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History
Phillips Brooks, an Episcopal priest, was inspired when he was visiting the town of Bethlehem in 1865. Three years later, he wrote the poem for his church and his organist, Lewis Redner, added the music. Redner's tune, simply titled "St. Louis", is the tune used most often for this carol in the United States. Meanwhile, the English tune "Forest Green", adapted by Ralph Vaughan Williams, is the tune most often used for this carol in the United Kingdom and sometimes in the U.S. as well, especially in the Episcopal Church.
Another version by H. Walford Davies is usually performed only by choirs rather than as a congregational hymn. This is because the first two verses are for treble voices with organ accompaniment, with only the final verse as a chorale/refrain harmony. This setting includes a recitative from the Gospel of Luke at the beginning, and cuts verses 2 and 4 of the original 5-verse carol. This version is traditionally used at the service of Nine Lessons and Carols in Kings College, Cambridge.
Lyrics
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to-night.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.
For Christ is born of Mary,
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
How silently, oh how silently,
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.
Where children pure and happy
Pray to the blessed Child,
Where misery cries out to thee,
Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching
And faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks,
And Christmas comes once more.
O holy Child of Bethlehem!
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us to-day.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!
Phillips Brooks (music by Lewis Redner, other settings from Ralph Vaughan Williams adapted from the English tune "Forest Green", Carl Rütti and Henry Walford Davies) -- 1868
Cover Versions
- Babe soundtrack, using "Forest Green"
- Richard Crooks
- Kate and Anna McGarrigle - The McGarrigle Christmas Hour (2005) (using Redner's tune)
- Bright Eyes (2002)
- Julie Andrews (1967, 1982)
- Stephen Cleobury and the King's College Choir (1984) - O Come All Ye Faithful (using "Forest Green")
- Choir of Winchester Cathedral (1998) - O Come Let Us Adore Him (using "Forest Green")
- George Guest and the Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge (1974) - Christmas at St. John's *using "Forest Green")
- Amy Grant - A Christmas Album (1983); retitled "Little Town"
- Choir of Durham Cathedral (Walford Davies setting)
- The King's Singers - A Little Christmas Music (1989) (Redner tune)
- Harry Christophers and The Sixteen - A Traditional Christmas Carol Collection (using "Forest Green")
- Patty Loveless (2002)
- Toby Keith (2007)
- Jars of Clay - Christmas Songs (2007)
- Bradley Joseph - Classic Christmas (2008)
Cliff Richard (1982) (Re-titled "Little Town", with a music arrangement by Chris Eaton)
Media
-
O Little Town of Bethlehem (St. Louis version) - Problems listening to the files? See media help.
External links
- Free arrangement for piano from Cantorion.org (cc-by-sa-2.0)
- "O Little Town of Bethlehem" at Cyberhymnal
