Scripture Verse

A virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel. Matthew 1:23

Introduction

Words: Fred­er­ick G. Lee, in Ca­rols Old and Ca­rols New, by Charles L. Hutch­ins (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Par­ish Choir, 1916), num­ber 10.

Music: Bor­row Will­iam H. Bor­row, in Ca­rols Old and Ca­rols New, by Charles L. Hutch­ins (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Par­ish Choir, 1916), num­ber 10 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Bor­row or Lee (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Slowly fall the snowflakes,
Clothing earth in white,
Sweetly bells are chiming,
On this Christ­mas night;
Dark the earth aforetime,
White on Christ­mas morn;
Christ the curse reversing—
Mary’s Son is born.

Slowly fall the snowflakes,
Virgin-white the sod,
In the chill descending,
Like the grace of God;
Wild the varied chimings,
One tale only tell—
Lies in Bethlehem’s manger
Great Emmanuel.

Slowly fall the snowflakes,
Hang the holly high,
Bright its berries greeting
God Incarnate nigh;
Dark the earth no longer,
Barren nevermore,
Grace-flowers spring to blossom
On th’eter­nal shore.