Scripture Verse

There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 2:8–9

Introduction

portrait
Louis Benson (1855–1930)

Words: Lou­is F. Ben­son, in The School Hym­nal (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Pres­by­ter­ian Board of Pub­li­ca­tion and Sab­bath-School Work, 1899), num­ber 62.

Music: Kings­fold, Eng­lish tune. Ar­ranged by Ralph Vaugh­an Will­iams, 1906 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
Ralph Vaughan Williams
(1872–1958)

Lyrics

O sing a song of Beth­le­hem,
Of shep­herds watch­ing there,
And of the news that came to them
From an­gels in the air.
The light that shone on Beth­le­hem
Fills all the world to­day;
Of Je­sus’ birth and peace on earth
The an­gels sing al­way.

O sing a song of Na­za­reth,
Of sun­ny days of joy;
O sing of frag­rant flow­ers’ breath,
And of the sin­less Boy.
For now the flow­ers of Na­za­reth
In ev­ery heart may grow;
Now spreads the fame of His dear name
On all the winds that blow.

O sing a song of Ga­li­lee,
Of lake and woods and hill,
Of Him who walked up­on the sea
And bade the waves be still.
For though like waves on Ga­li­lee,
Dark seas of trou­ble roll,
When faith has heard the Mas­ter’s word,
Falls peace up­on the soul.

O sing a song of Cal­va­ry,
Its glo­ry and dis­may,
Of Him who hung up­on the tree,
And took our sins away.
For He who died on Cal­va­ry
Is ris­en from the grave,
And Christ, our Lord, by Hea­ven ad­ored,
Is migh­ty now to save.