Perhaps nothing more obviously demonstrates the joy of the Christmas season than the constant presence of music. The contagious joy in the world is felt and mimicked even by the secular celebrations that surround us with songs everywhere we go. Unique to Christmas is its carols, those special songs telling and retelling the joy and rejoicing of the greatest gift ever received by men. Here are a couple of poems of carol and caroling:

Joseph and the Angel

(Traditional)

Joseph was awalking, he heard an angel sing,
“This night shall be born our heavenly king.
He neither shall be born in housen nor in hall,
Nor in the place of Paradise, but in an ox’s stall,
Noel, noel.”

As Joseph was awalking, he heard an angel sing,
“This night shall be born our heavenly king.
He neither shall be clothed in purple nor in pall,
But all in fair linen as wear babies all.
Noel, Noel.”

As Joseph was awalking, he heard an angel sing,
“This night shall be born our heavenly king.
He neither shall be rocked in silver nor in gold,
But in a wooden cradle that rocks on the mould.
Noel, noel.”

As Joseph was awalking, he heard an angel sing,
“This night shall be born our heavenly king.
He neither shall be christened in white wine nor in red,
But in the fair spring water, as we were christened.
Noel, noel.”

The Children’s Carol

By Eleanor Farjeon

Here we come again, again, and here we come again!
Christmas is a single pearl swinging on a chain,
Christmas is a single flower in a barren wood,
Christmas is a single sail on the salty flood,
Christmas is a single star in the empty sky,
Christmas is a single song sung for charity.

Here we come again, again, to sing to you again,
Give a single penny that we may not sing in vain.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God…’Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!’ (Luke 2:13-14)

For the joy of reading and singing,

Liz