Scripture Verse

The angel Gabriel was sent from God…to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. Luke 1:26–27

Introduction

portrait
Rossiter W. Raymond (1840–1918)

Words: Ros­si­ter W. Ray­mond, in Child­ren’s Wor­ship, by Hen­ry Al­lon (Lon­don: Hod­der & Stough­ton, 1888), num­ber 133. Note: This book’s ti­tle page shows a pub­li­ca­tion date of 1888, but the ed­it­or’s note in the pre­face reads Ca­non­bury, May 6th, 1878.

Music: Ro­bert Jack­son (1840–1914) (🔊 pdf nwc). Ap­peared in Car­ols Old and Car­ols New, by Charles L. Hutch­ins (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: The Par­ish Choir, 1916), num­ber 765.

portrait
Robert Jackson (1840–1914)

Lyrics

There dwelt in old Ju­dea,
A maid­en fair to see;
The mo­ther mild and un­de­filed,
Of a bless­èd babe was she.

Refrain

Sing No­ël, sing No­ël,
And mer­ry be al­way;
For Christ was born, in the ear­ly morn,
All on a Christ­mas Day.

And as the in­fant Je­sus
Lay on His low­ly bed,
A cir­cle bright of heav’n­ly light
Shone round about His head.

Refrain

The shep­herds bowed be­fore Him,
While an­gels swift did fly
On blest em­ploy, with songs of joy,
To fill the star­ry sky.

Refrain

For this was Prince Em­ma­nu­el,
Who laid aside His crown;
And all to win our souls from sin
Unto the earth came down.

Refrain

Now God, my dear Re­deem­er,
I give my heart to Thee;
For, by my word, this lov­ing Lord,
Shall be the Lord of me.

Refrain