While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.

"Fear not", said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind;
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.

"To you in David's town this day
Is born of David's line,
A Saviour, who is Christ, the Lord,
And this shall be a sign."

All glory be to God on high,
And on the earth be peace;
Goodwill henceforth from heaven to men,
Begin and never cease.

abc | midi | pdf

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Source: Ian Russell, A Festival of Village Carols - Sixteen Carols from the Mount-Dawson Manuscripts, Worrall, Sheffield,

Notes:
Village Carols is an ongoing project to preserve and promote local carol traditions, and to make them available in all forms - audio recordings, musical notation, historical context, etc. I am indebted to Ian Russell for his work in this area and for his permission to publish the notation given here. For details of current publications, see http://wgma.org.uk/wgma/Orgs/VC/carols/vcpublications.htm

Roud: 936 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
Child: