Some of these are in the DT or threads, but these are our own versions. Will post chords for individual songs by request. PM me for info on sound files and printed chord arrangements.

~Susan

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AWAY IN A MANGER

Away in a manger, no crib for a 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 in the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there.


ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH

Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plain,
And the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strain.

Refrain:
Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the joyful tidings be which inspire your heavenly song?

Come to Bethlehem and see Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

See Him in a manger laid, Whom the choirs of angels praise;
Holy Spirit, lend your aid, while our hearts in love we raise.


BEAUTIFUL STAR OF BETHLEHEM
From the Max Hunter Collection. As sung by Mr. J. W. Breazeal, Springfield, Missouri on April 27, 1958. Edited by Susan O. Hinton.   

O, beautiful star of Bethlehem, shining afar thru shadows dim,
Giving your light for those who long have gone.
And guiding the wise men on their way, unto the place where Jesus lay.
Beautiful star of Bethlehem, shine on!

Refrain:
O, beautiful star of Bethlehem, shine upon us until the glory dawn.
O, give us thy light to light the way into the land of perfect day.
Beautiful star of Bethlehem, shine on!

O, beautiful star of hope, of light, guiding the pilgrims through the night
Over the mountain till the break of dawn.
And into the light of perfect day it will give out a lovely ray.
Beautiful star of Bethlehem, shine on!

O, beautiful star, the hope of rest for the redeemed, the good, the bless'd,
Yonder in glory when the crown is won,
For Jesus is now that star divine, brighter and brighter, He will shine.
Beautiful star of Bethlehem, shine on!


BEAUTIFUL STARS
Isaac Freeman version edited and additional verses by Susan O. Hinton.

Beautiful stars of love, shining from heaven above,
Leading the world to look that way.
Radiance is the glow over the earth below,                
Cheering me on... to perfect day.                

Refrain:
Stars... of wondrous love....
Shining.... shining from above.
Filling the earth with light, scattering gloom at night.        
Beautiful stars of... wondrous love.                

Beautiful stars of grace, flowing from God's holy face,
Lending His light where darkness had reigned.
Warm and sweet as the peace of salvation's release,
Healing the wounded spirits chained.

Beautiful stars of strength, measuring Love's breadth and length,
Made by our Father's hand so long ago.
Marking the Father's time, creation's celestial rhyme,
Ord'ring our time on earth below.


THE BIRTHDAY OF A KING
Words & Music: William H. Neidlinger, 1890.

In the little village of Bethlehem,
There lay a Child one day;
And the sky was bright with a holy light
O'er the place where Jesus lay.

Refrain
Alleluia! O how the angels sang.
Alleluia! How it rang!
And the sky was bright with a holy light
'Twas the birthday of a King.

'Twas a humble birthplace, but O how much
God gave to us that day,
From the manger bed what a path has led,
What a perfect, holy way.


BRIDE OF THE LAMB, AWAKE, AWAKE
Words: Edward Denny, in Hymns for the Poor of the Flock, 1837. Music: "St. Agnes," John B. Dykes, in Hymnal for Use in the English Church, by John Grey, 1866.

Bride of the Lamb, awake, awake!
Why sleep for sorrow now?
The hope of glory, Christ, is thine,
A child of glory thou.

Thy spirit, through the lonely night,
From earthly joy apart,
Hath sighed for One that's far away;
The Bridegroom of thy heart.

But see! the night is waning fast,
The breaking morn is near;
And Jesus comes, with voice of love,
Thy drooping heart to cheer.

He comes; for oh, His yearning heart
No more can bear delay;
To scenes of full unmingled joy
To call His bride away.

Then weep no more; 'tis all thine own
His crown, His joy divine;
And, sweeter far than all beside,
He, He Himself is thine!


THE FIRST NOEL

The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

Refrain
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel! Born is the King of Israel.

They lookèd 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.

This star drew nigh to the northwest,
Over Bethlehem it took its rest;
And there it did both stop and stay,
Right over the place where Jesus lay.

Then entered in those Wise Men three,
Full reverently upon their knee,
And offered there, in His presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.


THE FRIENDLY BEASTS

Jesus our Saviour kind and good
Was humbly born in a stable of wood.
And the friendly beasts around Him stood,
Jesus our Saviour kind and good

"I," said the donkey shaggy and brown,
"I carried His mother up hill and down.
I carried her safely to Bethlehem town.
I," said the donkey shaggy and brown.

"I," said the cow, all white and red,
"I gave Him my manger for a bed.
I gave Him my hay for to pillow His head,
I," said the cow, all white and red

"I," said the sheep with the curly horn,
"I gave Him my blanket for a warm.
And he wore my coat on that Christmas morn,
I," said the sheep with the curly horn.

"I," said the dove from the rafters high,
"I cooed Him to sleep so He would not cry.
We cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I,
I," said the dove from the rafters high.

"I," said the camel, all yellow and black,
"Over the desert upon my back,
I brought Him a gift in the wise men's pack,
I," said the camel, all yellow and black

Thus every beast remembering it well
In the stable dark was so proud to tell
Of the gifts they gave Emmanuel,
The gifts they gave Emmanuel.


GENTLE MARY LAID HER CHILD
Words: Joseph Simpson Cook, 1919. Music: "Tempus Adest Floridum," from Piae Cantiones, 1582.

Gentle Mary laid her Child lowly in a manger;
There He lay, the undefiled, to the world a Stranger:
Such a Babe in such a place, can He be the Savior?
Ask the saved of all the race who have found His favor.

Angels sang about His birth; wise men sought and found Him;
Heaven's star shone brightly forth, glory all around Him:
Shepherds saw the wondrous sight, heard the angels singing;
All the plains were lit that night, all the hills were ringing.

Gentle Mary laid her Child lowly in a manger;
He is still the undefiled, but no more a stranger:
Son of God, of humble birth, beautiful the story;
Praise His Name in all the earth, hail the King of glory!


IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER

In the bleak midwinter, 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 midwinter, long ago.

God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, 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 give Him: give my heart.


IT CAME UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR

It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth, to touch their harps of gold;
Peace on the earth, good will to men, from heaven's all gracious King.
The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats o'er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains, they bend on hovering wing,
And ever over its Babel sounds the blessèd angels sing.

For lo! the days are hastening on, by prophets seen of old,
When with the ever circling years shall come the time foretold;
When the new heaven & earth shall own the Prince of Peace their King
And the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing.


THE KING OF LOVE
Statler Brothers version.

Jesus came, there He lay, in a manger of hay.
The angels sang; the shepherds came, they knew not what the future held.
They only knew they were compelled. From up above,
A baby boy, the King of love.

Refrain:
He was a child, He was the Son, He was a man among men.
He was a friend, He was a saint, He was the King of Love.

Jesus grew, He was a child. He traveled far and distant land,
His earthly parents by the hand. They missed Him now, He did not hide. He told them then, "I must confide;
I was at my Father's side."

Jesus died.... the world was dark. Not a sound was there to hark.
The breath was gone, He bowed His head....But wait! Let us rejoice,
For He has risen from the dead!


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, heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night; wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing, Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is here, Christ the Savior is here!

Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light;
Radiant beams from Thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.


WINDS THROUGH THE OLIVE TREES
By Winifred E Rees.

Refrain:
Winds through the olive trees softly did blow,
'Round little Bethlehem long, long ago.

Sheep on the hillside lay whiter than snow,
Shepherds were watching them, long, long ago.

Then from the happy skies angels bent low,
Singing their songs of joy, long, long ago.

For in a manager bed cradled we know,
Christ came to Bethlehem, long, long ago.


THE WISE MAY BRING THEIR LEARNING
Words: Anonymous, in Book of Praise for Children, 1881. Music: "Christmas Morn," Edward J. Hopkins (1818-1901).

The wise may bring their learning, the rich may bring their wealth,
And some may bring their greatness, and some bring strength and health;
We, too, would bring our treasures to offer to the King;
We have no wealth or learning; what shall we children bring?

We'll bring Him hearts that love Him; we'll bring Him thankful praise,
And young souls meekly striving to walk in holy ways;
And these shall be the treasures we offer to the King,
And these are gifts that even the poorest child may bring.

We'll bring the little duties we have to do each day;
We'll try our best to please Him, at home, at school, at play;
And better are these treasures to offer to our King;
Than richest gifts without them; yet these a child may bring.