Blog Caroling---Fall on Your Knees

     Growing Up Hughes the three of us Hughes kids annually composed a Christmas pageant. Truth be told, I composed the pageant and coerced my two younger brothers to participate.

    We all wore white sheets as angel costumes. Aluminum foil wrapped cardboard held our music and I used the family Bible to read passages from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I seem to remember we performed for Mom, Dad and Teek each and every Christmas. As the narrator, I would read from the Bible and interspersed were appropriate Christmas carols. 

     As adults we have a good laugh remembering when we sang ..."fall on your knees" how both of my two brothers would immediately drop down on the floor. Yes, it was quite a well rehearsed performance. Secondarily, we wonder why we have bad knees as adults....lol

O HOLY NIGHT  O holy night, the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Savior's birth! Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born! O night, O holy night, O night divine! Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand. So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming, Here came the wise men from Orient land. The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our friend! Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born! O night, O holy night, O night divine! Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His Gospel is peace. Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother And in His Name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise His holy Name! Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born! O night, O holy night, O night divine!
© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Blog Caroling: Oh Come All Ye Faithful

I submit this Christmas Carol in memory of my mother, Martha Stark Hughes. It was perhaps her favorite Christian holiday song. In part because her father, Charles Edward Stark, was referred to as "Old Faithful" by the minister of the family church.

A year or so before she passed, we began a tradition of singing Christmas songs as a family on Christmas Eve. Ken, our musician, put together song books, worked up all the arrangements, brought his guitar and a joyful songfest was begun. Unfortunately the first year, when it came to "Oh Come All Ye Faithful," we decided to jazz it up a bit. WRONG.....we totally upset Mom. Lesson learned....don't mess with that carol.

Following her death on Christmas Eve 1999, we sang at her gravesite each and every Christmas season one song.....

Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful
By: John F. Wade

Oh, come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant!
Oh, come ye, oh, come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold himBorn the king of angels:
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.

Highest, most holy,
Light of light eternal,
Born of a virgin,
A mortal he comes;
Son of the Father
Now in flesh appearing!
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to GodIn the highest:
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given!
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing!
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.

Hymn # 41 from Lutheran Worship
Composer: John F. Wade
Tune: Adeste Fideles
1st Published in: 1767

© 2009, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser