This edition was prepared by Douglas Walczak — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Carol for Christmas Eve
Staff Notation • Sacred, Christmas
Preview
0
0
Subscribed as
Want Sunday picks sent to another address too?
Free weekly email
Your choir should not be left out in what's trending
Sunday mass selections, psalms, and trending songs in your area — straight to your inbox.
Carol for Christmas Eve by Frederick A. Ouseley — Lyrics
1. Listen, Lordings, unto me, a tale I will you tell;
Which, as on this night of glee, in David’s town befel.
Joseph came from Nazareth, with Mary that sweet maid:
Weary were they, nigh to death; and for a lodging pray’d
Chorus
Sing high, sing high, sing low, sing low,
Sing high, sing low, sing to and fro.
Go tell it out with speed,
Cry out and shout all round that,
That Christ is born indeed.
2. In the Inn they found no room; a scanty bed they made:
Read full lyrics
About Carol for Christmas Eve
Frederick Arthur Gore Ouseley, a notable figure in nineteenth-century church music, composed this evocative Carol for Christmas Eve. Written for SATB choir, the piece is set in English and draws on the traditional narrative of Christ's birth. The lyrics recount the familiar story of Joseph and Mary's arrival in Bethlehem, their search for shelter, and the humble circumstances of the Nativity. The text emphasizes the divine nature of the infant Jesus, presenting Him as a saviour for all humanity, and concludes with the joyous proclamation of His birth. The carol's structure incorporates a lively chorus that urges the 'singing' of this good news far and wide.
