Thursday, December 22, 2016

The Sussex Carol - Blog Caroling with footnoteMaven

Again this December footnoteMaven has invited us to Blog Carol by posting our favorite Christmas carol.  Thank you, fM!

My favorite changes each year but is always the carol with the tune that dances in my mind or with lyrics that twirl in my brain.

This year I've chosen "The Sussex Carol," also known (at least to me) as "On Christmas Night All Christians Sing."  It may have been composed as early as the late 1600s and several variations of the lyrics exist.  The ones with this post were collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams, probably in the early 1900s.  Below is the 2008 Choir of King's College singing the carol.  The lyrics follow.  I hope you sing along and enjoy.



                                       The Sussex Carol

                         On Christmas night all Christians sing
                         To hear the news the angels bring.
                         News of great joy, news of great mirth,
                         News of our merciful King's birth.

                         Then why should men on earth be so sad,
                         Since our Redeemer made us glad,
                         When from our sin he set us free,
                         All for to gain our liberty?

                         When sin departs before His grace,
                         Then life and health come in its place.
                         Angels and men with joy may sing
                         All for to see the new-born King.

                         All out of darkness we have light,
                         Which made the angels sing this night:
                         "Glory to God and peace to men,
                         Now and for evermore, Amen!"


Come carol with other family history bloggers.  Click through to footnoteMaven's post, fM's Tradition of Blog Caroling, where you can find links to others' favorites in the comments.

I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas!

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.  .

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