O little town of Bethlehem, 2008

New words by Karl Dallas to a well-known carol, inspired by a visit to Bethlehem in November, 2008

O little town of Bethlehem,

Beloved of us all

But all your steep and winding streets

Surrounded by a Wall.

The Star of David in the sky

Shone over you that night;

Today it stands for stolen lands

And might become the right.

Where Christ was born of Mary,

The gunships fly above,

Their rockets' fire and razor wire

Deny the God of Love.

And yet the songs of angels still

Proclaim the holy birth!

And praises sing to God the King,

And peace to all on earth.

How wondrously, how wondrously,

The people on your streets,

Though tanks and guns shoot down your sons,

No power on earth defeats.

When good and evil do contend

The Word of love must win:

Where people will receive Him, still

The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem

Come down from heaven sent:

The sword again of Herod's men

Would slay the innocent;

But still the Christmas angels

The peaceful tidings tell;

You've come to us, abide with us,

Our Lord Immanuel.

Philip Brooks, a priest, visited the town of Bethlehem in 1865.
Three years later, he wrote the poem for his church,
later set to music by his organist, Lewis Redner.
In UK, it is generally sung to the traditional tune used here
(Forest Green),
arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

• Picture above is The Star of David, by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, divided by the Wall which runs around Bethlehem.

New words by Karl Dallas, sung by Gloria and Karl Dallas, recorded at BCB Bradford Community Radio, December 24, 2008, engineered by John Gill.
To pause, stop or replay the song, please use controls below.