JESUS CHRIST >> Life & Ministry
SDAH 144
O sing a song of Bethlehem,
Of shepherds watching there,
And of the news that came to them
From angels in the air:
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For Worship Leaders
Make each hymn more meaningful with these helpful tools: Short, ready-to-use hymn introductions for church bulletins, multiple ways to introduce a hymn based on your worship theme and in-depth history and insights to enrich your song service.
Hymn Spotlight: O Sing a Song of Bethlehem
Written in 1899 by Louis F. Benson, this hymn takes us on a journey through Jesus’ life—from Bethlehem to Galilee to Calvary—reminding us that the Savior born in a manger is also the One who heals, teaches, and dies for our sins.
Its melody, KINGSFOLD, a beautiful folk tune, enhances the reflective nature of the text.
Each stanza invites us to see Jesus not only in history, but also in our present walk with Him.
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Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
This hymn was written in 1899, originally in four eight-line stanzas, each about a different geographical location related to Jesus’ life and ministry-Bethlehem, Nazareth, Galilee, and Calvary. The hymn is a partial answer to a need the author recognized for hymns about the earthly life and ministry of Jesus.
Louis Fitzgerald Benson, minister, scholar, editor, poet, and hymn writer, was the preeminent American hymnologist of his day, a great leader in the improvement of public and private worship. Born July 22, 1855, in Philadelphia, he studied law at the University of Pennsylvania and practiced at the bar for seven years. Unable to resist a call to the ministry, he studied at Princeton Theological Seminary and was ordained in the Presbyterian Church in 1886. After six years as pastor in Germantown, Pennsylvania, he resigned and devoted the remainder of his life to editing a series of hymnals for the General Assembly of his church, including The Hymnal, 1895, and its revision in 1911, The Chapel Hymnal; and The School Hymnal. He wrote several books about hymns; The English Hymn is considered one of the most definitive on the subject. His extensive and valuable library of hymnology was presented to Princeton University upon his death. Benson died in Philadelphia, October 10, 1930.
According to the Oxford Book of Carols, 1928, the tune KINGSFOLD was collected by Lucy E. Broadwood and printed in English Country Songs, 1893, to the words of “Dives and Lazarus,” but more probably it belongs to “Come, All You Worthy Christian Men.” In the Cowley Carol Book it was with a ballad beginning, “We are poor frozen-out gardeners,” and Benjamin Britten arranged it in one of his song collections with the Irish words, “The Star of County Down.” Kingsfold is a village in northwest Sussex.
This is one of the wonderfully singable folk tunes that Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958; see Biographies) arranged and introduced into English Congregational singing. He liked it well enough to compose a fantasia for strings and harp called “Dives and Lazarus,” which is a “theme and variations” on various forms of this melody. As one gets acquainted with his creative arrangement of the hymn in SDAH, it will be noticed that score 1, score 2, and score 4, while having the same melody, each has its own harmonization. KINGSFOLD is also used for SDAH 465, “I Heard the Voice of Jesus.”
Stanza:
1 – Luke 2:8, 10
2 – Matthew 2:23
3 – Luke 23:33
Luke 24:6
Text
1
O sing a song of Bethlehem,
Of shepherds watching there,
And of the news that came to them
From angels in the air:
The light that shone on Bethlehem
Fills all the world today;
Of Jesus’birth and peace on earth
The angels sing alway.
2
O sing a song of Nazareth,
Of sunny days of joy,
O sing of fragrant flowers breath,
And of the sinless Boy:
For now the flowers of Nazareth
In every heart may grow;
Now spreads the fame of His dear name
On all the winds that blow.
3
O sing a song of Calvary,
Its glory and dismay;
Of Him who hung upon the tree,
And took our sins away:
For He who died on Calvary
Is risen from the grave;
And Christ, our Lord, by heaven adored,
Is mighty now to save.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Luke 2:8, 10 (b) Matt 2:23 (c) Luke 23:33; 24:6
Author
Louis F. Benson (1855-1930)
Year Published
1899
Copyright
Music from The English Hymnal by permission of Oxford University Press
Hymn Tune
KINGSFOLD
Metrical Number
C.M.D.
Arranged
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Tune Source
Melody coll. by Lucy Broadwood
Alternate Tune
FOREST GREEN, SDAH 90
Theme
LIFE & MINISTRY OF JESUS
