On Christmas Night, All Christians Sing

The Batchelar Broadside

For Christmas

Words: On Christmas Night All Christians Sing, Attributed to Bishop Luke Waddinge (1628- ca. 1691), Bishop of Ferns, Ireland
A Smale Garland of Pious and Godly Songs (Ghent, 1684)

This is one of many variants of this carol;
See On Christmas Night - Notes and On Christmas Night - Sheet Music.

Six verses of 4 lines.

Music: English Traditional

Printed by: T. Batchelar, 115, Long Alley, Moorfields
between between 1817 and 1828

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

The King of Kings, of earth and heaven
The King of angels and of men
Angels and men with joy may sing,
All for to see their new born King

Angels with joy sing in the air
That Christ man's ruin may repair:
And prisoners in their chains rejoice,
To hear the echo of their voice.

And now on earth can man be sad?
Our Reformer's come to make us glad.
From sin and death to set us free,
And for to buy our liberty.

Now sin depart, behold his grace,
And death, his life comes in thy place:
And now thou may'st thy terror see,
And power great must conquer'd be.

From out of darkness we have light,
Which makes all angels sing this night
Glory to God and peace to men,
Both now and ever more. Amen.

The Batchelar Broadside

Note:

Mentioned by Cecil Sharp in the note to this carol in his English Folk Ballads. See: On Christmas Night.

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