from
THE QUEST FOR FATHER CHRISTMAS
written by John Papworth and illustrated by Connie Lindqvist
First Published on the Internet as an e-play for Christmas 2003
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| Scene 1 | Silent Night | Away In A Manger - more below | |
| Scene 2 | In The Bleak Mid-Winter | The Holly & The Ivy | |
| Scene 3 | We Three Kings | Oh Come All Ye Faithful | |
| Scene 4 | Magnificat | Oh Little Town of Bethlehem | |
| Scene 5 | Good King Wenceslas | While Shepherds Watched | |
| Scene 6 |
The Old Lamp-Lighter |
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| Scene 7 | The First Nowell | We Wish You A Merry Christmas | |
| Scene 8 | Christians Awake | Hark The Herald Angel Sing |
choirs from around the world
click here for a sound clip of what we have in mind
click on the CD sleeve for further details
Words to the Christmas Carols
(and to the Magnificat
and The Old Lamplighter Song)
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight,
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavely hosts sing alleluia;
Christ the Saviour, is born!
Christ the Saviour, is born!
Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dwan of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
Away in a Manger
- soundclip
from the choir of Christ's Hospital
click
on the CD sleeve for further details
Away in a manger, no crib for
His 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
poor Babe awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes,
I love, Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle 'til morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask
Thee to stay
Close by me forever and ever I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care
And lead us to heaven to live with Thee there.
In
the Bleak Mid-winter
In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold
Him,
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty
Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him whom cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.
Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air,
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man
I would do my part, -
Yet what I can, I give Him,
Give my heart.
The Holly and the Ivy
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.
Oh the rising of the sun, and the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a blossom,
as white as any flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, to be our sweet Saviour.
Oh the rising of the sun, and the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a berry, as
red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, to do poor sinners good.
Oh the rising of the sun, and the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a prickle,
as sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, on Christmas day in the morn.
Oh the rising of the sun, and the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.
We Three
Kings
We three kings of orient are,
bearing gifts we traverse afar;
Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to Thy perfect light.
Born a Babe on Bethlehem's
plain, gold I bring to crown Him again.
King forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign.
O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to Thy perfect light.
Frankincense to offer have
I, incense owns a deity nigh,
Prayer and praising, all men raising, worship God on high.
O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to Thy perfect light.
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
breathes a life of gathering doom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold
tomb.
O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to Thy perfect light.
Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia! Sounds through the earth and skies.
O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to Thy perfect light.
O Come All Ye Faithful
O come, all ye faithful, joyful
and triumphant,
Oh come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
come and behold him, born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
God of God, light of light,
lo, he abhors not the virgin's womb;
very God, begotten not created:
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels, sing
in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
glory to God in the highest:
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
See how the shepards summoned
to his cradel,
leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly fear;
we too will thither hend our joyful footsteps;
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born
this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given;
word of the Father, now in flesh appearing:
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
O
Little Town Of Bethlehem
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 to-night.
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 men 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.
Where children pure and happy
Pray to the blessed Child,
Where misery cries out to thee,
Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching
And faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks,
And Christmas comes once more.
O holy Child of Bethlehem!
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us to-day.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!
Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas looked
out on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight, gath'ring winter fuel.
Hither, page, and stand by
me, if thou knowst its telling.
Yonder peasant, who is he, where and what his dwelling.
Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain,
Right against the forest fence, by St Agnes' Fountain.
Bring me flesh and bring me
wine, bring me pine logs hither;
Thou and I will see him dine when we bear them thither.
Page and monarch forth they went, forth they went together;
Through the rude wind's wild lament and the bitter weather.
Sire, the night is darker now,
and the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how I can go no longer.
Mark my footsteps good, my page, tread thou in them boldly;
Thou shalt find the winter's rage freeze thy blood less coldly.
In his master's steps he trod,
where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed;
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank posessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.
While
Shepherd Watcged Their Flocks by Night
While shepherds watched their
flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
And glory shone around.
Fear not! said he, for mighty
dread
Had seized their troubled minds,
Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
To you and all mankind.
To you and all mankind.
To you, in David's town, this
day
Is born of David's line,
The Saviour, who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign:
And this shall be the sign:
The heav'nly Babe you there
shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.
And in a manger laid.
All glory be to God on high,
And on the earth be peace.
Good will henceforth from heav'n to man,
Begin and never cease!
Begin and never cease!
The First Noel
The first Noel the angel did
say
was to certain poor shepards in fields as they lay:
in fields where they lay a-keeping their sheep
on a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star,
shining in the east, beyond them far:
and to the earth it gave great light,
and so it continued both day and night.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
born is the King of Israel.
And by the light of that same
star
three wise men came from the country far;
to seek for a King was their intent,
and to follow the star wherever it went.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
born is the King of Israel.
This star drew nigh to the
north-west;
o'er Bethlehem it took its rest,
and there it did both stop and stay,
right over the place where Jesus lay.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
born is the King of Israel.
Then entered in those wise
men three,
fell reverently upon their knee,
and offered there in his presence
their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
born is the kind of Israel.
Then let us all with one accord
sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
that hath made heaven and earth of nought,
and with his blood mankind has bought.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
born is the King of Israel.
We Wish You a Merry
Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
we wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Glad tidings we bring, to you and your kin,
Glad tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.
So bring us some figgy pudding,
so bring us some figgy pudding,
So bring us some figgy puddingGlad tidings we bring, to you and
your kin,
Glad tidings we bring, to you and your kin,
Glad tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year
We won't go until we get some,
we won't go until we get some,
We won't go until we get some, so bring it right now.
Glad tidings we bring, to you and your kin,
Glad tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year
Christians
Awake
Christians, awake, salute the
happy morn
Whereon the Saviour of the world was born
Rise to adore the mystery of love
Which hosts of angels chanted from above
With them the joyful tidings first begun
Of God incarnate and the Virgin's Son
Then to the watchful shepherds
it was told
Who heard the angelic herald's voice: "Behold,
I bring good tidings of a Saviour's birth
To you and all the nations upon earth
This day hath God fulfilled His promised word;
This day is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord."
He spake, and straightaway
the celestial choir
In hymns of joy, unknown before, conspire
The praises of redeeming love they sang
And heaven's whole orb with alleluias rang
God's highest glory was their anthem still
Peace upon earth and unto men goodwill
To Bethlehem straight the shepherds
ran
To see the wonder God had wrought for man
And found, with Joseph and the blessed Maid
Her Son, the Saviour, in a manger laid
Amazed, the wondrous story they proclaim
The earliest heralds of the Saviour's name
Let us, like these good shepherds,
them employ
Our grateful voices to proclaim the joy
Trace we the Babe, who hath retrieved our loss
From His poor manger to His bitter cross
Treading His steps, assisted by His grace
Till man's first heavenly state again takes place
Then may we hope, the angelic
thrones among
To sing, redeemed, a glad triumphal song
He that was born upon this joyful day
Around us all His glory shall display
Saved by His love, incessant we shall sing
Of angels and of angel-men the King
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconcile.
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic host proclaim,
'Christ is born in Bethlehem'
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.
Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail, the incarnate deity,
pleased as Man with to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.
Hail, the heaven-born Prince
of peace!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that man no more may die,
born to raise the suns of earth,
born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.
Magnificat
There are an abundance of alternative musical settings for the Magnificat...have a word with the local vicar if you encounter any problems locating one that is suitable...otherwise J.S.Bach is a good place to begin your quest. The inspiration for most settings of Mary's Song comes from the first chapter of St. Luke's Gospel. Here is the full text of Verses 26 to 53. Most settings of The Magnificat start at verse 46 which begins with Mary's words: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
And Mary said, My soul doth
magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold,
from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he
that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his
name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation
to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath
scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath
put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low
degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich
he hath sent empty away.
The Old Lamp-Lighter
Song
The Old Lamp-Lighter Song was first published in 1946. After much searching John Papworth finally turned up a copy in the Barbican Music Library. Here are the lyrics:
He made the night a little
brighter
Wherever he would go
The old lamp-lighter of long long ago.
His snowy hair was so much
lighter
Beneath the candle glow
The old lamp-lighter of long long ago.
You'd hear the patter of his
feet
As he came toddling down the street
His smile would hide a lonely heart you see.
If there were sweethearts in
the park
He'd pass a lamp and leave it dark
Remembering the days that used to be.
For he recalls when dreams
were new
He lov'd someone who lov'd him too
Who walks with him alone in memory.
He made the night a little
brighter
Wherever he would go
The old lamp-lighter of long long ago.
Now if you look up at the sky
You'll understand the reason why
The little stars at night are all aglow.
He turns them on when night
is here
He turns them off when dawn is near
The little man we loved of long ago.
P.O. Box 36, Rye, Sussex, England TN31 7ZE
© aib 2003
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