Unseasonal Update to the Carol Tune Christmas Mass

Looking back through the blog posts I realise that I never updated the info on the metrical mass setting for Christmas.

The version I posted before - the whole Mass setting to the tune IRIS - I discovered in practice went on for blooming ever and made me want to scream. Now the wonderful Metanoia people who do Rock Mass all over the place (but now mainly at Holy Nativity Mixenden) took my little idea and added to it and turned it into a huge Christmas rock mass thing which was absolutely awesome. Even better because the genre of the music is different it doesn't get infuriating - it just builds and builds - suits it.

However - for those of us in a more traditional setting - I updated it so that each element of the Mass is to a different carol tune - which means that those once a year folks who want to hear their favourite carol have got a significantly higher chance of hearing it either at Midnight Mass or on Christmas Day.  It also means that if your choir aren't there for Midnight you've still got a chance of some hearty singing of the setting.  So this is it.  Hope some folks might find it helpful.

Gloria:

Glory be to God in heaven!

Peace be over all the earth!

Hear the song of angels singing

as we celebrate Christ’s birth.

Gloria, hosanna in excelcis.

Gloria, hosanna in excelcis.

Glory be to God in heaven!

May the warring earth be healed.

He who takes our sin upon him

God incarnate is revealed.

Gloria, hosanna in excelcis.

Gloria, hosanna in excelcis. (Angels from the Realms)

Sanctus:

Holy Lord, Blessed Lord, God of power, God of might

Earth and heaven are full of your light

Born this Glorious Christmas night

Ho-san-na in the highest

Ho-san-na in the height. 

Blessed Lord, Holy Lord, God of power, God of might

Coming now to show the way

Born this glorious Christmas day

Ho-san-na in the highest

Ho-san-na in the height.  (Silent Night)

Agnus Dei:

Lamb of God, Holy child, you take our sins away.

Lamb of God, Holy Child, born to us on this day.

Lamb of God, grant us peace,

and fill us with your light

Lamb of God, grant us peace

born on this holy night. (Born in the night)

Advent Update - God rest ye merry Advent wreath

I've just been updating this.  I've tweaked it so it's more obvious how it scans to the tune (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen). I've also updated the Christmas Day bit to reflect a little something of what the Christ-light might mean. It works if you're doing patriarchs/prophets/John/Mary in your themes. I even popped in a little peace/joy/hope/love in the final verse if those are going to be your themes.  I'll try something jolly for death/judgement/heaven/hell another year.

As always if this would help your church please use it, but please do credit where it comes from.

Advent 1:

We light an Advent candle now to show us all the way

to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay.

The mothers and the fathers of our faith all point the way.

          Refrain:   O glory to God in heav’n and peace,

                             peace on earth, O glory to God in heav’n.

 

Advent 2:

We light an Advent candle now to show us all the way

to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay.

The prophets foretold long ago that bright and glorious day

          Refrain:   O glory to God in heav’n and peace,

                             peace on earth, O glory to God in heav’n.

 

Advent 3:

We light an Advent candle now to show us all the way

to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay.

“The Kingdom now is close” said John, “Believe, repent today!”

          Refrain:   O glory to God in heav’n and peace,

                             peace on earth, O glory to God in heav’n.

 

Advent 4:

We light an Advent candle now to show us all the way

to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay;

For Mary mother of our Lord her “yes” to God did say

          Refrain:   O glory to God in heav’n and peace,

                             peace on earth, O glory to God in heav’n.

 

 

Christmas Day:

 

We light our Christ-light candle now

to show us all the way

And we have found the Christ child

in a manger on the hay;

And now we raise our voices

with the angel host to say

O glory to God in heav’n and peace, peace on earth

O glory to God in heav’n.

 

We carry now the Christ light

for this day and every day.

In homes and hearts we celebrate

the Christ who is our Way.

In peace, in joy, in hope, in love

Christ help us always stay

O glory to God in heav’n and peace, peace on earth

O glory to God in heav’n.

Christmas 2021 - Christmas Sermon

 

This is my Christmas sermon from the Carol Service on December 19th at Huddersfield Parish Church.

I would have posted the text - but it loses something in the writing down. 

Do you hear what I hear?  Christmas Sermon 2022

When will it stop..... God rest ye merry Advent wreath

I'm going to stop doing this. No really I am.  but I may spend the evening leafing through Carols for Choirs....... another Advent candle lighting song - to God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

We light an Advent candle to show us the way
to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay.
The mothers and the fathers of our faith all point the way.
O glory to God in heav’n and peace on earth
O glory to God in heav’n.
 
We light an Advent candle to show us the way
to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay.
The prophets foretold long ago that bright and glorious day
O glory to God in heav’n and peace on earth
O glory to God in heav’n.
 
We light an Advent candle to show us the way
to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay.
“The Kingdom now is close” said John, “Believe, repent today!”
O glory to God in heav’n and peace on earth
O glory to God in heav’n.
 
We light an Advent candle to show us the way
to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay;
For Mary mother of our Lord her “yes” to God did say
O glory to God in heav’n and peace on earth
O glory to God in heav’n.
 
We light our Christ-light candle to show us the way
And we have found the Christ child in a manger on the hay;
And now we raise our voices with the angel host to say
O glory to God in heav’n and peace on earth
O glory to God in heav’n.

In case I hadn't made this obvious I'm happy for people to use these if they are of any help at all.  I'd appreciate being credited if you do use any of the words on here. 

Sing Something Simple 2 - Away in a Christingle

Lots of Christingle songs are very long - and set to very bouncy (sometimes stompy) tunes.  Now I know everyone does Christingle differently - but for the last few years I've combined it with a crib service, twice, on Christmas Eve.  I don't know about you but when we've just revealed the nativity, arrived with awe and wonder at the manger - stompy and bouncy aren't the mood I'm after.  We used to light our candles, turn down the lights and sing "Hope of Heaven".  The grown ups didn't know it the first year we used it.  I could feel the wave of disgruntlement as I played the intro on the piano and they turned to look at words they didn't know.  The thing was, the children at our local Infant School had learned it. It was quite a thing as the children began to sing their hearts out.  You can find that here https://shop.childrenssociety.org.uk/digital-christingle-hymns-songs.html 

After a few years though the school's Christmas repertoire changed - and on the basis that I didn't want to be the only one singing the Christingle song, I couldn't find one online I liked, and I wanted to give the disgruntled some familiarity back - I wrote this to sing to Away in a Manger. 

Christingles are shining they show us the way

to understand all God is doing today.

They light up our darkness and teach us to give

that the blessings we know can help everyone live.

 

The world is the orange, creation God gave

for us to take care of and nurture and save.

The fruit and the sweets all good things the earth gives

to share all together so everyone lives.

 

The ribbon is Jesus, the life that he gave

He loves us so much he came back from the grave.

His love is a challenge to care for the poor

to pray and act always if we can do more.

 

Christingles are shining they show us the way

to understand all God is doing today.

They light up our darkness and teach us to give

that the blessings we have can help everyone live.