Christmas-time
(FESTIVAL)
Embedded Files
1 Christmas-time is on the way,
with angels let us sing.
Lying on a bed of hay
is our redeemer king.
All glory be to God in heaven
and peace be to the Earth.
Come with joy to Bethlehem
and celebrate his birth!
2 Christ was born on Christmas Day,
and shepherds heard the news.
Setting off without delay
they followed up the clues.
They found the place where Mary wrapped
in cloths her little one.
Come with joy to Bethlehem
and see God’s Saviour Son!
3 With the dawn of Christmas Day
God’s reign of love begins.
Jesus’ light reveals the way
to freedom from our sins.
He came to die upon a cross
and lives for evermore.
Come with joy to Bethlehem
to thank him and adore!
~~~
Tune: FESTIVAL
Metre: 7.6.7.6.8.6.7.6 Key: E♭
words © Emma Turl (admin. by ChurchSongs.co.uk)
CCLI: 7211073
music © John Turl (admin. by ChurchSongs.co.uk)
CCLI: 7211075
Keyboard Demo:
Instrumental Performance:
Sources: Malachi 4:2; Luke 2:6-18; John 8:12; 2 Corinthians 9:15; 1 Peter 2:24-25
Themes: angels, birth of Jesus, glory, good news, praise, reign of love, salvation, shepherds, thanksgiving
In 1987 John set a beautiful old Easter hymn to new music, and soon afterwards I wrote my lyric "Jesus Christ is risen" to the same tune, RESURRECTION. Then he suggested I might also write words for Christmas to sing to that melody, so "Jesus Christ is born today'" emerged - a prequel to the earlier hymn, relating how at Jesus' birth a new light dawned to guide our steps into the path of peace with God our Father through his Son's victory on the cross. The carol was taken up by a singing group of young people at our church, and later at the Christmas assembly of a nearby secondary school. Eventually I revised the words, aiming to make the song a little more relevant to all ages. The number of verses was reduced, the language simplified and the season extended from Christmas Day to Christmas-time. By then the name of the tune had become FESTIVAL.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse