Program
Fanfare on "Noel Nouvelet"
Raymond H. Haan
Mathew 2:1-2, 9b-11
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
"Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage." —
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
Gloria in excelsis Deo is sung 2x
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Gloria in excelsis Deo is sung 2x
Isaiah 60:1-9, 19-20 & We Three Kings
Arise! Shine, for your light has come,
the glory of the LORD has dawned upon you.
Though darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds, the peoples,
Upon you the LORD will dawn,
and over you his glory will be seen.
Nations shall walk by your light,
kings by the radiance of your dawning.
We Three Kings, verse 1
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you—
Your sons from afar,
your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall see and be radiant,
your heart shall throb and overflow.
For the riches of the sea shall be poured out before you,
the wealth of nations shall come to you.
We Three Kings, verse 2
Caravans of camels shall cover you,
dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;
All from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and heralding the praises of the LORD.
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered for you,
the rams of Nebaioth shall serve your needs;
They will be acceptable offerings on my altar,
and I will glorify my glorious house.
We Three Kings, verse 3
Who are these that fly along like a cloud,
like doves to their cotes?
The vessels of the coastlands are gathering,
with the ships of Tarshish in the lead,
To bring your children from afar,
their silver and gold with them—
For the name of the LORD, your God,
for the Holy One of Israel who has glorified you.
We Three Kings, verse 4
No longer shall the sun
be your light by day,
Nor shall the brightness of the moon
give you light by night;
Rather, the LORD will be your light forever,
your God will be your glory.i
No longer will your sun set,
or your moon wane;
For the LORD will be your light forever,
and the days of your grieving will be over.
Refrain sung by all
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to the perfect light.
Verse 5 sung by all
Glorious now behold him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice;
“Alleluia, Alleluia!”
Sounds through the earth and skies.
"O Thou that Tellest Good Tidings to Zion" from Messiah
G. F. Handel
Jamie Eros, mezzo soprano
O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion,
get thee up into the high mountain:
O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up thy voice with strength;
lift it up, be not afraid;
say unto the cities of Judah,
Behold you God!
Arise, shine, for thy light is come,
and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
John 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
Christ Was Born on Christmas Day
Medieval Tune – Pat Messick, arr.
Christ was born on Christmas Day in a manger filled with hay;
Sheep and cows around him lay. Christ was born on Christmas Day.
Shepherds heard the song that night as angels all around them bright
Told them of a wondrous sight. Shepherds heard the song that night.
Wise men came with gifts to bring and bowed down to the baby king.
Guided by a star they’d seen, wise men came with gifts to bring.
An Advent Prayer
Randolph Currie (b.1943)
Text: Lucia Welch
Let us lift our voices as we wait the coming Lord;
Let us lift our voices now and offer up a song.
Come, Lord Jesus, come into our hearts;
Come, Lord Jesus, for you our spirits long.
There will be a new Messiah, born a child and yet a king;
He will bring us joy and gladness; He will give us grace to sing:
Come, Lord Jesus, come into our hearts;
Come, Lord Jesus, make the darkness light.
Hope will have a new beginning and a bright new day!
Jesus, born of Mary, comes, as we prepare the way:
Come, Lord Jesus, come into our hearts;
Come, Lord Jesus, be born in us today!
Christmas Hymn
Flor Peeters (1903-1986)
Text: Rev. Hyacinth Blocker, O.F.M. (1904-1969)
Hear Mary crooning a lullaby, Ave!
And angels echoing from the sky, Ave!
See Joseph smile with pride and joy,
And whittle a block of wood for a toy
To give to the fair little sleeping Boy, Ave!
Rejoice with them in Bethlehem,
and glory give this Christmas Day.
Praise to God and peace to men
as long as ages run. Amen
Now in the heavens the angels sing. Ave!
All praise to God in the highest bring! Ave!
The shepherds hear the music soar
And gather together lambs from their store
And run to the stable and Christ adore. Ave!
He Is Born
Traditional French Carol
Setting: Ellen Coman
He is born, the holy child, play the oboe and bagpipes merrily!
He is born, the holy child, sing we all of the Savior mild.
Through long ages of the past, prophets have foretold his coming;
Through long ages of the past, Now the time has come at last!
O how lovely, O how pure is this perfect child of heaven;
O how lovely, O how pure, gracious gift to humankind.
Jesus, Lord of all the world, coming as a child among us,
Jesus, Lord of all the world, grant to us thy heav’nly peace.
Isaiah 52:8-10
Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
for they see directly, before their eyes,
the LORD restoring Zion.
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the LORD comforts his people,
he redeems Jerusalem.
The LORD has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.
Epiphany Carol - Hymnal #462
While By The Sheep
17th Century German Carol
Hugo Jüngst (1853-1923), arr.
While by my sheep we watched at night, glad tidings brought an angel bright.
How great our joy! Joy, joy, joy! Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!
There shall be born, so he did say, in Bethlehem a child today.
There shall the child lie in a stall, this child who shall redeem us all.
This gift of God we’ll cherish well, that ever joy our hearts shall fill.
Gesu Bambino
Pietro Yon (1886-1943)
Text: Frederick H. Martens
Barbara Compton, mezzo soprano
When blossoms flowered ‘mid the snows Upon a winter night,
Was born the Child, the Christmas Rose, The King of Love and Light.
The angels sang, the shepherds sang, The grateful earth rejoiced;
And at His blessed birth the stars Their exultation voiced.
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
Again the heart with rapture glows To greet the holy night,
That gave the world its Christmas Rose, Its King of Love and Light.
Let ev’ry voice acclaim His name, The grateful chorus swell.
From paradise to earth He came That we with Him might dwell.
My Dancing Day
Traditional English Carol
Jennifer Breedlove, arr.
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;
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.
In a manger laid, and wrapped I was So very poor, this was my chance
Between an ox and a silly poor ass To call my true love to my dance.
Then afterwards baptized I was; The Holy Ghost on me did glance,
My Father’s voice heard I from above, To call my true love to my dance.
Of the Father’s Love Begotten - Hymnal # 427
Reading from a sermon of St. Leo, pope
Dear friends, now that we have received instruction in this revelation of God’s grace, let us celebrate with spiritual joy the day of our first harvesting, of the first calling of the Gentiles.
This is the day that Abraham saw, and rejoiced to see, when he knew that the sons born of his faith would be blessed in his seed, that is, in Christ. Believing that he would be the father of the nations, he looked into the future, giving glory to God, in full awareness that God is able to do what he has promised.
This is the day that David prophesied in the psalms, when he said: All the nations that you have brought into being will come and fall down in adoration in your presence, Lord, and glorify your name. Again, the Lord has made known his salvation; in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
This came to be fulfilled, as we know, from the time when the star beckoned the three wise men out of their distant country and led them to recognize and adore the King of heaven and earth. The obedience of the star calls us to imitate its humble service: to be servants, as best we can, of the grace that invites all men to find Christ.
Dear friends, you must have the same zeal to be of help to one another; then, in the kingdom of God, to which faith and good works are the way, you will shine as children of the light: through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with God the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.
What Child
Paul W. Lohman
Text: William Chatterton Dix (1837-1896)
What Child is this, who, laid to rest, On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ, the King,Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary!
Why lies He in such mean estate, Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here The silent Word is pleading.
So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh, Come, peasant, king to own Him.
The King of kings salvation brings; Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
What Sweeter Music
John Rutter (b.1945)
Text: Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
What sweeter music can we bring
Than a carol, for to sing
The birth of this our heavenly King?
Awake the voice! Awake the string!
Dark and dull night, fly hence away,
And give the honor to this day,
That sees December turned to May.
Why does the chilling winter’s morn
Smile, like a field beset with corn?
Or smell like a meadow newly-shorn,
Thus, on the sudden? Come and see
The cause, why things thus fragrant be:
‘Tis He is born, whose quickening birth
Gives life and luster, public mirth,
To heaven, and the under-earth.
We see him come, and know him ours,
Who, with his sunshine and his showers,
Turns all the patient ground to flowers.
The darling of the world is come,
And fit it is, we find a room
To welcome him.
The nobler part Of all the house here, is the heart.
Which we will give him; and bequeath
This holly, and this ivy wreath,
To do him honour, who’s our King,
And Lord of all this revelling.
Do You Have Room?
Shawna Edwards
Karen Jalbert, mezzo soprano
They journeyed far, a weary pair;
They sought for shelter from the cold night air.
Some place where she could lay her head,
Where she could give her Babe a quiet bed.
Was there no room? No corner there?
In all the town a spot someone could spare?
Was there no soul come to their air?
A stable was where the family stayed.
Cho. Do you have room for the Savior,
And do you seek Him anew?
Have you a place for the One
Who lived and died for you?
Are you as humble as a shepherd boy,
Or as wise as men of old?
Would you have come that night?
Would you have sought the light?
Do you have room?
A star arose, a wondrous light;
A sign from God this was the Holy night.
And yet so few would go to see
The Babe who came to rescue you and me.
This Child Divine is now a King.
The gift of life to all the world He brings.
And all mankind He saves from doom,
But on that night for Him, there was no room.
Will you come tonight?
Will you seek the Light?
Do you have room?
Shepherds, Run Along
Traditional Polish Carol
Setting: Stephen Mager
Shepherds, run along and bring your pipes to play!
On your way to Bethlehem without delay!
Haste ye to the manger lowly;
come and see the Holy Child, Jesus mild.
There upon the hills surrounding Bethlehem
Came an angel messenger with news for them:
“Glory to God in heaven, to us a Son is given:
heav’nly birth, peace on earth!”
Joy to the World - Hymnal # 437