LYRICS

1.Oh the holly and the ivy
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood 
The holly bears the crown 

 Oh the rising of the sun 
And the running of the deer 
The playing of the merry organ 
Sweet singing all in the choir 

 2.Oh the holly bears a blossom 
As white as lily flower 
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ 
To be our sweet saviour 

 3.Oh the holly bears a berry 
As red as any blood 
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ 
To do poor sinners good 

 4.Oh the holly bears a prickle 
As sharp as any thorn 
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ 
On Christmas day in the morn 

 5.Oh the holly bears a bark 
As bitter as any gall 
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ 
For to redeem us all 

Hail smiling morn, smiling morn 
That tips the hills with gold, 
That tips the hills with gold 
And whose rosy fingers open wide  
The gates of Heav’n, 
The gates of Heav’n,  
And whose rosy fingers open wide  
The gates of Heav’n? 

 All the green fields of nature doth unfold 
All the green fields of nature doth unfold 
At whose bright presence 
Darkness flies away 
Flies away (flies away) 
Flies away (flies away) 
Darkness flies away 
Darkness flies away 
At whose bright presence 
Darkness flies 
Darkness flies away 
Flies away, flies away 
Hail, hail, hail, hail, hail, hail, hail, hail!

Come, see the boys go round 
How sweet the music flows 
Bring forth the plough to break the ground  
Raise up the shining Rose  

1.When Christmastide is gone and past  
When fields lie stark and bare 
Then let us brave the winter’s blast  
Without a fear or care  
Without a fear or care my boys 
Let each with one accord 
Now dance the round on frozen ground  
With ribbons, drum and sword  

2.Now first of all comes Besom Bess  
A-sweeping with her broom 
To drive out winter’s cold distress  
To clear and make the room  
To clear and make the room my boys  
That we may sport and play 
With swords that clash and brightly flash  
Upon this holiday  

3.Let Lord and Lady start the game 
Let Tom Fool sing the song 
That wakes those heroes of great fame  
Who roll the year along 
Who roll the year along my boys 
For only they know how 
The plough becomes the shining sword  
The sword becomes the plough  

4.Now enter in those heroes bold,  
Those heroes of great fame 
Their forefathers in days of old  
Each bore a glorious name 
Each bore a glorious name my boys  
Likewise a shining blade  
They leap and spin, the swords go in  
And thus the Rose is made!

 1.Across the plains one Christmas night 
Three drovers riding blithe and gay, 
Looked up and saw a starry light 
More radiant than the Milky Way; 
And on their hearts such wonder fell, 
They sang with joy
‘Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!’ 

2.The air was dry with summer heat, 
And smoke was on the yellow moon; 
But from the heavens, faint and sweet, 
Came floating down a wond’rous tune; 
And as they heard, they sang full well 
Those drovers three
‘Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!’ 

3.The black swans flew across the sky, 
The wild dog called across the plain, 
The starry lustre blazed on high, 
Still echoed on the heavenly strain; 
And still they sang, ‘Noel! Noel!’ 
Those drovers three
‘Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!’ 

1.O Shepherd O shepherd come leave off your piping 
Come listen come learn come hear what I say 
For now is the time that has long been forespoken 
For now is the time there’ll be new tunes to play 
For soon there comes one who brings a new music 
Of sweetness and clarity none can compare 
So open your heart for heavenly harmony 
Here on this hill will be filling the air 

With chariots of cherubim chanting 
And seraphim singing hosanna 
And a choir of archangels a-caroling come 
Hallelujah Hallelu 
All the angels a-trumpeting glory 
In praise of the Prince of Peace 

2.See on yon stable the starlight is shimmering 
And glimmering and glistening and glowing with glee 
In Bethlehem blest this baby of bliss will be 
Born here before you as bold as can be 
And you’ll be the first to hear the new symphony 
Songs full of gladness and glory and light 
So learn your tunes well and play your pipes proudly 
For the Prince of Paradise plays here tonight 

3.Bring your sheep bleating to this happy meeting 
To hear how the lamb with the lion shall lie 
It’s mooing and braying you’ll hear the song saying 
The humble and lowly will be the most high 
Let the horn of the herdsman be heard up in heaven 
For the gates are flung open for all who come near 
And the simplest of souls shall sing to infinity 
Lift up and listen and you shall hear 

4.The warmonger’s charger will thunder for freedom 
The gun-maker’s furnace will dwindle and die 
And muskets and sabers and swords shall be sundered 
Surrendered to the sound that is sweeping the sky 
And the shoes of the mighty shall dance to new measures 
And the jackboots of generals shall jangle no more 
As sister and brother and father and mother 
Agree with each other the end to all war 

5.As a candle can conquer the demons of darkness 
As a flame can keep frost from the deepest of cold 
So a song can give hope in the depths of all danger 
And a line of pure melody soar in your soul 
So sing your songs well and sing your songs sweetly 
And swear that your singing it never shall cease 
So the clatter of battle and drums of disaster 
Be drowned in the sound of the pipes of peace

 1.It is so many weeks
Since we’ve seen the evening sun 
And solstice time has sung its rhyme
And wassail time is come 

Here’s to you and your families,
Young lovers and old friends, 
We’ll welcome in the New Year
Now we’ve seen the old one end. 

2.So here we come a wandering
Upon this wintry night 
And here we come a-wassailing
To make the future bright 

3.God bless the old and weary
Whose times is nearly run 
And all the unsung carers
Who are paid a paltry sum 

4.And God bless the young and hearty,
Whose futures are unclear 
We wish them work and plenty
And a prosperous New Year 

5.So think on those who have no home
Who sleep from door to door 
And damn the rich and famous,
Who greed for more and more 

6.God damn the politicians
Who lie and cheat each day 
And damn the institutions
Who help them on their way 

7.God bless the keepers of this pub
And all who dwell within 
So raise your glass and raise your voice
And sing the New Year in 

8.The old year’s gone forever,
God bless it and good cheer 
I’ll raise my glass and wish you all
A happy New Year 

 1.While shepherds watched their flocks by night,  
All seated on the ground,  
The angel of the Lord came down,  
And glory shone around. 

 2.“Fear not”, said he, for mighty dread  
Had seized their troubled mind;  
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring,  
To you and all mankind.” 

 3.“To you in David’s town this day  
Is born of David’s line,  
A Saviour who is Christ the Lord,  
And this shall be the sign.” 

 4.“All glory be to God on high,  
And to the earth be peace;  
Good-will henceforth from heaven to men,  
Begin and never cease.” 

1.When I sit down at my table,
Clasp my hands and bow my head 
Should I thank my heavenly landlord
For my daily crust of bread  
When the hunters in his stable
And the hounds in his pack  
Get the pickings of the harvest
On which I break my back 
There’s a fence around the common land
Put there by the law 
It’s called hunting if you’re gentry
But it’s poaching if you’re poor 
And the law forgives your trespass
Like the hounds forgive the fox 
You must number all your blessings
With the ha’pence in your box  

And it feels like winter spit to eat and hell to pay 
It feels like Reynardine on Boxing Day 
It feels like winter spit to eat and hell to pay 
It feels like Reynardine on Boxing Day  

2.Now the forest is a shipwreck
And the field is full of stone 
It’s hard to find a blade of grass
Some bastard doesn’t own 
And they stopped the earth up for us
And they drove us into town 
Now they say there’s no work for us
And they’ve closed the factory down  

3.They’re still meeting in the country
For the hunt and for the course 
You can join the bloody gentry
If you can afford a bleedin’ horse 
And we raid along the railway
And we pray we don’t get caught 
God damn you merry gentlefolk
For your money and your sport  

4.When I sit down at my table,
Clasp my hands and bow my head 
Should I thank my heavenly landlord
For my daily crust of bread 
For the whip and hand that feeds us
And keeps us in our place 
One day we’ll turn and wipe the smile
Clean off your bloody face 

  1.I saw a fair maiden 
Sitten and sing: 
She lulled a little child, 
A sweete Lording 

Lullay my liking, 
My dear Son, my Sweeting; 
Lullay my dear Heart, 
Mine own dear Darling. 

 2.That Eternal Lord is He 
That made alle thing; 
Of alle Lordes He is Lord, 
Of every King He’s King.

3.There was mickle melody 
At that childes birth: 
Though the songsters were heavenly 
They made mickle mirth.

4.Angels bright they sang that night 
And saiden to that Child 
“Blessed be Thou and so be she 
That is so meek and mild.”

5.Pray we now to that child, 
As to His Mother dear, 
God grant them all His blessing 
That now maken cheer. 

1.Now all around is cold and chill,
But take good heart, fear no ill, 
For through the frost of winter
Comes a bright new year. 
A bright new year,
A bright new year 
For through the frost of winter
Comes a bright new year. 

2.Food and drink to make us grow,
Swell the seed that we would sow, 
So comes the rain in springtime
And a bright new year. 
A bright new year,
A bright new year 
So comes the rain in springtime
And a bright new year. 

3.Warmth and light to make us strong,
Bring the ripest fruit along 
So comes the sun in summer
And a bright new year. 

4.When harvest time has gone around
Blow out the chaff, clear the ground 
So comes the wind in autumn
And a bright new year. 

5.So when all around is cold and chill, 
Take good heart, fear no ill, 
For through the frost of winter
Comes a bright new year. 

 1.All hail the power of Jesus’ name! 
Let angels prostrate fall, 
Let angels prostrate fall;  
Bring forth the royal diadem,  
And crown Him, crown Him, crown Him, crown Him,  
And crown Him Lord of all!  

2.Ye saints redeemed of Adam’s race,  
Ye ransomed from the fall,  
Ye ransomed from the fall,  
Hail Him who saves you by his grace,  

3.Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget  
The wormwood and the gall,  
The wormwood and the gall; 
Go spread your trophies at his feet,  

4.O that with yonder sacred throng  
We at His feet may fall, 
We at His feet may fall; 
Join in the everlasting song,  

And crown Him Lord of all, 
And crown Him Lord of all, 
And crown Him Lord of all, 
And crown Him Lord of all. 

For Rosa Luxemburg, March 1871 – January 1919 

1.Sweet rosemary flowers, what a  strange  time  for  blooming 
I thought her like a rosebud seen only in June  
In coarse January with springtime a memory 
What a  strange  time  for levity, what a  strange time  to  bloom  

 For we’ve been  too long crying lamenting and sighing 
For loves that have wandered and might be home soon 
Though winter it glowers and the rich steal our powers 
Sweet rosemary flowers, what a  strange  time  to  bloom. 

 2.Perhaps she laments for the loss of a true love 
And wishes  to  woo if they ever return  
Perhaps she remembers our comrades who hunger
For a garden of flowers, for the freedom of a bird  

 3.Perhaps in the darkness, the moonlight, the quiet 
The wounded our riotous roots may exhume  
To  grant when awoken  to  longings unspoken  
To  hearts that are broken, their  strange  time  to  bloom  

 4.Sweet rosemary flowers, what a  strange  time  for  blooming  
I thought her like a rosebud seen only in June 
But springtime or autumn, grant all hearts a garden 
And all Rosa’s children their  strange  time  to  bloom. 

1.‘Glory to God’, the angels sing, 
‘Glad tidings, lo, I bring, 
Glad tidings, lo, I bring! 
In David’s city lies a babe, 
And Jesus is the child, 
And Jesus is the child, 
And Jesus is the child’. 

2.‘Glory to God’, let man reply, 
‘For Christ, the Lord, is come, 
For Christ, the Lord, is come; 
Behold him in a manger lie, 
A stable is His room, 
A stable is His room, 
A stable is His room’. 

3.‘Glory to God, let all the earth 
Join in the heavenly song, 
Join in the heavenly song, 
And praise Him for our Saviour’s birth 
In every land and tongue, 
In every land and tongue, 
In every land and tongue!’ 

1.Rudolph the red nosed reindeer 
Had a very shiny nose 
And if you ever saw it  
You would even say it glows 

2.All of the other reindeer 
Used to laugh and call him names 
They never let poor Rudolph 
Join in any reindeer games 

3.Then one foggy Christmas Eve 
Santa came to say 
“Rudolph with your nose so bright 
Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?” 

4.Then all the reindeers loved him 
And they shouted out with glee 
“Rudolph the red nosed reindeer 
You’ll go down in history!”