(band 13)
When the night is sweet with starlight, blessing all things below,
Wise men say it is a far light, traveling so long ago.
Thus when the great star all people could see
Shone the call to all the sages,
Wise men who followed knew this decree
Proclaimed was through all the ages.
Slowly, slowly, daughter of Eva, let your spirit be filled,
Lowly, lowly daughter of Eva, as your master has willed.
Slowly, slowly, daughter of Eva, let your story be told.
Holy, holy daughter of Eva, let your glory unfold.
(band 14)
Joy, health, love and peace be all here in this place.
By your leave we will sing concerning our king.
Our king is well dressed in the light of the blessed,
In a radiance so rare, no king can compare.
We have travelled many miles over hedges and stiles
In search of our king. Glad tidings we bring.
For the yuletide is near at the death of the year,
Bringing life ever new, and hope unto you.
Joy, health, love and peace be all here in this place.
And to all that hear us, may the good Lord cheer us.
(band 15)
Our Lord was of a woman born, sons of Adam, think you well.
Our Lord was of a woman born, so then let the women tell.
Woman’s body held the secret of the Son,
God and woman gave you bliss, all your bliss.
Oh sons of Adam, think on this.
Now Mary was a Hebrew maid, and betrothed to David’s line.
Now Mary was a Hebrew maid in the hills of Palestine.
The people watched her draw the water from the well,
Ah but none of them could see, couldn’t see
What Mary had been born to be.
(band 16)
She was born to be Maria. Ave Maria.
What do people say? What do God’s people say?
Adam, Moses, Samuel – tell me, what do they say?
They say, “I’m here, I’m here my Lord.
I am here, I am ready, thy will be done. Allelujah.
(band 17)
Meeting in the market, all that we want to know –
Who will be next marrying in Nazareth?
Saw her at the river, smiling at so-and-so –
Who will be next marrying in Nazareth?
Ay-li-lie, who will bid her family goodbye?
Ay-li-lie, dressed like Esther, elegant and shy?
Who’ll be a bride with servants to chide?
Who will bear the baby?
Oh, who’ll be a bride and sit down beside
Her husband as his lady?
Next year, Jerusalem! Then with children of our own!
Next year, Jerusalem! Then with pretty children of our own!
Who will be next marrying in Nazareth?
(band 18)
I’m chosen for a carpenter, someone here in Galilee.
I’m chosen for a carpenter, he’s a goodly man to see,
With the nails and wood to scar his handsome hands
When he comes to carry me, carry me,
My carpenter will carry me.
She’s chosen for a carpenter, well they all can’t be a king.
She’s chosen for a carpenter, not the most exciting thing.
But may she blessed bear the seed of Abraham,
May she covenanted be, three times three.
Your carpenter shall carry thee.
But who can nail the thunder down? Who can saw the sky in two?
But who can nail the thunder down? Who can drive the heavens through?
And when all the world is falling ‘round my head,
Who’ll come home and rescue me, rescue me?
Oh who will come and rescue me?
(band 19)
Who can tell? Who can tell where will come the one to rescue Israel?
Who can tell? Who can tell?
Because your eyes are narrow, on earth I seem an angel.
I bear the light inside me. My name is Gabriel.
Immortal hands will hold you. On earth their touch is music.
You’ll bear the sound inside you, like water in the well.
In the well, in the well, there’s a thirst in me the clearest water can’t dispel.
In the well, in the well.
The sky is blue above you, the blue goes on forever.
The people bow below it, they tremble as they pray.
Ave, ave Maria, who takes the sky upon you,
Who pulls it deep inside you, who bears the fear away.
You’ll be blessed, you’ll be blessed.
Soon you’ll see how you’ve been chosen for a quest.
You’ll be brave, please be brave.
There’s no life your own devotion cannot save.
Please, be brave.
(band 20)
No, never my Lord should I deny thee.
Here is your maid to magnify thee.
But you are most high – then what shall I be?
You have all heaven and I have nothing.
Only my hope to draw you nigh me,
Only my strength that you might try me,
Only my soul to glorify thee.
If I am the one, thy will be done,
Then let thy will be....
Oh my Lord, gentle my Lord, how to accept my life’s reward?
Oh my Lord, gentle my Lord, with all my joy so richly stored.
Oh my Lord, gentle my Lord, so much more than I could afford.
I lay awake at night, my skin is burning bright, I’m silver as your sword.
So come and turn me, turn me, in your hand.
Burn me, burn me, like a brand.
Be stern, be stern ‘til I understand
That I have been made with every good thing.
Made with hope to draw you nigh me,
Made with strength that you might try me,
Made with hope to glorify thee.
If I am the one, thy will be done,
Then let thy will be done. Alleluja.
(band 21)
Slowly, slowly, daughter of Eva, let your spirit be filled.
Lowly, lowly daughter of Eva, as your master has willed.
Slowly, slowly, daughter of Eva, let your story unfold.
Holy, holy daughter of Eva, let your glory be told.
Alleluja, for we were alone. None could tell when hell should name us.
Alleluja, for flesh and bone of thy birth has worth to claim us.
Hear us, hear us, son of Maria, hear us cry unto thee.
Be near us, near us, son of Maria, show us what we might be.
Son of all heaven, Lord of all light,
Slave and master and prophet and dreamer,
Manna in the day and fire in the night,
Truth confessed, our blessed redeemer.
Oh Jesu my king, oh Jesu my child,
My heart shall sing thee how all heaven smiled.
Oh Jesu my life, oh Jesu my joy,
My heart shall sing thee for pride in my boy.
Oh Jesu my soul, oh Jesu my breath,
This love I bring thee is stronger than death. Alleluja.
(band 22)
The sky is dark above you, the dark goes on forever.
The people search for starlight. The star has moved away.
It leads you from your warm home to where you least expect it,
It leads to where you can’t accept it without the faith to say:
Starlight, starbright, star of heavenly height.
Where will you lead us? Will you lead us, Osanna, if we follow thee?
Starlight, starbright, star of heavenly height.
How will we know to find you? How will we know in this world of woe
Where to find you, oh thou promised one.
Oh come, oh come, rescue Israel. Rescue all the world,
Not a world of woe but a heaven on earth.
Osanna in excelsis.
Starlight in winter night, so high the sky above thee,
How weak and weary is the world below thee,
Oh thou promised one, here we wander, wander,
Wander searching for thee.
Starlight, starbright, star of heavenly height
Dona nobis pacem.
(band 23)
Allelu, allelu, what is the world a-coming to? Now the year is nearly through?
Now the old is made a new will and testament, from earth to heaven sent
In flesh and blood like you.
Sing alleluja to a world of wonder, ‘leluja to a sweet surrender,
‘leluja to a Lord so tender, ‘leluja to a God of thunder.
Alleluja, Lord so tender. Alleluja, world of wonder.
Alleluja, sweet surrender. Alleluja, God of thunder.
God most high of a sweet protection,
My God who leads in a strange direction,
My God who guides me to perfection.
If I am the one, thy will be done.
Oh let thy will be...
(band 24)
When the night is sweet with starlight, then our journey’s begun.
When the night is sweet with our light, then our journey is done.
Oh sons of Adam, think again. Amen.
(band 25)
Praise to his father, praise to his family, Mary and Ann and Elizabeth.
Whose blood made Jesus a member of Jewry? Mary and Ann and Elizabeth.
Ay-li-lie, who gave their God the obedient reply?
Ay-li-lie, who said, “Jehovah, here am I”?
With Christmas in sight, for our saviour’s delight,
You do him honour when you recite: Mary and Ann and Elizabeth.
His birthday will fall as a blessing on us all,
So do him honour when you recall Mary and Ann and Elizabeth.
This year in Bethlehem we do him an honour of our own:
Starlight to sunlight in Nazareth.
top