Scripture Verse

The angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. Luke 1:26–27

Introduction

Words: Tra­di­tion­al car­ol from Sus­sex, Eng­land. Sung by Mum­mers, called in Sus­sex Tip­teer­ers, af­ter their play of St. George, the Turk and the Se­ven Cham­pi­ons of Chris­ten­dom. Words put in­to shape from two ve­ry il­li­ter­ate ver­sions writ­ten down from me­mo­ry by two of the ac­tors.

Music: Ar­ranged by H. F. Birch Rey­nard­son in Sus­sex Songs (Po­pu­lar Songs of Sus­sex) (Lon­don: Stan­ley Lu­cas, We­ber, 1890), num­ber 1 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

A glo­ri­ous angel from Hea­ven came
Unto the vir­gin maid;
Strange news and tid­ings of great joy
The hum­ble Ma­ry had,
The hum­ble Ma­ry had.

Each mor­tal man re­mem­bers well,
When Christ came down from Heav’n,
’Twas for our sins and wick­ed ways
His pre­cious blood was giv’n,
His pre­cious blood was giv’n.

Each mor­tal man re­mem­bers well,
When Christ was put to scorn;
He was taken to the judg­ment seat
And crown­èd with the thorn,
And crown­èd with the thorn.

Each mor­tal man re­mem­bers well,
When Christ our Sav­ior died,
He was cru­ci­fied up­on the tree,
With thieves on ei­ther side,
With thieves on ei­ther side.

Each mor­tal man re­mem­bers well,
How Christ died on the rood,
’Twas for our sins and wick­ed ways,
Christ shed His pre­cious blood,
Christ shed His pre­cious blood.

Each mor­tal man re­mem­bers well,
When Christ was wrapped in clay,
He was tak­en to a se­pul­cher
Where ne­ver man did lay,
Where ne­ver man did lay.

God bless your house, your child­ren, too,
Your cat­tle and your store;
The Lord in­crease you day by day,
And give you more and more,
And give you more and more.

illustration
Ecce Ancilla Domini!
Dante G. Rossetti, 1850