Gather Around The Christmas Tree

Original Title: The Christmas Tree

Words and Music: Rev. John H. Hopkins, Jr. (1820-1891)
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML

Source: John H. Hopkins, Jr., Carols, Hymns and Songs. New York: Church Book Depository, 1863.

Hopkins also wrote Three Kings Of Orient and other musical works

To Be Sung Before The Distribution Of Gifts

1. Gather around the Christmas Tree!
Gather around the Christmas Tree!
    Ever-green
    Have its branches been,
It is king of all the woodland scene;
For Christ our King is born today!
His reign shall never pass away.

Refrain
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!

2. Gather around the Christmas Tree!
Gather around the Christmas Tree!
    Once the pride
    Of the mountain side,
Now cut down to grace our Christmas-tide;
For Christ from heav'n to earth came down,
To gain, through death, a nobler crown. Refrain

3. Gather around the Christmas Tree!
Gather around the Christmas Tree!
    Ev'ry bough
    Has a burden now,
They are gifts of love for us, we trow.
For Christ is born, His love to show,
And give good gifts to men below. Refrain

4. Gather around the Christmas Tree!
Gather around the Christmas Tree!
    Tapors bright
    In the branches light,
Till our eyes all shine at the goodly sight,
For Christ, our Light, is born to-day,
His glory ne'er shall fade away. Refrain.

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To Be Sung After The Distribution Of Gifts

5. Farewell to thee, O Christmas tree!
Farewell to thee, O Christmas tree!
    Thy part is done,
    And thy gifts are gone,
And thy lights are dying one by one:
For earthly pleasures die to-day,
But heavenly joys shall last alway. Refrain.

6. Farewell to thee, O Christmas tree!
Farewell to thee, O Christmas tree!
    Twelve months o’er,
    We shall meet once more,
Merry welcome singing, as of yore,
For Christ now reigns, our Savior dear,
And gives us Christmas every year!
        Hosanna, Hosanna,
    Hosanna in the highest!

Sheet Music from Hopkins, Carols, Hymns and Songs (1863)

Sheet Music from John Clark Hollister, ed., Chants, Carols, and Tunes: A Supplement To The Sunday-School Service and Tune Book (New York: E. P. Dutton and Company, 1863, 1865), Supplement pp. 24-5.

Sheet music from A. B. Goodrich, ed., A New Service And Tune Book For Sunday Schools (New York: Gen. Prot. Episc. S. S. Union and Church Book Society, 1863, New Edition, Enlarged, 1866), #148, pp. 134-5.

The sheet music below is from Rev. Charles Lewis Hutchins, Carols Old and Carols New (Boston: Parish Choir, 1916), Carol # 469
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML

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