While Shepherds Were Watching (Roud 16898) (Recorded 14 June 1971, by Roy Palmer)
Sung by George Dunn (1887-1975) born in the Black Country village of Quarry Bank, some eight miles west of Birmingham, who retired at the age of 72 after 59 years, mainly as a chainmaker.
Sung by Coope Boyes & Simpson With Jo Freya, Fi Fraser And Georgina Boyes – Voices At The Door - Midwinter Songs And Carols No Masters – NMCD 25 (2006)

While shepherds were watching their flocks by the night,
There came a great noise which gave them a fright.
"Cheer up, faithful shepherds and be not afraid,
Cheer up, cheer up,
Cheer up, faithful shepherds and be not afraid."

It was angels a-shouting on that glorious morn
A-shouting glad tidings, "The Saviour is born
Is borned of a virgin so meek and so mild,
Our Lord, our Lord,
Our Lord and redeemer is now borned a child."

I went to behold him, I asked them his name.
His name it was Jesus, from Bethlehem came.
Let every believer his mercy implore,
And praise, and praise,
And praise him for ever 'til time be no more.

George Dunn: Chainmaker (MTCD317-8) This is, of course, an example - albeit an unusual one - of While Shepherds Watched. George, who learned this not in church but from his father, pointed out that in the second line of the first verse he should have sung 'a great light' rather than 'a great noise'. Steve Roud feels that it is sufficiently different to have its own number and, as far as he and Ian Russell know, it is unique to George Dunn. The carol singers also sang;

The cock sat up the rue tree, the hen came chucklin' by;
I wish you a merry Christmas and every day a pie.

However, the following verse was reserved, George Dunn explained, for the non-contributor - "We'd got to flit then, we'd got to depart quick!"

The cock sat up the rue tree, the hen came chucklin' by;
I wish the cock'd drop a turd and drop it in your eye.