Music - Friday, 24 December 2021- Christmas Eve, Year C
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.
Christmas Lessons and Carols Service Music Suggestions
Here are the suggested carols for the service. Hyperlinked titles link to Youtube clips. These are provided for home use, or as a guide for musicians. Clips must not be played in services without permission from the creators.
- Once in Royal David’s City (LH 632) | Backing Track
- Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus (LH 17) | Backing Track
- Hark the Glad Sound (LH 9) | Backing Track
- OR Hark the Glad Sound (Koine) | Backing Track
- O little town of Bethlehem (LH 633) | Backing Track
- O Come, O come Immanuel (LH 2) | Backing Track
- From heaven above to earth I come (LH 23) | Backing Track
- Silent night (LH 629) | Backing Track
- Hark! the herald angels sing (LH 33) | Backing Track OR Hark! the herald angels sing (Chris Tomlin) | Backing Track
- As with gladness men of old (LH 40) | Backing Track
- Joy to the world (LH 627) | Backing Track
- O come, all ye faithful (LH 34) | Backing Track
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.
Of the Fathers love begotten LHS 21 - Backing track
Come thou Saviour of our race LHS 19 - Backing track
Hark the herald angels sing LHS 33 - Backing track
Silent Night LHS 629 - 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.
Of the Fathers love begotten LHS 21 - Backing track
Come thou Saviour of our race LHS 19 - Backing track
Hark the herald angels sing LHS 33 - Backing track
Silent Night LHS 629 - Backing track
Now sing we now rejoice LHS 623 - 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.
Of the Father's Love Begotten - New Scottish Hymns Band - Single Use Licence and Free lead sheet and other resources at http://newscottishhymns.com/of-the-fathers-love-begotten/
Saviour In A Manger - Emu Music - CCLI by Alanna Glover
Hark the Herald Angels Sing - Chris Tomlin - CCLI by Charles Wesley Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Matt Gilder
Silent Night - Chris Tomlin - CCLI by Chris Tomlin, Franz Xaver Gruber, Gabe Scott, John Freeman Young, Joseph Mohr, Matt Gilder
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 Congregations Without Musicians
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.