1. |
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Hark to the bells on Christmas day,
From the church on the hill above,
Telling the birth of our saviour dear,
With his message of truth and love.
Chorus
Oh the merry bells of Christmas,
Ring the sound so sweet and gay,
May you know true joy and gladness,
On every Christmas day.
Born in a stable cold and bare,
With a manger for his bed,
Mary and shepherds on holy ground,
In that lowly cattle shed.
Chorus
Carols and choirs will fill the air,
With this joyful song of peace,
And there is joy on earth today,
With this song that will not cease.
Chorus
Peace to the world and peace to men,
Is the song our dear bells ring,
Nations will follow on earth below,
With this song the angels sing.
Chorus x 2
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2. |
Cornish Wassailing
05:06
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Oh Mistress at your door,
Our wassail now begins,
Come open your door,
And let us come in.
Chorus
For the wassail, wassail, wassail,
Great joy to our jolly wassail,
For the wassail, wassail, wassail,
Great joy to our jolly wassail.
To Mistress and to Sir,
Sitting by the fire,
While we poor wassailers,
Travel through mires.
Chorus
To Mistress and to Sir,
Sitting at your ease,
With hands in your pockets,
To give what you please.
Chorus
Come men and maidens all,
I pray you now draw near,
Come fill up our bowls,
With cider and beer.
Chorus
Watch our faces now,
As we smile at our flowing bowls,
We started with nought,
But soon we’ll be full.
Chorus
To you we wish you peace,
And a long, long time to live,
Because you’re so free,
And willing to give.
Chorus
We wish you Christmas cheer,
And to you a happy new year,
With plenty of money,
And barrels of beer.
Chorus x 2
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3. |
Sunny Bank
03:54
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As I sat on a sunny bank,
A sunny bank, a sunny bank,
As I sat on a sunny bank,
On Christmas day in the morning.
Chorus
On Christmas day, on Christmas day,
On Christmas day in the morning.
I saw three ships come sailing in,
Come sailing in, sailing in,
I saw three ships come sailing in,
On Christmas day in the morning.
Chorus
And who do you think was in them all,
In them all, in them all,
Who do you think was in them all,
On Christmas day in the morning.
Chorus
Oh he did whistle and she did sing,
She did sing, she did sing,
He did whistle and she did sing,
On Christmas day in the morning.
Chorus
And all the bells on earth will ring,
Earth will ring, Earth will ring,
All the bells on earth will ring,
On Christmas day in the morning.
Chorus
Angels all in heaven will sing,
Heaven will sing, heaven will sing,
Angels all in heaven will sing,
On Christmas day in the morning.
Chorus
And all the souls on earth will sing,
Earth will sing, Earth will sing,
All the souls on earth will sing,
On Christmas day in the morning.
Chorus
Repeat first verse
Chorus x 2
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4. |
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Sleigh bells ring are you listening,
In the lane snow is glistening,
A beautiful sight, happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
Gone away is the bluebird,
Here to stay is the new bird,
He sings a love song as we go along,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown,
He’ll say are you married we’ll say no man,
But you can do the job when you’re in town.
Later on we’ll conspire,
As we dream by the fire,
And face unafraid the plans that we made,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
And pretend that he’s a circus clown,
We’ll have lots of fun with Mr. Snowman,
Until the other kiddies knock him down.
When it snows ain’t it thrilling,
Though your nose gets a chilling,
We’ll frolic and play the eskimo way,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
And pretend that he is Parson Brown,
He’ll say are you married, we’ll say no man,
But you can do the job when you’re in town.
Sleigh bells ring are you listening,
In the lane snow is glistening,
A beautiful sight, happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
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5. |
Little Bilberry
04:44
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Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to a newborn king,
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With the angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Beautiful Zion heaven above,
Beautiful city that I love,
Beautiful gates of pearly white,
Beautiful city full of light.
Repeat first verse.
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6. |
Dilly Carol
05:14
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Come I will sing you,
Green grow the rushes oh,
I’ll sing you one oh,
Down among the rushes oh,
One is one and all alone,
And evermore will be so.
Come I will sing you,
Green grow the rushes oh,
I’ll sing you two oh,
Down among the rushes oh,
Two of them were lily babes,
Dressed all in green oh,
Two of them were lily babes,
Dressed all in green oh.
Come I will sing you,
Green grow the rushes oh,
I’ll sing you three oh,
Down among the rushes oh,
Three of them were strangers,
Come to see the babe oh,
Three of them were strangers,
Come to see the babe oh.
Come I will sing you,
Green grow the rushes oh,
I’ll sing you four oh,
Down among the rushes oh,
Four the four evangelists,
There among the green oh,
Four the four evangelists,
There among the green oh.
Come I will sing you,
Green grow the rushes oh,
I’ll sing you five oh,
Down among the rushes oh,
Five the ferryman in the boat,
Sailing on the sea oh,
Five the ferryman in the boat,
Sailing on the sea oh.
Come I will sing you,
Green grow the rushes oh,
I’ll sing you six oh,
Down among the rushes oh,
Six the gospel preacher,
With stories all to tell oh,
Six the gospel preacher,
With stories all to tell oh.
Come I will sing you,
Green grow the rushes oh,
I’ll sing you seven oh,
Down among the rushes oh,
Seven the stars up in the sky,
Shining there above oh,
Seven the stars up in the sky,
Shining there above oh.
Come I will sing you,
Green grow the rushes oh,
I’ll sing you eight oh,
Down among the rushes oh,
Eight is for the morning break,
When all the world’s awake oh,
Eight is for the morning break,
When all the world’s awake oh.
Come I will sing you,
Green grow the rushes oh,
I’ll sing you nine oh,
Down among the rushes oh,
Nine is for the dilly bird,
Never seen but heard oh,
Nine is for the dilly bird,
Never seen but heard oh.
Come I will sing you,
Green grow the rushes oh,
I’ll sing you ten oh,
Down among the rushes oh,
Ten the hand of kindness,
Ten begins again oh,
Ten the hand of kindness,
Ten begins again oh.
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7. |
Cold Winter
05:31
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All hail to the days that merit more praise,
Than all the rest of the year,
And welcome the nights
that double delights,
As well for the poor as the peer,
Good fortune attend each
merry man’s friend,
That does but the best that he may,
Forgetting all wrongs with music and song,
To drive the cold winter away,
To drive the cold winter away.
Tis’ ill for a mind to anger inclined,
To think of small injuries now,
If it’s wrath that you seek don’t
lend her your cheek,
Nor let her inhibit thy brow,
Cast out of thy books malevolent looks,
That both beauty and youth will decay,
And wholly consort with
mirth and with sport,
To drive the cold winter away,
To drive the cold winter away.
This time of the year is spent in good cheer,
And neighbours together do meet,
Oh to sit by the fire with friendly desire,
Each other in love for to greet,
Old grudges forgot are put in the pot,
All sorrows beside them will lay,
And the old and the young
will carol this song,
To drive the cold winter away,
To drive the cold winter away.
When Christmas tide comes in like bride,
With holly and ivy clad,
Twelve days of the year is
spent in good cheer,
And every household is glad,
The country guise is then to devise,
Some gambols of Christmas to play,
And every young man does
the best that he can,
To drive the cold winter away,
To drive the cold winter away.
Repeat first verse
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8. |
The Christmas Goose
05:03
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It was in a pub in Manchester
the Cornstalks was the sign,
A famous pub where travellers
they used to sleep and dine,
One Christmas time a traveller
so long had been his use,
Called to spend his holidays and
choose his Christmas goose.
Chorus
All around the greenwood
so early in the morn,
The merry, merry huntsman
blows his silver bugle horn.
He drank his pint of sherry
wine and smoked a mild cigar,
He chatted with the customers
and people in the bar,
And not a thought of wickedness
ere entered in his head,
Until the chambermaid appeared
to light him up to bed.
Chorus
But then he grew so amorous
he squeezed her on the stairs,
He kissed her at the chamber
door before he said his prayers,
He gave to her a guinea to
prevent her being vexed,
Then he blew the candle out
and you can guess the rest.
Chorus
Next morning this lothario
discharged his little bill,
Put on his boots and paid
the landlord for his parting gill,
But where he went to afterwards
it’s not for me to say,
Suffice he came to choose his
goose upon next Christmas day.
Chorus
Next Christmas time it came around
which filled his heart with glee,
He’d wandered round from town to
town and strange things did he see,
‘Til he ended up in Manchester
and put up for the night,
At the Cornstalks which the year
before had filled him with delight.
Chorus
He went into the coffee room
so jaunty as could be,
Where many a fella like himself
was waiting for his tea,
He ordered of the very best
the landlord could produce,
And called the waiter back to say,
“and don’t forget the goose”.
Chorus
Right speedily a tray appeared
with eatables galore,
And by the very chambermaid
he’d kissed the year before,
But nothing loth, he raised the
cloth where on a heap was piled,
Instead of eatables there was
a big fat bumping child.
Chorus
Enraged at seeing the others laugh,
“what’s this here?” said he,
“Come sit you down beside me
and I’ll tell you sir” said she,
“Last Christmas you were generous,
pray do not look so strange,
You gave to me guinea now I’ve
brought to you your change”.
Chorus x 2
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9. |
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We singers make bold as in days of old,
To celebrate Christmas
and bring you good cheer,
Glad tidings we bring to you and your king,
And we wish you a merry
Christmas and a happy new year.
Chorus
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas
and a happy new year.
The shepherds amazed as
upwards they gazed,
Behold holy angels to them drawing near,
Bring peace to all men
as onwards they came,
And we wish you a merry
Christmas and a happy New Year.
Chorus
So join heart and hand
across this great land,
In hope, peace and kindness
throughout the new year,
In an innocent way be happy today,
And we wish you a merry
Christmas and a happy New Year.
Chorus x 2
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10. |
Mount Lyngham
03:49
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While shepherds watched
their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the lord came down,
And glory shone around,
And glory shone around,
And glory shone, glory shone,
Glory shone around.
Fear not said he, for mighty dread,
Had seized their troubled minds,
Had seized their troubled minds,
Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
To you and all mankind,
To you and all mankind,
To you and all, you and all,
You and all mankind.
To you in David’s town this day,
Is born of David’s line,
Is born of David’s line,
The saviour who is Christ the lord,
And this shall be the sign,
This shall be the sign,
This shall be, this shall be,
This shall be the sign.
All glory be to God on high,
And to the earth be peace,
And to the earth be peace,
Goodwill henceforth from
heaven to men,
Begin and never cease,
Begin and never cease,
Begin and not, begin and not,
Begin and never cease.
Repeat first verse
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11. |
The Frost Is All Over
03:57
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When the frost is all over
and the fresh morning dew,
Hangs perfectly still there
with its fresh morning hue,
And the blackbirds and thrushes
they are shy with their rhyme,
There you’ll find me, love beside
me, at this Christmas time,
There you’ll find me, love beside
me, at this Christmas time.
When the frost is all over and
the trees shed their tones,
A cold blanket of beauty
encasing their bones,
And the blackbirds and thrushes
to the pale sun they climb,
There you’ll find me, love beside
me, at this Christmas time,
There you’ll find me, love beside
me, at this Christmas time.
When the frost is all over and
the stream craves the sea,
There are no second glances
as it gurgles with glee,
And the blackbirds and thrushes
they hear the bells chime,
There you’ll find me, love beside
me, at this Christmas time,
There you’ll find me, love beside
me, at this Christmas time.
When the frost is all over and
the fresh morning dew,
Hangs perfectly still there with
its fresh morning hue,
And the blackbirds and thrushes
they are old friends of mine,
There you’ll find me, love beside
me, at this Christmas time,
There you’ll find me, love beside
me, at this Christmas time
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Kate Rusby England, UK
Forever proud to call herself a folk singer, Kate celebrates her own 50 yrs with her 'Established 1973'
tours.
2022 marked 30 yrs as a professional musician with the album 30:Happy Returns
Hand Me Down (2020) was her highest-charting album.
Named in the Top 10 Folk Voices of the Century and a Mercury Prize in 1999
Yorkshire roots the carols in her Christmas tour.
... more
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