Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
I’ve got a gun and a clever disguise
To rob the bank on its busiest day
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
We got caught do you know why?
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
I’ve got a gun and a clever disguise
To rob the bank on its busiest day
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
We got caught do you know why?
JOY TO THE WORLD
Words by Isaac Watts
and Music by Lowell Mason
Joy to the world, the
Lord is come!
Let earth receive her
King;
Let every heart
prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature
sing,
And heaven and nature
sing,
And heaven, and
heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the world, the
Savior reigns!
Let men their songs
employ;
While fields and
floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding
joy,
Repeat the sounding
joy,
Repeat, repeat, the
sounding joy.
No more let sins and
sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the
ground;
He comes to make His
blessings flow
Far as the curse is
found,
Far as the curse is
found,
Far as, far as, the
curse is found.
He rules the world
with truth and grace,
And makes the nations
prove
The glories of His
righteousness,
And wonders of His
love,
And wonders of His
love,
And wonders, wonders,
of His love.
THE COVENTRY CAROL
Music and lyrics traditional
Lully, lullay, Thou little
tiny Child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Lullay, thou little tiny
Child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
O sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom
we do sing
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Herod, the king, in his
raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own
sight,
All children young to slay.
That woe is me, poor Child for
Thee!
And ever mourn and sigh,
For thy parting neither say
nor sing,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
SEE AMID THE WINTER SNOW
Words by Edward Caswall and Music by
John Goss
See amid the winter's snow,
Born for us on earth below,
See the tender Lamb appears,
Promised from eternal years.
Hail, thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption's happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Lo, within a manger lies
He who built the starry skies;
He, who throned in height sublime
Sits amid the cherubim.
Hail, thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption's happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Say, ye holy shepherds, say
What your joyful news today;
Wherefore have ye left your sheep
On the lonely mountain steep?
Hail, thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption's happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
“As we watched at dead of night,
Lo, we saw a wondrous light;1
Angels singing peace on earth
Told us of the Saviour's birth”.
Hail, thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption's happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Sacred infant, all divine,
What a tender love was Thine,
Thus to come from highest bliss
Down to such a world as this.
Hail, thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption's happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Teach, O teach us , Holy Child,
By Thy Face so meek and mild,
Teach us to resemble Thee,
In Thy Sweet humility!
Hail, thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption's happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
THE HOLLY AND THE IVY
Music and lyrics traditional
The
holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly and the ivy
Now both are full well grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY
Words by James Montgomery and Traditional Music
Angels
from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim Messiah's birth:
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!
Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant Light;
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!
Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great desire of nations,
Ye have seen His natal star;
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!
Saints before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear:
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!
IN DULCI JUBILO
Words by Heinrich Suso and Traditional Music
In
dulci jubilo
Let us our homage show
Our heart's joy reclineth
In praesepio
And like a bright star shineth
Matris in gremio,
Alpha es et O!
O
Jesu parvule,
My heart is sore for Thee
Hear me, I beseech Thee
O puer optime
My praying let it reach Thee!
O princeps
gloriae.
Trahe me post te.
O patris caritas!
O Nati lenitas!
Deeply were we stained
Per nostra crimina
But Thou for us hast gained
Coelorum gaudia,
Qualis gloria!
Ubi
sunt gaudia,
If that they be not there?
There are Angels singing
Nova cantica;
And there the bells are ringing
In Regis curia.
O that we were there!
Round the world they go
In nineteen sixty-five
Orbiting the earth
So high up in the sky
Dashing round the world
Above the earth they race
Jingle Bells the song, was
The first one played in space
O Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way.
Oh! What fun it is to ride
In a spaceship far away hey
Sung to the tune of Jingle Bells
Despite the general awfulness of the Christmas song there are however always exceptions to the rule, and I have a short list of personal favorites.
Without
exception all my choices not only include the song but the best performer of
that song and so in no particular order here is my first selection.
“White
Christmas” written by Irving Berlin and sung by Bing Crosby.
I'm dreaming of a White Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten
and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white
The custom of singing carols at Christmas is of English origin which began in the middle ages.
In
the beginning the singing of Christmas carols was known as 'wassailing'.
But
this soon changed, and the singers became known as carolers when groups of
serenaders called "waits" would travel around from house to house singing
ancient carols and spreading the holiday spirit.
The
word "carol" means "song of joy."
The
reason Christmas carols became so popular was that the angels sang when they
appeared to the shepherds at Bethlehem to announce the birth of Jesus Christ's.
The
original meaning of a carol is quite different to what we imagine it to be today
for a carol was once a secular dance which was performed at any time of the
year.
People
danced around in a circle holding hands and singing songs.
The
dance reminded onlookers of a coronet, so they called it a 'carol'. The name
was transferred later on from the dance to the song itself. Carols
By
the 16th century carols were sung only at Christmas time and at one time only
Bishops and clergy were permitted to sing carols in church.
But
carols became too popular amongst the public to be confined to church and were
soon sung in the streets.
A
true Carol tells the story in song of the birth of Christ and is sung during
period leading up to Christmas.
On the morning of Christmas Eve in 1818, an Austrian priest called Joseph Mohr, was told that the church organ was broken and would not be repaired in time for the Christmas Eve service.
He
was so saddened at the prospect of Christmas without music that he decided he
would try to write a carol that could be sung by the choir and be accompanied
by guitar music.
So,
Joseph sat down and wrote three stanzas and later that night the people in the
little Austrian Church in Oberndorff sang "Stille Nacht" for the
first time.
Round the world they go
In
nineteen sixty-five
Orbiting
the earth
So
high up in the sky
Dashing
round the world
Above
the earth they race
Jingle
Bells the song, was
The
first one played in space
O Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way.
Oh! What fun it is to ride
In
a spaceship far away hey
Sung to the tune of Jingle Bells
The Welsh are a very musical nation so Caroling is particularly popular in Wales where it is called eisteddfodde and is amongst other things often accompanied by a harp.
One
custom in some rural areas a person is chosen to travel around the town draped
in white and carrying a horse's skull on a long pole.
If
anyone is given a "bite" by the horse's jaws they must pay a fine.
Despite the general awfulness of the Christmas song there are however always exceptions to the rule, and I have a short list of personal favorites.
Without
exception all my choices not only include the song but the best performer of
that song and so in no particular order here is my fortieth selection.
“Jingle
Bells”
Written by James Pierpont
Performed
by Rosemary Clooney
Dashing
through the snow
Over the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Bells on bobtail ring'
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A sleighing song tonight!
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;
Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride
And soon, Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side,
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank
And then we got upsot.
A day or two ago,
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow,
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one-horse open sleigh,
He laughed as there I sprawling lie,
But quickly drove away.
Now the ground is white
Go it while you're young,
Take the girls tonight
and sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bobtailed bay
Two forty as his speed
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack! You'll take the lead.
Despite the general awfulness of the Christmas song there are however always exceptions to the rule, and I have a short list of personal favorites.
Without exception
all my choices not only include the song but the best performer of that song
and so in no particular order here is my forty first selection.
“Jolly Old Saint Nicholas”
Lyrics by Benjamin Hanby
Music composed by Johann
Pachelbel
Jolly old St. Nicholas, Lean your ear this
way!
Don't you tell a single soul, What I'm going to say;
Christmas Eve is coming soon, Now, you dear old man,
Whisper what you'll bring to me: Tell me if you can.
When the clock is striking twelve, When I'm
fast asleep,
Down the chimney broad and black, With your pack you'll creep.
All the stockings you will find Hanging in a row;
Mine will be the shortest one, You'll be sure to know.
Johnny wants a pair of skates, Susie wants a
sled
Nellie wants a picture book, yellow,blue and red
Now I think I`ll leave
to you
what to give the rest
Choose for me dear Santa Claus
you will know the best.
Despite the general awfulness of the Christmas song there are however always exceptions to the rule, and I have a short list of personal favorites.
Without exception all my choices not only
include the song but the best performer of that song and so in no particular
order here is my forty second selection.
“The Twelve Days Of Christmas”
A traditional folk melody by English composer
Frederic Austin
Performed by The Spinners
On the first day of Christmas my true love
gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree
On the second day of Christmas my true love
gave to me
Two Turtle Doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the third day of Christmas my true love
gave to me
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love
gave to me
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love
gave to me
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love
gave to me
Six Geese A-laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love
gave to me
Seven Swans A-swimming
Six Geese A-laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love
gave to me
Eight Maids A-milking
Seven Swans A-swimming
Six Geese A-laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love
gave to me
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids A-milking
Seven Swans A-swimming
Six Geese A-laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love
gave to me
Ten Lords A-leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids A-milking
Seven Swans A-swimming
Six Geese A-laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love
gave to me
Eleven Pipers Piping
Ten Lords A-leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids A-milking
Seven Swans A-swimming
Six Geese A-laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love
gave to me
Twelve Drummers Drumming
Eleven Pipers Piping
Ten Lords A-leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids A-milking
Seven Swans A-swimming
Six Geese A-laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me
A
best of Sinatra CD
On
the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Two
nylon socks
And
a best of Sinatra CD
On
the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Three
fountain pens
Two
nylon socks
And
a best of Sinatra CD
On
the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Four
woolen scarfs
Three
fountain pens
Two
nylon socks
And
a best of Sinatra CD
On
the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Five
puzzle things
Four
woolen scarfs
Three
fountain pens
Two
nylon socks
And
a best of Sinatra CD
On
the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Six
novelty ties
Five
puzzle things
Four
woolen scarfs
Three
fountain pens
Two
nylon socks
And
a best of Sinatra CD
On
the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Seven
garden tools
Six
novelty ties
Five
puzzle things
Four
woolen scarfs
Three
fountain pens
Two
nylon socks
And
a best of Sinatra CD
On
the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Eight
tins of talc
Seven
garden tools
Six
novelty ties
Five
puzzle things
Four
woolen scarfs
Three
fountain pens
Two
nylon socks
And
a best of Sinatra CD
On
the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Nine
crisp white hankies
Eight
tins of talc
Seven
garden tools
Six
novelty ties
Five
puzzle things
Four
woolen scarfs
Three
fountain pens
Two
nylon socks
And
a best of Sinatra CD
On
the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Ten
car air fresheners
Nine
crisp white hankies
Eight
tins of talc
Seven
garden tools
Six
novelty ties
Five
puzzle things
Four
woolen scarfs
Three
fountain pens
Two
nylon socks
And
a best of Sinatra CD
On
the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Eleven
handy hint books
Ten
car air fresheners
Nine
crisp white hankies
Eight
tins of talc
Seven
garden tools
Six
novelty ties
Five
puzzle things
Four
woolen scarfs
Three
fountain pens
Two
nylon socks
And
a best of Sinatra CD
On
the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Twelve
months subscription
Eleven
handy hint books
Ten
car air fresheners
Nine
crisp white hankies
Eight
tins of talc
Seven
garden tools
Six
novelty ties
Five
puzzle things
Four
woolen scarfs
Three
fountain pens
Two
nylon socks
And
a best of Sinatra CD