Stratford's Christmas Story Songs of Praise

CHEERING

BELL RINGS

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Christmas isn't just coming, it's almost here.

Are you in a panic with only six days to go?

Well, however busy the coming week is going to be,

why don't you just take half an hour out

to relax and look forward

to Christmas Day with its promise of peace and goodwill to all men,

brought about by the birth of that very special baby,

2000 years ago?

This week, a feast of candlelit carols

from Stratford-upon-Avon.

We tell the story of the first Christmas.

And joyful, festive music, from Joe McElderry.

Welcome to Stratford-upon-Avon,

where here in Holy Trinity Church,

people from across the town, are taking a breather

from their Christmas preparations, to come and enjoy

some of their favourite carols together,

and to hear again the story

of Christ's birth, in readings that we turn to,

year after year.

As we're in Shakespeare's hometown,

we've asked people living and working locally,

to help us tell the Christmas story.

And we begin, with a much loved carol

that reminds us of that very first Christmas

in David's town, Bethlehem.

# Once in Royal David's city

# Stood a lowly cattle shed

# Where a mother laid her baby

# In a manger for His bed

# Mary was that mother mild

# Jesus Christ

# Her little child. #

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy,

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth,

a town in Galilee,

to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,

a descendant of David.

The virgin's name was Mary.

The angel went to her and said,

"Greetings, you who are highly favoured.

"The Lord is with you."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words,

and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary.

"You have found favour with God.

"You are to conceive and give birth to a son,

"and you are to call him Jesus.

"He will be great and will be called

" 'the son of the most high'.

"The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David,

"and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever.

"His kingdom will never end."

"But how will this be...", Mary asked the angel,

"since I am a virgin?"

The angel answered, "The holy spirit will come on you,

"and the power of the most high will overshadow you.

"So, the holy one to be born will be called 'the son of God'."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled."

Then, the angel left her.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that

a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

This was the first census that took place

while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,

to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and the line of David.

He went there to register with Mary,

who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,

and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.

And she wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,

because there was no guest room available for them.

# Mm-mm-mm-mm

# Mm-mm-mm-mm

# A ray of hope

# Flickers in the sky

# A tiny star

# Lights up way up high

# All across the land

# Dawns a brand new morn

# This comes to pass

# When a child is born

# A silent wish

# Sails the seven seas

# The winds of change

# Whisper in the trees

# And the walls of doubt

# Crumble, tossed and torn

# This comes to pass

# When a child is born

# A rosy hue

# Settles all around

# You've got the feel

# You're on solid ground

# For a spell or two

# No-one seems forlorn

# This comes to pass

# When a child is born

-# It's all a dream

-It's all...

-# And illusion now

-..a dream

-# It must come true

-It must come true

-# Sometime, soon, somehow

-Sometime, somehow

# All across the land

# Dawns a brand new morn

# This comes to pass

# When a child is born

# This comes to pass

# When a child is born. #

# We wish you a Merry Christmas

-# We wish you... #

-It's a parent's most treasured memory.

Their child's starring role in the school nativity play.

And here in Stratford, as you might expect,

even the tots are word perfect.

-Have you any room?

-No, sorry.

-Follow me to the stable.

And Joseph helped Mary to sit down in the...

Christmas is really exciting at school.

We do lots of things in the classroom, making crafts,

and things, but most especially,

the children start their nativity preparations.

We give presents, just like the three Kings that brought Jesus very special presents.

We like to do a bit of modern and a bit of traditional.

The Christmas story, for the children,

is part of the curriculum, but it is also a very special part of the year.

Well, it's normally quite stressful,

cos they never really want to do the role they've been given.

And this year, although Bo was Mary, she really wanted to be Angel Gabriel,

so I've had to, kind of, bribe her, and coax her into being Mary.

It's the pinnacle of the year, and seeing how they perform, cos they are

all slightly different, anyway, and some, like Lily, sing very loudly.

And others are much quieter. It's just lovely to see them all.

Trying to get boys into brown tights

and white tights hasn't always been easy.

But, no, it's lovely. Just practising the songs really makes you more Christmassy.

We tend to forget that Christmas is about Jesus,

and we just go for the presents.

I am angel Gabriel.

I think it's such good for her to be part of something like they

because she can then understand the meaning of Christmas

behind the presents, and everything else.

# Silent night

# Holiest night

# Darkness flies

# All is light

# Shepherds hear the Angels sing

# Hallelujah, hail the King

# Jesus the Saviour is here!

# Jesus the Saviour is here!

-# Silent night

-Silent night

-# Holiest night

-Holiest night

-# Guiding star

-Ah-ah-ah

-# Lend thy light

-Ah

# See the Eastern Magi bring

# Gifts and homage to their King

# Jesus the Saviour is here!

# Jesus the Saviour is here!

# Silent night

# Holiest night

# Wond'rous star

# Lend thy light

# With the Angels let us sing

# Hallelujah to the King

# Jesus our Saviour is here

# Jesus our Saviour is here! #

Well, from the sweetness of children's voices, telling us

of that Silent Night, our next carol is a joyful call to prayer that will

have voices across the world singing out loud and clear this Christmas.

O Come, All Ye Faithful.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby,

keeping watch over their flocks at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them,

and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.

"I bring you good news that will cause great joy to all the people.

"Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you.

"He is the Messiah. The Lord.

"This will be a sign to you.

"You will find a baby wrapped in cloths,

"lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel,

praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,

"and on Earth peace to those on whom his favour rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,

the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem

"and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and they found Mary and Joseph,

and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod,

Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?

"We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law,

he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

"In Bethlehem, in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written."

Then Herod called for the Magi, secretly, and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search for the child.

"As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I, too, may go and worship him."

After they had heard the king, they went on their way,

and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them

until it stopped over the place where the child was.

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

And on coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary,

and they bowed down and worshiped him.

Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

# Come they told me Pa rum pum pum pum

# A new born King to see Pa rum pum pum pum

# Our finest gifts we bring Pa rum pum pum pum

# To lay before the King Pa rum pum pum pum

# Rum pum pum pum Rum pum pum pum

# So to honour Him Pa rum pum pum pum

# When we come

# Baby Jesus Pa rum pum pum pum

# I am a poor boy too Pa rum pum pum pum

# I have no gift to bring Pa rum pum pum pum

# That's fit to give our King Pa rum pum pum pum

# Rum pum pum pum Rum pum pum pum

# Shall I play for you Pa rum pum pum pum

# On my drum?

# Mary nodded Pa rum pum pum pum

# Mary nodded Pa rum pum pum pum

# The ox and lamb kept time Pa rum pum pum pum

# Ox and lamb kept time Pa rum pum pum pum

# I played my drum for Him Pa rum pum pum pum

# Played my drum for Him Pa rum pum pum pum

# I played my best for Him

-# Played my best

-Pa rum pum pum pum

-# Rum pum pum pum

-Rum pum pum pum

-# Rum pum pum pum

-Rum pum pum pum

# Then He smiled at me Pa rum pum pum pum

# Me and my drum. #

God, we thank you for the message of peace,

that Christmas brings to our distracted world.

Give to us peace in our land, peace in our town,

peace in our hearts, and peace in our homes,

as we celebrate the birth at Bethlehem of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

So, at the start of this last week before Christmas,

we hope that that blessing

and those much loved readings will stay with you in the days to come,

and carry you through to a joyful and a peaceful Christmas.

So, as we finish with Charles Wesley's most glorious carol,

everyone here, and all of your friends on the songs of praise team, wish you a very happy Christmas.

Next week, Aled introduces a spectacular Christmas Day Big Sing from the Royal Albert Hall.

They'll be carols aplenty for everyone to sing,

and festive songs from star guest, Chris de Burgh.

So, put your feet up for a very special Songs Of Praise,

and join Aled and 5,000 singers for the perfect way to celebrate Christmas.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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