Best Loved Christmas Carols, Readings and Poetry

Best Loved Christmas Carols, Readings and Poetry
Martin Manser

A collection of favourite Christmas carols, poetry and readings – a perfect Christmas gift.This is an ideal Christmas gift, and is packed full of all of your favourite Christmas poems, carols and readings – both traditional and modern.150 much-loved poems, carols and readings have been hand-picked, and arranged alphabetically so that they can be easily found. Each item is introduced with a brief history to the piece and its author, helpfully placing it in context.The pieces are also accompanied by a complete set of indexes which detail first lines, themes, Bible references (where applicable) and authors so that the much-loved works are thoroughly cross referenced and can be found with ease.

Best-Loved Christmas Carols, Readings and Poetry

Compiled by Martin Manser

Associate Editor: David H. Pickering

Contents

Cover (#ulink_9f75bbee-9ba9-5fd7-9524-c1e24c46edfb)

Title Page

Introduction

Index of Titles and First Lines

Author Index

Index of Bible References

Best-Loved Christmas Carols, Readings and Poetry

Copyright

About the Publisher

Introduction

Christmas: the very word conjures up a sense of celebration, excitement … and bustle. The Christmas season is a unique time of year, but the pressures of commercialism, the trappings associated with Christmas and the expectations we have of it all threaten to overshadow its real significance.

At the heart of Christmas is the most amazing fact: God took on our humanity and was born as a child in Bethlehem. This good news, reiterated in many different ways in this collection of carols, poems and readings, is meant to affect our lives the whole year round. So we have included material that explores the implications of Christmas, urging us to lead lives that reflect the message of peace on earth and goodwill to all.

This collection is designed both as a reference work and a resource for personal devotion. Each carol, reading or poem is given an introduction which provides interesting or helpful background information. All the readings are arranged in alphabetical order of title (ignoring ‘A’ or ‘The’ at the beginning of the title). For ease of reference there are also indexes at the beginning of the book to enable you to find a particular item by reference to its title and first line, its author, or, where appropriate, its Bible reference.

It has been a joy to edit this compilation, which we trust will take us back to the heart of the first Christmas, ‘that to you is born … a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord’ (Luke 2:11). May we respond not only with our worship, praise and adoration but also with changed lives that actually live out the message of Christmas all through the year.

Martin H. Manser

David H. Pickering

Index of Titles and First Lines

(where the first line differs from the title, the first line appears in italics)

Adam and Eve in the garden

Adam lay ybounden

All my heart this night rejoices

All the days of Christmas

Angels we have heard on high

Angels, from the realms of glory

The Annunciation

As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being (#litres_trial_promo)

As with gladness men of old

Away in a manger

Behold a virgin shall conceive

The bells of waiting Advent ring (#ulink_d92c7f24-8cad-5622-ae64-978d9da93563)

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God (#litres_trial_promo)

The Boar’s head carol

The boar’s head in hand bear I (#ulink_3dfbba2a-ee6b-5116-8c05-c55d6c46d9c7)

Brightest and best of the sons of the morning

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son (#litres_trial_promo)

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah (#litres_trial_promo)

The Calypso carol

Can I not sing but ‘Hoy’ (#litres_trial_promo)

Celebrations

Child in the manger

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s lap (#ulink_ccda7a61-5222-593e-a249-6b592294c35e)

Christians, awake!

A Christingle song

The Christingle song begins with an orange (#ulink_25d3512a-33d6-5314-be8b-dc7d2359bfa9)