God rest you merry, gentlemen

arr. John Stainer

Choose your part: hear the opening with it lifted out of the choir, then practise it in the app. Free, and without an account.

The parts

The opening, 16 bars, on the app's piano: your part clearly, the others quietly.

With a free account, the app plays the parts sung.

Verse 1
God rest you mer ry, gen tlemen, let no thing you dis may, for Je sus Christ our Sa viour was born up on this day, to save us all from Sa tan's power when we were gone a stray: O tidings of com fort and joy, comfort and joy, o ti dings of com fort and joy.
Verse 2
From God our heav'nly Fa ther a bless èd angel came, and un to cer tain shep herds brought tidings of the same: how that in Bethle hem was born the Son of God by name:
Verse 3
The shep herds at those ti dings rejoic èd much in mind, and left their flocks a feed ing in tempest, storm and wind, and went to Beth lehem straight way this bless èd babe to find:
Verse 4
But when to Beth le hem they came, whereat this in fant lay, they found him in a man ger, where ox en feed on hay; his mo ther Mary kneel ing un to the Lord did pray:
Verse 5
Now to the Lord sing prais es, all you with in this place, and with true love and brother hood each o ther now em brace; this ho ly tide of Christ mas all o thers doth de face:

Free to sing: John Stainer died in 1901.