Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: GUEST,GUEST, Tony Simmons
Date: 04 Dec 16 - 07:37 PM

I've heard this song sung in our church every Christmas since I can remember, and I'm 67 years old. I've always loved it and to me it's the most inspired Christmas song. Here's my question: Does anyone have a solo piano midi file of this song? And I mean a good flowing style, gospel piano style, of this song? If you do, I would very much appreciate your posting a copy that I can download. Thank you and MERRY CHRISTMAS, Dec 4, 2016

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: GUEST,Don Stevens
Date: 19 Jul 14 - 11:24 PM

Love this Song.

For the past 25 years, my favorite Singer/Guitarist, of this Song, is Folk Singer, Brenda E. Hanson, of Columbia, Missouri. Fantastic!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 19 Jul 14 - 06:06 AM

I was unaware of this thread when I included a version of "Beautiful Star" on volume 5 of the "Far in the Mountains" series of Musical Traditions CDs. This is what I managed to find out about the hymn, which was sung to me by Evelyn and Douston Ramsey at their home in Sodom Laurel, Madison County, NC. 29.8.80:


Evelyn and Douston told me that this gospel song was always sung at Christmas time in Madison County. It seems that the song was written by R Fisher Boyce (1887 - 1968), a deacon at the Mt Carmel Baptist Church in Rutherford County, Tennessee, in the early 1930s. Boyce, according to the story, woke up one Sunday morning with the tune on his mind. As he started to write it down one of his children came into the room singing another hymn, so Boyce moved into the nearby empty milking barn, where he completed the tune and words. However, others claim that it was composed by Adger McDavid Pace (1882 - 1959), also from Tennessee, who composed quite a number of gospel songs. In fact, Pace may have simply arranged the tune, although when the hymn was printed in 1940 both Boyce and Pace were shown as the joint composers. No doubt the song was inspired by this line from Mathew 2:10, 'When (the Wise Men) saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy'.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Jul 14 - 05:13 AM

I first heard this song on an album by Chanticleer that Genie mentions above. Chanticleer is a men's chorus from San Francisco that makes some wonderful music. Best male sopranos I've ever heard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx8cII6wAXY

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: GUEST,threelegsoman
Date: 19 Jul 14 - 03:15 AM

I uploaded my version of this lovely bluegrass carol in November 2011:

Beautiful Star of Bethlehem (Including lyrics and chords)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 18 Jul 14 - 01:39 PM

Refresh 'cause my chorus is finally going to sing this!
(This thread is a fine example of the Best of Mudcat, IMHO)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: GUEST,David Boyce
Date: 25 Jan 12 - 02:41 AM

My Grandfather did write the song in the 1930's. I don't recall the exact year but I was told he tried for several years to get it published. I remember him as a very kind man who always seemed to be happy. I miss him and my dad (Franklin). As far as A.L. Phipps is concerned, none of us have ever heard of him. My grandfather worked with Pace to get the song published but the music and words were written long before they meet. Thanks for the kind words and the interest in the song! David

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Dec 11 - 12:44 PM

I grew up in the 50's in the same commuity as Fisher Boyce. He led the singing many times in the Old Leb Methodist Church that I attended. He belonged to a Presbyterian Church in the community, but his brother was a member of the church I attended. He was always present at the 'homecoming celebrations' when we had lunch at noon and sang all afternoon. He had a beautiful voice and everyone looked forward to hearing him sing. We always understood that he wrote "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem", but I do no know the facts of how other artist became involved.

Subject: Lyr Add: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 21 Dec 11 - 03:18 PM

Thanks for the info, Q.

The chords for this song - as with pretty much any bluegrass song - are very simple.

I play it in D, and the chords are D, G, and A.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Dec 11 - 03:14 PM

A. L. Phipps of the Phipps Family (recorded on Folkways) is added as a composer to versions by the Judds, Stanley Brothers, and some other groups.

Adger M. Pace obtained copyright in 1940, James D. Vaughan music publisher. See Cyberhymnal.org
He is credited with some 1000 songs. Sang with Vaughan Radio Quartet on WOAN.
http://www.sgma.org/inductee_bios/adger_m_pace.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Dec 11 - 02:54 PM

The sheet music here says "Words and music by Adger M. Pace and R. Fischer Boyce," so seems to be jointly done.
http://musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtdFPE.asp?ppn=MN0060242

Chords are given for this first page, one has to buy to get both pages.

Subject: Songwriter credits: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 21 Dec 11 - 03:16 AM

I can't vouch for the official original lyric, Guest. I just posted what The Stanley Brothers and others sing on their recordings.   
Also, unless someone's diction is very precise, it's pretty hard to tell whether they're singing "... that star divine ..." or "the star divine ... ".   

Not sure it makes the meaning any different, in any case.


Also, what does "Adger M. Pace Theme by R.F.B." mean?   "Har.?"   "A.M.P.?"   
Does this creditation tell which one was the lyricist and which the composer?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Dec 11 - 02:15 AM

I see it has been a year since anyone has commented on this song. I was searching for the writer of the song and came across this site.
My mother-in-law passed away in 2009 and i have all her old (I mean old too) song books. A lot of them are Stamps and Baxter. I saw that James D. Vaughan had published this song and remembered some of those books too. I pulled out one titled "Singing Star" published in 1941 and on page 1 is the song Beautiful star of Bethlehem.
Across the top giving credit it says, in order:

Adger M. Pace Theme by R.F.B.   R Fisher Boyce Har. by A.M.P.

Genie, the only things I see in verse 3 you have (For) it is in the orginal printing. For Jesus is now that (not the) Star divine

It is truly a God inspired song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 05:05 AM

OK,
Putting together all the info from this thread and listening to Ralph Stanley & others sing it, I'm confident these are the most accurate lyrics and attributions:


BEAUTIFUL STAR OF BETHLEHEM
(R. Fisher Boyce / Adger M. Pace
© 1940, renewed 1967
publisher James D. Vaughan)

Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem,
Shining afar through shadows dim,
Giving the light for those who've long gone on
And guiding the wise men on their way
Unto the place where Jesus lay,
Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem, shine on.

Chorus:
O beautiful star (beautiful beautiful star)
of Bethlehem (of Bethlehem),
Shine upon us until the glory dawn (glory dawn).
Give us a light to light the way
Into the land of perfect day.
Beautiful star of Bethlehem, shine on.

O beautiful star, the hope of light
Guiding the pilgrim through the night
Over the mountain 'til the break of dawn
And into the light of perfect day -
It will give out a lovely ray.
Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem, shine on.

(Cho.)

O beautiful star, the hope of rest
For the redeemed, the good and blest
Yonder in glory when the crown is won,
(For) Jesus is now the star divine;
Brighter and brighter He will shine.
Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem, shine on.


(My guess is that whoever did the lyric notes on the Judds' website was not Wynonna or Naomi but some hireling who was prone to mondegreens.)

Subject: Copyright info: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 02:32 AM

Well, if the copyright is 1040 - even if it was first published in the 1930s - it would not be in Public Domain. Unless, of course, Boyce donated the song to the Public Domain Foundation or whatever it's called.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Dec 10 - 11:00 PM

The copyright by Pace and Boyce is 1940, renewed 1967, publisher James D. Vaughan, a division of Spirit Sound Music Group, Cleveland, Tennessee.
This is printed on page 1 of the sheet music. I think this settles it.
Phipps did an arrangement.

Hope that helps, Genie. I was confused but now I'm found.

(Don't shoot)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Dec 10 - 10:52 PM

Bill Gaither credits Adger M. Pace. Another Gaither album adds R. Fisher Boyce.
A book of songs by Gaither credits Boyce, 1940.
The Oak Ridge Boys credit Pace and Boyce.

One Ralph Stanley album credits A. L. Phipps, Adger M. Pace and R. Fisher Boyce, another 'traditional."

Alecia Nugent states 'public domain.'
---------------------------------------

Answers calls it a revivalist hymn and credits R. Fisher Boyce and Adger M. Pace.
Sheet Music plus sells the music arranged by Gaither; words are credited to Adger M. Pace and music to R. Fisher Boyce
I'll go along wih their calls.

Subject: Authorship: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 16 Dec 10 - 09:57 PM

I wish someone more knowledgeable about doing attributions for Wikipedia would set the record straight there about this song. Arthur Phipps is, as of now, the only one given any credit as author/composer of this song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: GUEST,children who want to sing for Christmas
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 09:51 PM

I was wondering if anyone has the sheet music for this?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Artful Codger
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 10:11 PM

According to this page, Boyce wrote the theme and Pace did a harmonic arrangement.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 07:22 PM

As the Old Time Times article points out, Boyce apparently sold the song & copyright back in the '40s. And in those days when someone sold a song s/he often also sold the copyright holder the right to put their name on it as songwriter.   But if the Boyce family did get the copyright back in 1967, why are Pace and/or Phipps still listed as the songwriter(s)?

Subject: Who wrote: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem?
From: Genie
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 07:14 PM

And on the album Bluegrass & Mountain Snow: A Mountain Christmas tracklist, the songwriter is also listed as
Arthur Leroy Phipps.

Subject: Composer: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 07:09 PM

This is weird.
Emmylou Harris has this song on a couple of albums with the notation ""Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" (Arthur L. Phipps) - 3:05."

Subject: Songwriter: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 07:05 PM

This website lists Adger M Pace as the sole lyricist/composer of Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem.

Same here at Songfinder/

Is this another case of a song collector putting his/her name on a published song as though s/he wrote it?

It's not just a matter of copyright ownership, because the 1967 copyright holder is given as Fischer Boyce.

And, here Amazon.com cites "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, revivalist hymn Composed by R. Fisher Boyce, Adger M. Pace with Chanticleer" on the tracklist of a Chanticleer Christmas album.

Subject: Lyr Add: BEAUTIFUL STAR OF BETHLEHEM (Pace/Boyce)
From: Genie
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 06:06 PM

I'm not sure why Adger Pace's name was added to the credits in the Shapenote hymnal. He doesn't seem to be mentioned anywhere else in this thread. Does anyone know what he contributed to to the music or lyrics to the song?



Martha, the lyrics you posted are almost identical to those posted earlier by Sorcha. ("Rest" rhymes better with "blest" but I kind of like the sense of the word "grace" better, in the last verse. And I think maybe whoever did the liner notes for Wynonna was probably an auditory speller who "folk processed" the line "the crown is won" into the rather oxymoronic "the crowd is one." *g*    But in all the variations posted here, there are some odd grammatical sequences, and if I cared about that, I'd probably sing it this way.

(Punctuation added to the lyrics.)

BEAUTIFUL STAR OF BETHLEHEM
(Adger M. Pace/R. Fisher Boyce)

O Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem,
Shining afar through shadows dim,
Giving the light for those who've long gone on
And guiding the wise men on their way
Unto the place where Jesus lay,
Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem, shine on.

Chorus:
O Beautiful Star (beautiful, beautiful star)
Of Bethlehem (of Bethlehem),
Shine upon us until the glory dawn (glory dawn).
Give us a light to light the way
Into the land of perfect day.
Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem, shine on.

O beautiful star, the hope of light
Guiding the pilgrim through the night
Over the mountains till the break of dawn
And into the light of perfect day,
And giving out a lovely ray,
Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem, shine on.

(Cho.)

O beautiful star, the hope of Grace
For the redeemed, the good and the blest
Yonder in glory when the crown is won,
Jesus is now the star divine;
Brighter and brighter He will shine.
Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem, shine on.

Subject: Lyr Add: BEAUTIFUL STAR OF BETHLEHEM (Pace/Boyce)
From: GUEST,marthabees
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 04:40 PM

I found the lyrics in a shape-note hymnal. They are likely more accurate than the ones found above, IMHO. And they are a bit more poetic.


BEAUTIFUL STAR OF BETHLEHEM
(Adger M. Pace/R. Fisher Boyce)

1. O beautiful star of Bethlehem,
Shining afar through shadows dim,
Giving the 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.

CHORUS: O beautiful star (beautiful, beautiful star) of Bethlehem (of Bethlehem),
Shine upon us until the glory dawn (glory dawn).
Give us a light to light the way
Into the land of perfect day.
Beautiful star of Bethlehem, shine on.

2. O beautiful star, the hope of light,
Guiding the pilgrim through the night,
Over the mountain 'til the break of dawn,
And into the light of perfect day,
It will give out a lovely ray.
Beautiful star of Bethlehem, shine on.

3. O beautiful star, the hope of rest
For the redeemed, the good and blest,
Yonder in glory when the crown is won,
For Jesus is now the star divine,
Brighter and brighter He will shine.
Beautiful star of Bethlehem, shine on.

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: JennieG
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 06:38 AM

Last night I sang this at a Christmas party, it was very well received. Never thought I would learn it in time but I managed, I had the words with me - next year I hope to not need them.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 05:47 AM

This YouTube features Emmylou Harris's "Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem," though it does not have her name in the YouTube title.

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: topical tom
Date: 10 Dec 08 - 08:35 AM

One of the most beautiful of Christmas songs. I especially love the versions by Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Judds.

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 10 Dec 08 - 06:43 AM

I'm in the middle of compiling the playlist for the next upload of Worlds of Trad Internet radio and, just a few minutes ago decided to pull something else out and use the Stanley's Beautiful Star of Behlehem instead. Needing a break from all the head banging, I logged onto Mudcat and was rather suprised to find this thread. Small World? Well it is Christmas after all.

You'll be able to hear the programme some time after mid-day Wednesday December 17th at http://www.live365.com/stations/oneworldmusic

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: JennieG
Date: 10 Dec 08 - 06:26 AM

Thanks Genie, that's about what I had worked out - but it's good to have confirmation!

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 10 Dec 08 - 12:39 AM

The chords are very easy, Jennie.

In the key of D, they are:

Oh beautiful st[D]ar of Bethlehem
Shining f[G]ar through shadows di[D]mmed
Giving the life for those who long have g[A]one [E] [A]
Guiding the w[D]ise men on their way
Unto the pl[G]ace where Jesus lay
Oh beautiful st[D]ar of Bethleh[G] em sh[A]ine o[D]n.

I modulate those chords a little but those are the basics.

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: JennieG
Date: 10 Dec 08 - 12:25 AM

What a lovely song, I have never heard it before. I can have a go at working out chords, or does anyone already have them?

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 09 Dec 08 - 04:09 PM

Anglo, as I understand it, when a songwriter sold a song to a publisher, back in the day, he or she not only sold the royalty rights but the right to official recognition as composer/lyricist.   I've read that this sort of thing happened with some country music songwriters back in the '40s and '50s.   They sold the rights to their compositions, which were then - legally - published with attribution to another songwriter (often the singer who recorded the song).   I think sometimes the record (no pun intended) was later set straight, with the help of intellectual property law specialists, but I doubt it always was.

One example I know of is the case of Bob Fletcher, who wrote the original poem that became Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In." Recent publications of that song do give Fletcher credit as co-lyricist, because of posthumous legal action on Fletcher's part, but older sheet music and records just list Porter as the songwriter, because the publishing company insisted on that.   (Check out "Don't Fence Me In" in the Forum.)

Genie

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Anglo
Date: 09 Dec 08 - 03:12 PM

We've mostly seen the song attributed to A.L. Phipps. Though not doubting the story posted above, I wonder how the attribution came to be.

E.G., here.

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 09 Dec 08 - 09:23 AM

Nowell Sing We Clear do it now, too. It's on their latest cd, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell.
They rocked the house with it the other night in Dublin, NH!

Allison

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 08 Dec 08 - 10:29 PM

Dale, thanks so much for posting that article about the composer, Boyce.

Here are several nice versions I've found on YouTube:

NC trio in Christmas concert

bluegrass dobro player sings

unknown singer/guitarist - lovely version

Billy & Willie Pollard's Country Gospel TV - 4/4 time

The Judds

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Saro
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 06:02 AM

Interstingly, this song also found its way into the "folk tradition", and was recorded as sung by Mr. J. W. Breazeal, Springfield, Missouri on April 27, 1958. You can find his version in the Max Hunter collection. The timing is a bit different but we love it, and as Craig Morgan Robson use it in our Christmas show, Summon Up the Sun. A good example fo the folk process at work.
Saro

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 05:49 PM

Must check out both Ralph's and Emmylou's versions.   I love this song too and now included it in my Christmas repertoire.

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Janie
Date: 24 Dec 05 - 05:47 AM

I particularly love Ralph Stanley's version. I can't remember for sure, but I think Keith Whitley was with him then and sang harmony. I suppose I should go look that up before posting--but hey, it's Cristmas Eve.

Janie

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Dec 05 - 04:53 AM

Beautiful article, thansk for psoting it. I love this song.

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 24 Dec 05 - 04:07 AM

When I said "sometime in the 30s" I should have indicated that was an assumption. The article says it was published in 1940, and I made what seemed a logical guess. It could have been earlier; I am pretty certain that the article I saw a few years ago gave a year, but I don't remember it.

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 24 Dec 05 - 03:53 AM

The source is a bit unusual, I would say. It was written by a Tennessee dairy farmer, R. Fisher Boyce sometime in the 30s and was first published in 1940. I used to have a very nice article with photographs from a Tennessee Dairy Association website, but I gave a copy to a friend, but it looks like I didn't keep it on file myself. It appears that the original has disappeared as I have looked for it several times over the past few years.

I did find this at http://www.nashvilleoldtime.org/Newsletters/December2004Newsletter.htm worth repeating here, I think. While not as complete as the article I had before, it is a good one. It may be from the same source, I can't say for sure.

Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

Few people today realize the popular Christmas song Beautiful Star of Bethlehem was written by the late R. Fisher Boyce in a Middle Tennessee milk barn in the early part of the 20th century. It would go on to become a seasonal standard performed by a variety of artists, and it would eventually be sung in the White House by The Judds during a nationally televised Bob Hope Christmas special.

Boyce was born in the tiny community of Link, located in southern Rutherford County, in November 1887. The third of six children, Boyce loved music and was singing solo and in quartets by the early 1900s. In the spring of 1910, he married Cora Carlton from the Rockvale community. They would become the parents of 11 children, five of whom lived to be adults. Only one daughter, Willie Ruth Eads, remains alive. Eads remembers singing as a great source of entertainment for their family.

"The neighbors would come in, and we'd all gather around our family piano," Boyce's daughter said. "My sister Nanny Lou (Taylor) would play, and we would sing way into the night."

In 1911, the young couple celebrated their first wedding anniversary and saw Boyce's song "Safe in His Love" published by the A.J. Showalter Company, one of the early publishers of shape note hymnals. As did many others from across the Southeast, Boyce later traveled to Lawrence burg, Tennessee, to attend one of the annual music normal schools conducted by the James D. Vaughan Publishing Company, which was founded around 1900. Vaughan was another major publisher of shape note hymnals.

After completing his studies, Boyce went on to teach shape note "singing schools" through-out the area. Rather than using standard music notation, this system assigned a tone on the musical scale to each of the distinctive geometrically shaped note heads. (See Darlyne Kent's article Old-Time Music Square Music in November's Old-Time Times.)

In 1940, the Vaughan Company published Boyce's song "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem." The song was printed in the company's song-book, Beautiful Praise. Later, the song would be republished in Vaughan's Favorite Radio Songs.
Dr. Charles Wolfe, a Middle Tennessee State University English professor and nationally recognized authority on the origins of traditional country and gospel music, said, Vaughan,s Favorite Radio Songs would be like a collection of greatest hits today. By the 1940s, radio was an important part of the American landscape and reached a vast audience. Vaughan salesmen would pitch the songs in this book to radio stations and quartets who performed on the stations in an effort to broaden their exposure.

Boyce wrote Beautiful Star of Bethlehem while the family was living on a dairy farm in the Plainview community, about two or three miles from what is now the Interstate 24 Buchanan Road Exit. The songwriter's son, the late Franklin Boyce, recalled in a 1996 interview that his dad said he couldn't concentrate in the house because of noise made by the children. He walked across the road to the barn to find the solitude he needed to write.

My father said the song was inspired by the Lord. Otherwise, how could he, a simple country man, ever write a song about such a glorious event in world history, Franklin Boyce asked.

When searching through some old papers, the family found a yellowed article clipped from The Daily News Journal, a newspaper in Murfreesboro. It had been written in the early 1960s. A story by Marie Chapman recounts the elder Boyce's recollection of how the song came to be written.

"I got up one Sunday morning to write it down, Boyce recalled. When his train of thought was interrupted by a member of the family who entered the room singing, he moved his pencil and pad to the barn, and there "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" was put on paper.

The words and melody got on my mind," Boyce told Chapman, "till I could hardly sleep at night." The humble farmer said he looked upon both the words and tune as gifts from God.

Dean Boyce, Franklin's wife, remembers how her late sister-in-law, Nanny Lou, talked about helping her father put down the music for the song. "I believe, she said, they worked all morning on the music at the piano, and it rained hard all the time they were working on it.

Nell McKee, a retired educator who lives in the Buchanan area, attended Mt. Carmel Baptist Church where Boyce was a deacon and song leader when the song was written. Now in her 90s, McKee still attends the same church and recalls that Boyce would sing the lead part and his wife would sing the harmony in her clear alto voice.

"Fisher and Cora would sometimes sing the song at church," McKee remembers. "Cora would weep every time they sang together. She was very proud of her husband for writing that song."

Ironically, the family has never received royalties from the song. As was commonplace during that time in history, the legal copyright became the property of the company that published the material. As a rule, the song-writers were paid a one-time fee. To make a living, Boyce taught private voice lessons and worked at a variety of jobs including dairy farming and insurance and nursery sales

During his later years, Boyce and his wife moved into town where he and a nephew, M. B. Carlton, were partners in the Ideal Fruit Market on West College Street. There, Boyce sold single copies of the song for a small amount of money.
Although he is often overlooked, Boyce is an important part of Tennessee's musical history. Wolfe said, With the exception of Uncle Dave Macon's music, Boyce's song is the most important musical composition to come out of Rutherford County.

Wolfe added that he thinks the earliest professional recording of the piece was per-formed by the John Daniel Quartet on their private Daniel label. Initially, this group had been one of the Vaughan Company's traveling quartets. The job of these traveling musical groups was to perform, for free, the Vaughan songbook compositions in churches through-out the Southeast and beyond so that congregations, once given a sampling of the music, would want to order songbooks.

In Daniel's case, the group became so popular that they soon struck out on their own and, in the 1940s, became one of the hit acts of the Grand Ole Opry. Interestingly, one of the early members of this foursome was West Tennessee native Gordon Stoker, who would go on to become a member of the Jordanaires, made famous for their work with Elvis.

The exposure the tune received from appearing in songbooks, combined with its performance on the Opry, propelled Boyce's song to new heights. Bluegrass great Ralph Stanley recorded the song. Later, Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs, the Judds, The Bishops, and others also cut it.

In 1993, the song was sung by Ben Speer and family on the Bill Gaither "Christmas Homecoming Video, and it continues to be performed in Gaither holiday concerts.

More recently, Beautiful Star of Bethlehem has been released by bluegrass entertainer Rhonda Vincent and country music's Patty Loveless.

According to family members, music was a part of Boyce's life until his last breath. Shortly before his passing in October 1968, as his family gathered around his bed, Boyce raised his arm and started beating out time, like he was leading a song. Daddy was singing Meet Me There just before he died, Eads remembers.
During this holiday season, the saga of a simple man and his music will shine on wherever Beautiful Star of Bethlehem is sung.

~Patsy Weiler

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Genie
Date: 24 Dec 05 - 01:26 AM

I'm looking for the source (composer?) of this song, too.   I think I've heard Emmylou do it, and I just heard a wonderful mp3 of Clay Aiken singing it in a Christmas concert in NC (though it's not the musical style usually associated with him). I'd love to hear Ralph Stanley do it, too. I just like to credit the songwriter(s) when I share songs with people, if I can.

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: GUEST,sandy
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 11:05 AM

I would like to know who first sang this song years ago when it was first writing or any of the first ones to sing this song, or if anyone knows how I may can find anything on the writting of this song, any help would be very helpful.

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Banjer
Date: 17 Dec 01 - 05:00 AM

Campbell Mercer and The Cumberland Highlanders do a very nice rendition of this song on their show. I get it on the Outdoor Channel at 6:30PM EST Saturday evenings. They do a lot of Bill Monroe music, since some of the Highlanders were members of Mr Monroe's band. Dr. Ralph Stanley, Ralph Stanley II and his son Nathan also make appearances on the show occasionally.

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Dec 01 - 11:35 PM

George, I've had some of that trouble too. If it seems that it doesn't take, I just get off line and then back on.....If it didn't take then I re submit. Easy for me because I have a cable modem. I copy before I get off line and it still saves it. Not so easy with a dial up connection, I think.My cable sometimes takes "as much as 15 seconds" to connect.......bad, huh? (grin)

bad Sorcha, bad Sorcha.....but, to get a record breaking answer with a clickie, EVERYTHING has to go right--you have to see the request in time, KNOW where to find the answer, Mudcat has to be fast, the Web has to be fast, and your connection has to be fast. I don't really expect to ever get an answer with a clickie within the same minute. If anybody ever does, it will be a fluke, just like my answer in one minute was.

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: GUEST,BigDaddy
Date: 16 Dec 01 - 11:24 PM

It's on Emmylou's "Light of the Stable" album. Chords and lyrics at Cowpie. Shine on...

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From:
Date: 16 Dec 01 - 11:22 PM

You did at that Sorcha. I was having problems getting the system to respond. It must have taken about 7 or 8 tries before it took.

Subject: RE: christmas song - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Dec 01 - 11:19 PM

Tammy, around this joint, 10 minutes is slower than molasses in January......glad it was the correct one. It's here now, for ever and ever in case you lose it again.