James’ Thought Spot

The song was first published with two verses in an Evangelical Lutheran Sunday School collection, Little Children’s Book for Schools and Families (1885), edited by James R. Murray (1841-1905), where it simply bore the title “Away in a Manger” and was set to a tune called “St. Kilda,” credited to J.E. Clark.

Wikipedia. I know you heard it was Martin Luther  but It was originally made by James R. Murray. It may be attributed to Martin for publicity. The tune is Mueller.

Away in a manger,
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head

The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes

I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side,
‘Til 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 take us to heaven
To live with Thee there

Yeah yeah I missed a day. So sue me. These two are similar in many ways. For one they are both about angels. For two they commonly share the same tune.

Angels we have heard on high:

This is a traditional French carol that was translated into English by Bishop James Chadwick. Bishop Chadwicks’ translation was published in his Holy Family Hymns in 1860.

For once NOT wikipedia. No theirs was terribly written so I borrowed from about.com.

Now that’s pretty much it… no everybody else stole it from wikipedia. It’s original name was Les Anges dans nos campagnes meaning Angels in our countryside. It is sung to the tune Gloria.

{sry video later}

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.

Refrain

Glo-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-O-ri-a, in excelsis Deo!
Glo-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-O-ri-a, in excelsis Deo!

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

Refrain

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

Refrain

See Him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise.

Refrain

Angels From the Realms Of Glory

Well it was written by James Montgomery pre-1816 but it was not popularized till 1825. It has two main tunes. If you go to to the U.S. You will find it with it’s own tune called Regent Square. But In the UK it’s sung to what is called Iris but I just mentioned it as Gloria in the Angels we have heard on high summary. Strange that the same tune has different names even though it’s the tune that is being specifically named not the song.  I have no idea why. As I also am confounded why they use the same tune for different songs and yet (in the UK) when they sing it the chorus is exactly the same. But enough.

{Video coming soon maybe}

Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story,
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth:
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant Light;
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great desire of nations,
Ye have seen His natal star;
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Saints before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear:
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

“Like so many early Christmas songs, this carol was written as a direct reaction to the music of the fifteenth century church,” writes Ace Collins, in Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. However, in the as-yet earliest known publication of the carol on a circa 1760 broadsheet, it is described as a “new Christmas carol,” suggesting its origin is actually in the mid-18th century. It appeared again among “new carols for Christmas” in another 18th-century source, a chapbook believed to be printed between 1780-1800. In 1833 it appeared in Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern, a collection of seasonal carols gathered by William B. Sandys. The author is unknown.

Look you type out a completely original article, when three people are bugging you, in a small time frame. EVERY DAY. So I took this from Wikipedia and verified the facts. then I put it in quotes and attribute it to Wikipedia. I settled for less in quality for the video though. very few of the verses. Enjoy I’ll try to have something better tomorrow. Fine, if you must have something else it is one of the oldest carols and it was sung to soldiers at Christmas. It was also referenced in “A Christmas Carol” Ok? Ok?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBX3EGlroF4&feature=related

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

In Bethlehem, in Israel,
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same:
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

“Fear not then,” said the Angel,
“Let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Saviour
Of a pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan’s power and might.”
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway
The Son of God to find.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

And when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Saviour lay,
They found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His Mother Mary kneeling down,
Unto the Lord did pray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

We Three Kings is a Christmas carol written by the Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr., who wrote both the lyrics and the music. It is suggested to have been written in 1857 but did not appear in print until his Carols, Hymns and Song in 1863…

hmm what else does the wiki say?… It was originally used in a Christmas pageant… Author was a musician. What does the interwebz say?… Same… same… Oh he was stained glass window designer. Now about the song… Nothing. That’s it. I’ll insert my own then. The verses display a different wise man and his gift. The first verse telling who they are and why they make a trek. The second verse showing the gold, marking a king. The third verse showing frankincense, marking the Deity. And the fourth verse has myrrh, a spice they put on a dead man’s body, showing sacrifice. The last verse is the ending of their journey. that’s it. No funny comment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHf1p3C8iVw

The video has all but the middle verse. average audio but I like it.

We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy Perfect Light

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to rein

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Pray’r and praising, all men raising
Worship Him, God most high

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes of life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Glorious now behold Him arise
King and God and Sacrifice
Alleluia, Alleluia
Earth to heav’n replies

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light