, gift and token,
       bread to be broken,
star and sign still point you,
       myrrh will yet anoint you.

SONG: IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR

Artist: The Sixteen/Harry Christophers
Words/Music: Sears/Sullivan
Label: Coro COR 16085

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 heav’n’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 over its Babel sounds
The blessèd 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.

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 splendours fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

SONG: O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

Artist: Handel and Haydn Society/Harry Christophers
Words/Music: Brooks/Redner
Recording: Coro COR 16117

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 all on earth.

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

O holy child of Bethlehem!
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
Oh come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!

SONG: MY HEART IS LEAPING (MARY’S SONG)

Artist: Viva Voce
Words/Music: Kitchingman/Brinson
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust

Words unavailable

SONG: AWAY IN A MANGER

Artist: Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge
Words/Music: Anon/Kirkpatrick
Recording: Conifer 115907

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes;
I love thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven to live with thee there.

SONG: NINNA NANNA DI GESU BAMBINO

Artist: Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford
Words/Music: Trad
Recording: Harmonia Mundi HMU 907495

Gesù Bambino è nato,
è nato in Betlem;
è sopra un po' di paglia,
è sopra un po' di fien.
E' sopra un po' di fien.
Gesù Bambino piange,
la mamma che lo adora,
è sopra un po' di fien.

Translation:
Infant Jesus is born,
is born in Bethlehem;
He's lying on straw,
He's lying on hay.
He's lying on hay.
Infant Jesus is crying,
His mother is adoring him,
He's lying on hay.

SONG: ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY

Artist: Choir of Tewksbury Abbey
Words/Music: Montgomery/Trad
Label: Naxos 8.553077

Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth,
Ye who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim the Messiah's birth;
Refrain:
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant-light:
Refrain

Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar,
Seek the great desire of nations;
Ye have seen his natal star;
Refrain

Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord descending,
In his temple shall appear;
Refrain

Though an infant now we view him,
He shall fill his father's throne,
Gather all nations to him;
Every knee shall then bow down:
Refrain

SONG: CHILD OF CHRISTMAS STORY

Artist: Sings Harry
Words/Music: Murray/Madden
Label: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941001

Child of Christmas story,
stable straw and star,
small and sweet and gentle,
tell us who you are.

Child whose baby finger
round our own is curled,
come to melt our hearts,
and come to change the world.

Child of Jew and gentile,
child of white and black,
teach us how to love you,
teach us what we lack.

Child of Mary's courage,
birthed in human pain,
tell us what your name is,
be our hope again.

SONG: TOMORROW SHALL BE MY DANCING DAY

Artist: The Trinity Choir, Boston
Words/Music: Trad/Gardner
Label: Dorian DOR 93240

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day;
I would my true love did so chance
To see the legend of my play,
To call my true love to my dance;

Refrain
Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love,
This have I done for my true love

Then was I born of a virgin pure,
Of her I took fleshly substance
Thus was I knit to man's nature
To call my true love to my dance. Refrain

In a manger laid, and wrapped I was
So very poor, this was my chance
Betwixt an ox and a silly poor ass
To call my true love to my dance. Refrain

Then afterwards baptized I was;
The Holy Ghost on me did glance,
My Father’s voice heard from above,
To call my true love to my dance. Refrain