On Christmas Eve.

To cheer readers who may be visiting this blog on Christmas Eve, here is the Sussex Carol, a traditional English Christmas song, performed above by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge under the direction of Stephen Cleobury. The authorship of this very old song remains uncertain, but the following words were collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams early in the twentieth century:

On Christmas night all Christians sing
To hear the news the angels bring.
News of great joy, news of great mirth,
News of our merciful King's birth.

Then why should men on earth be so sad,
Since our Redeemer made us glad,
When from our sin he set us free,
All for to gain our liberty?

When sin departs before His grace,
Then life and health come in its place.
Angels and men with joy may sing
All for to see the new-born King.

All out of darkness we have light,
Which made the angels sing this night:
"Glory to God and peace to men,
Now and for evermore, Amen!"

May this carol bring you joy and consolation, and may the peace and blessings of this holy night be with all who read these lines. Merry Christmas! AMDG.