(Verse 1 – Solo)
Once, in royal David’s city,
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for His bed.
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ, her little child.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
with the oxen standing by,
we shall see him; but in heaven,
set at God’s right hand on high;
Where like stars his children crowned,
All in white shall gather round.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall:
With the poor and meek and lowly
Lived on earth our Savior holy.

Unto us a boy is born!
King of all creation,
came he to a world forlorn,
the Lord of every nation,
the Lord of every nation

Ladies

Cradled in a stall was he
with sleepy cows and asses;
and the very beasts could see
that he all folk surpasses,
that he all folk surpasses.

Men

Herod then with fear was filled:
‘A prince’, he said, ‘in Jewry!’
All the little boys he killed
at Bethl’em in his fury,
at Bethl’em in his fury.

Now may Mary’s son, who came
so long ago to love us,
lead us all with hearts aflame
unto the joys above us,
unto the joys above us.

Omega and Alpha he!
Let the organ thunder,
while we sing our songs with glee
and rend the air asunder,
and rend the air asunder.

Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
“Now they are all on their knees,”
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave
In these years! Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve,
“Come; see the oxen kneel,

“In the lonely barton by yonder coomb
Our children used to know,”
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.

You are dearer than death
you are gentler than breathing,
in the smallness of being,
in the nearness of you,
in the movement of limbs
in the stillness of sleeping
in the anguish of care
is the wonder of you.

You are precious to me
there is nobody like you,
every day holds delights
as I greet it with you.
What the future will bring
I have no way of telling,
but I trust you to show me
all the wonder of you.

I am filled with such awe
for I know my own weakness,
How can I do what’s best
for the treasure of you?
But you give me your love
without question or doubting
so I know you’ll forgive
that’s the wonder of you.

Go to sleep now my darling,
even you need your resting,
I will care by your side
for the world that you love.
You have given your life,
so frail and so trusting
into my human hands,
that’s the wonder of you.

Verses 8-14

Abbie Sorrell

Head Prefect PHS

Verses 15-20

Euan Macrae

Head Prefect PHS

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

0 come, all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant,
0 come ye, 0 come ye to Bethlehem;
come and behold him,
born the King of angels;
0 come, let us adore him,
0 come, let us adore him,
0 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;
0 come, let us adore him,
0 come, let us adore him,
0 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’:
0 come, let us adore him,
0 come, let us adore him,
0 come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.