Christmas Carols

Christmas Carols

This Christmas season we are getting together to sing carols at each of our three churches — about an hour of the songs everyone knows, with guitars to carry the tune, and hot cocoa and cookies the whole time.

Where & when

  • Holy Mother & Child Parish — date & time TBD
  • St. Joseph's Church — date & time TBD
  • St. Paul's — date & time TBD

Dates and times will be posted here once the schedule is set.

The songbook

The set list on the left has all thirteen carols — click one to see its sheet music with lyrics and guitar chords. You can print any single song, or print the entire songbook and bring it with you.

Deck the Halls

Welsh traditional (Nos Galan, 16th c.)

Go, Tell It on the Mountain

African-American spiritual, arr. John W. Work Jr.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

English traditional, 16th c.

Good King Wenceslas

Melody: Tempus Adest Floridum, 13th c. Words: John Mason Neale, 1853

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Felix Mendelssohn, 1840. Words: Charles Wesley, 1739

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

Richard S. Willis, 1850. Words: Edmund H. Sears, 1849

Jingle Bells

James Lord Pierpont, 1857
2. A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride,
And soon Miss Fanny Bright was seated by my side;
The horse was lean and lank, misfortune seemed his lot,
He got into a drifted bank and then we got upsot. Oh! (Chorus)

Joy to the World

George F. Handel, arr. Lowell Mason, 1839. Words: Isaac Watts, 1719

O Come, All Ye Faithful

John Francis Wade, c. 1743 (Adeste Fideles)

O Holy Night

Adolphe Adam, 1847 (Cantique de Noël). Words: John S. Dwight
2. Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother, and in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we; let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever! His power and glory evermore proclaim!

Silent Night

Franz Xaver Gruber, 1818. Words: Josef Mohr, tr. John F. Young

The First Noel

English traditional, 17th c.

We Three Kings of Orient Are

John Henry Hopkins Jr., 1857