“Crown Him With Many Crowns” by Matthew Bridges
Tune: “Diademata” • S. M. D.
Page 752
Page 727
“Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All”
Translation: Fr. Frederick William Faber, Oratorian
Tune: “Sweet Sacrament” • 88 88 R
Page 680
“As With Gladness, Men Of Old” by William Chatterton Dix
Tune: “Dix” • 77 77 77
Page 676
“The First Noël The Angel Did Say”
Tune: “The First Nowell” • 88 88 R
Page 669
“God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen”
The meaning of “God rest you merry” is “God keep you merry.” Note the archaic use of the word rest (“keep”)—indeed, this carol probably dates from the 16th century.
Tune: “God Rest You Merry” • 86 86 86 R
Page 662
Huron Carol of St. Jean de Brébeuf (“Upon the birth of Jesus”)
Translation: Fr. Dominic Popplewell
Tune: “Une Jeune Pucelle” • 86 86 88 R
This famous Christmas carol was possibly written around 1642AD, when Saint Brébeuf was in Quebec, recuperating from a broken collarbone, which had left him in excruciating pain for many months.
Page 666
“Once In Royal David’s City” by Cecil Frances Alexander
Tune: “Irby” • 87 87 77
Page 658
“Lo! he comes with clouds descending” by John Cennick
Tune: “Helmsley” • 87 87 47
Page 653
Veni Veni Emmanuel (“O come, O come, Emmanuel”)
Translation: Msgr. Ronald A. Knox
Tune: “Veni Veni Emmanuel” • 88 88 R