Shepherds were watching their sheep on a cold night when a bright light suddenly filled the sky. They looked up, surprised, as a shining star appeared above them, glowing stronger than anything they had ever seen.
The star hung high in the sky, pointing toward a single place far ahead. The shepherds understood the sign at once. They gathered quickly and began walking, following the star across the quiet fields until they reached the spot it rested over.
There, they found the Child lying in a manger. The sight made them bow with simple joy. They knew they had reached the place the star had been guiding them to.
Far away, three wise men saw the same bright star. They began preparing gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—and set out on a long journey. The star moved before them, leading them across distant lands.
When they finally arrived, they found the Child as the shepherds had. They knelt and offered their gifts with full hearts, grateful that the star had led them to the newborn King.
The First Noel
An English carol whose current form was first published in Some Ancient Christmas Carols in 1823. John Stainer’s well-known arrangement appeared in his Carols, New and Old (1871).
⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ
Out this season on Bandcamp.
