Music - Thursday, 24 December 2020 – Christmas Eve, Year B

Introduction

There are many music choices available each week. You will find music suggestions for each reading drawn from the Lutheran Hymnal, the All Together song books and Together in Song. In addition, we have selected the Top 4 Public Domain hymns, the Top 4 All Together and LHS songs under copyright and the Top 4 Contemporary Music suggestions each week. You may like to mix and match from these lists to suit your context.

A Christmas Lessons and Carols Service has also been prepared for this year. To access the music resources and other material related to that service, please refer to the Church@Home section for today.

Top 4 Public Domain

If you enjoy traditional hymn singing or your congregation does not have a copyright license, here are our recommended Public Domain hymns for the week:

If a title is hyperlinked, that means that modernised lyrics are available. MP3 backing tracks have been recorded for you to use.

LHS 33 Hark the herald angels sing - Backing track
Now sing we now rejoice – LHB 623 - Backing track
Silent night Holy night – LHB 629 - Backing track
While Shepherds watched – LHB 624 - Backing track
Once in Royal David’s City - LHB 632 - Backing track
Away in a Manger – LHB 634 - Backing track

Top 4 All Together and LHS songs under copyright

Copyright information for the following suggestions has been provided. Please ensure that you are reporting the use of any material under copyright.

Hark the Herald Angels – LHB 33 - Backing track
For unto us a child is born – AT 33 green (CCLI)
Mary’s child – AT 141 blue (CCLI, One Licence)
Now sing we now rejoice – LHB 623 - Backing track
Silent night Holy night – LHB 629 - Backing track
While Shepherds watched – LHB 624 - Backing track
Once in Royal David’s City - LHB 632 - Backing track
Away in a Manger – LHB 634 - Backing track

Top 4 Contemporary Music Suggestions

The following songs have been carefully reviewed, and are recommended for use in congregational worship, primarily because they point people to Christ and proclaim the message of his word in music and song for this Sunday in the lectionary cycle. They also fit well with other selection guidelines as highlighted in Tips for song selection and Fact Sheet 6: Music in Worship. While the use of a particular song by a band or organisation is not necessarily an endorsement of that group or the entire body of their work, we recognise that any scriptural song is a Spiritual song that can be used to complement a rich diet of worship for God’s people.

Please note, the hyperlinked Youtube clips are provided to give you a sense of how music can be performed or for personal use. You must always obtain permission from the creators of the music videos and the creators of the song before using clips in worship, unless permission is explicitly stated beneath the video.

Song/Hymn suggestions based on the Lectionary readings

Some LHS hymns have modernised lyrics. Click on underlined hymns to see the new lyrics.

Please click here to go to the Modernised Hymns page.

G3, G4 . . . = Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . .ro.; GS = Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7

LHS

21 Of the Father’s love begotten G7 (also TIS 290)
30 The people that in darkness sat (also TIS 274)
33 Hark! the herald angels sing G4 (also TIS 303)
740 For unto us a child is born G

AT

33 For unto us a child is born (CCLI)
37 Unto us a child is born  (One Licence)
55 His name is Wonderful (CCLI, One Licence)
141 Mary’s child (CCLI, One Licence)
313 Christ, be our light (One Licence)
315 Drawn to the light (One Licence)
389 Light of the nations (CCLI, One Licence)

TIS

274    The people that in darkness walked
290    Of the Father’s love begotten
293    Unto us a boy is born
303    Hark! the herald angels sing
308    To us a child of royal birth
320    Never in all human story
323    Born in the night, Mary’s child

Second Reading: Titus 2:11-14

LHS

19    Come, Thou Saviour of our race* G4 (modernised TIS 295)
24    All my heart this night rejoices G7
25    To shepherds as they watched by night* G4
27    Beside Thy manger here I stand
29    Come, your hearts and voices raising* G4 (also TIS 297)
31    Arise, my soul, sing joyfully* G7
32    O rejoice, ye Christians, loudly G7
154    Amazing love that rent the heavens asunder* G4
156    Jesus our Saviour, of true joy the giver* G3 (modernised TIS 208)
322    Dear Christians, one and all rejoice (vv 1,4,5,6)* G3 (modernised TIS 196)
623    Now sing we, now rejoice G4
627    Joy to the world G7 (see TIS 268 for ‘Antioch’ tune)
743    On Christmas night cicadas sing GS
746    What child is this GS

AT

141    Mary’s child (CCLI, One Licence)
227    Allelu! (CCLI, One Licence)
244    We have seen the Word of life (CCLI, One Licence)

TIS

196    Dear Christians, one and all rejoice (vv 1,4,5)
208    Jesus has come, and brings joy as our Saviour
268    Joy to the world
295    Saviour of the nations, come
297    Come, your hearts and voices raising
313    Good Christians all, rejoice
319    Child in the manger

Gospel Reading: Luke 2:1-14(15-20)

LHS

20    O Jesus Christ, all praise to Thee* G4
23    From heaven above to earth I come* G4 (modernised TIS 296)
24    All my heart this night rejoices (vv 1,4-6)* G7
25    To shepherds as they watched* G4
29    Come, your hearts and voices raising* G4 (also TIS 297)
33     Hark! the herald angels sing G4 (also TIS 303)
34     O come, all ye faithful G7
46    Angels from the realms of glory (vv 1,2) G7 (also TIS 309)
624    While shepherds watched their flocks by night G7 (also TIS 299)
625    Christians, awake, salute the happy morn G7 (also TIS 306)
626    Come hither, ye children* G7
628    The happy Christmas comes once more G4
629    Silent night, holy night G7 (also TIS 311)
630    O thou holiest, O thou happiest G7 (modernised TIS 330)
632    Once in royal David’s city G7 (also TIS 312)
633    O little town of Bethlehem G4 (also TIS 316)
634    Away in a manger G7 (also TIS 301)
741    Infant holy G7
742    Jesus, tiny Jesus GS
744    The first Nowell G7
746    What child is this GS

AT

128 I am the light of the world (CCLI, One Licence)
141 Born in the night (CCLI, One Licence)
317 Glory, glory, glory (Public Domain)
318 Glory to God (Public Domain)
338 God in human shoes (v 1 and chorus) (Please use freely for religious purposes, with the following acknowledgement: © Matthew Thiele, 1997. Used with permission from Matthew Thiele.)
371 Singing glory

TIS

292 Infant holy
296 From heaven above
297 Come, your hearts and voices raising
299 While shepherds watched their flocks by night
300 On Christmas night
301 The first Nowell
303 Hark! the herald angels sing
304 O come, all ye faithful
306 Christians awake, salute the happy morn
309 Angels from the realms of glory
311 Silent night
312 Once in royal David’s city
316 O little town of Bethlehem
318 Away in a manger
323 Born in the night
330 O how joyfully (vv 1,2)
773 Glory to God (Taize)

 

Other Suitable Hymns and Songs: 'Glory to God in the highest'

LHS

136         All glory be to God on high* G7

895         Glory be to God in heaven G6

AT

317         Glory, glory, glory

318         Glory to God

431         Glory to God

TIS

142         Glory be to God the Father

221         Glory to God on high

773         Gloria, gloria, in excelsis Deo

775         Gloria, gloria, gloria

Psalms

PSALM 96

For a song version, see ATW 468, ‘Sing a new song’. Or the following paraphrase of Psalm 96 by David Schütz may be sung to the tune ‘The happy Christmas comes once more’ (LH 628) or ‘Church Triumphant’ (LH 227, TIS 98). If reproducing this version, please put ‘Words (c) David Schütz’ at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

Come, sing a new song to the Lord,
come, sing a new song, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, and bless his name,
that all may know his saving grace.

Let heav’n be glad, let earth rejoice;
let sea and all its creatures roar.
Let field exult, and all in it;
let trees and forests sing for joy.

Rejoice before the coming Lord,
for he shall come to judge the earth,
to judge the earth with righteousness –
he judges nations with his truth.

This second version of Psalm 96, also by David Schütz, may be sung to the alternative tune for ‘O little town of Bethlehem’, namely St Louis, which may be found in Lutheran Worship no. 60 or Gather Australia no. 296 (note: not Forest Green). If reproducing this version, please put ‘Words (c) David Schütz’ at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

O sing a new song to the Lord,
sing to him all the earth.
Sing to the Lord and bless his name;
tell of this saving birth.
Declare his marv’llous glory,
the works that he has done,
for he is greatly to be praised,
he’s given us his Son.

We honour him who made the heav’ns,
above all other gods,
for they are only wood and stone,
but he’s our living God.
All majesty and glory,
all beauty, strength and might
shine from his humble manger-bed,
his santu’ry tonight.

O families of the nations, give
all glory to the Lord;
O come and bring an offering,
and come into his courts.
O worship him in splendour,
and tremble, all the earth:
and say tonight ‘The Lord is King!’
and wonder at this birth.

He sets the world firm in its place,
and judges equally.
Let heav’n be glad, let earth rejoice
and all that fills the sea;
let field and beast and forest
rise up to greet with joy
the coming of our righteous King:
the Virgin’s baby boy.

Music Resources Vol. 3– Psalm settings: Psalm 96 p157

Advice for Musicians

Advice for Congregations Without Musicians

Other Music Resources

LCA Music Resources

OTHER HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR CHURCH MUSIC

While the LCA does not necessarily endorse the content of these websites, you may find them helpful in your worship planning.