Christmas Songs

mi so la
  • Christmas clock (Nash & Ripley 1988: 38)
    (half sung half spoken, with Orff accompaniment)
do re mi
  • Suo-gan (Welsh Christmas lullaby)
    (I always substitute the words "little child.")
    (Heller n. d.: 30-31, Roseberry 1969: 80-81)
do re mi so
  • Mariner's Hymn (dialogue song)
    (Seeger, R. C. 1953: 55, Down East: 253-254)
  • Christmas game (to the tune of Mary had a little lamb)
    (Warren 1984: 14)
  • Christmas time is here (to the tune of Mary had a little lamb)
    (Warren 1984: 12)
  • Merry Christmas band (to the tune of Mary had a little lamb)
    (Warren 1984: 15)
  • Dame, get up and bake your pies (Keetman, Regner & Orff 1982: 15, Wyzga c 1976, vol. 1: 13)
do re mi so la
  • Cherry Tree Carol, The (Bronson 1962, vol. 2: 6, 8)
  • Love came down at Christmas (Kaiser 1979: #23)
  • Lullaby for Christmas (Joiner 1977: 19-20)
  • Christ the Lord is born (Joiner 1977: 25)
  • It's Christmas (Joiner 1977: 29-30)
  • Ding, dong, Christmas bells (Joiner 1977: 30)

I Have Made My Christmas List

First I want the stars to shine . . .
Bright on Christmas Eve.

Next I want a Christmas tree . . .
Shining through the night.

Last I ask for peace on earth . . .
Peace from Thee.

Wyzga c 1976, vol 1: 20.

do re mi so la do
  • Hoshi no hikkata sono ban ni [In the starry holy night] Let's sing: 11
  • O po' little Jesus (Ehret & Evans 1964: 86)
  • On a Christmas morning (refrain quotes refrain from Jesus Loves Me)
    (Yoder 1976: #76)
  • Rudolph's light (to the tune of Camptown races)
    (Warren 1984: 17)
  • Christmas song (Joiner 1977: 21-22)
do re mi so la do re
  • Aya Po (Dakota song with a drone bass) (Botsford: 18)
  • Born of maiden fair (Kut: 15)
  • In bright mansions above (Dett RES: 42-43)
mi so la do re mi
  • Glory to that newborn King (Work, J. W. 1940: 214
  • Joseph and Mary (Cherry Tree Carol) (Poston 1988: 70-71, Seeger, R. C. 24-25)
do re mi so la do re mi
  • Shepherds, rejoice
    (Seeger, R. C. 1953: 30, Poston 1988: 47-49
http://www.christmascarnivals.com/christmas-holiday-package/best-scenic-journies.html re mi so la
  • Christmas tree (Joiner 1977: 26)
do mi so la do
  • Welcome Christmas (Joiner 1977: 27)
so do re mi
  • Carol of the Bells
lyrics given here.
No music is given, but the melody is presumably that of Westminster Chimes.


Hark how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say
Throw cares away

Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold
Ding dong ding
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling

so do re mi so
  • Gingerbread boy
    (can be sung to the tune of The muffin man in Cox 1942: 240)
    (Warren 1984: 19)


  • Ten little reindeer
    (can be sung to the tune of The muffin man in Cox 1942: 240)
    (Warren 1983: 11)
  • Here stands a lovely Christmas tree
    (can be sung to the tune of The muffin man in Cox 1942: 240)
    (Warren 1985: 65)
  • Ten little reindeer
    (can be sung to the tune of The muffin man in Cox 1942: 240)
    (Warren 1985: 66)
  • Christmas time is here (can be sung to the tune of
    Pinto in Gomme [1894] 1964, vol. 1: 29)
    (Warren 1984: 16)
  • Shepherd, shepherd, where are you going? (Andre 1979: 59)
  • Our little Lord is born (Poston [1966] 1967: 10)
so la do re mi
  • Merry Christmas everywhere (to the tune of Old MacDonald)
    (Warren 1984: 19)
  • Jolly old Saint Nicholas (Ehret & Evans 1964: 74-75)
  • Ain't that a rocking all night (Seeger, R. C. 1953: 42)
so la do re mi so
  • Sister Mary had but one child
    (Langstaff, Barab & Johnson 1974: 66-68, Hayes: 98-102, Poston 1988: 134-137)
so do re mi so la
  • Christmas bells are ringing (Sur et al 1967: 142)
  • First Christmas gift, The (Joiner 1977: 23-24)
la do re mi so la
  • Christmas is a bubble (Joiner 1977: 28)
  • Blessings of Mary, The
    (Seeger, R. C. 1953: 58-59, Jackson WNS, JAF 48: 390, Poston 1988)
    (Depending on the version, consists of up to 12 stanzas following
    a simple pattern. Although pattern songs are easier to learn,
    they are less interesting to listen to. When I was rehearsing
    this song for a program, the other teachers begged me to
    cut the 12 stanzas down to 7.)
  • Christ was born in Bethlehem (Gainer 1963: 191, Bradford 1978: 63)
  • What month was Jesus born in? (Lomax 1960: 84)
Sing of Mary

Wyzga c 1976, vol 3: 4.

la do re mi so la do
  • Shiao bao-bao (Chinese Christmas lullaby) (Reed 1967: 68-70)
so la do re mi so la
  • Beautiful star of Bethlehem (Mull 1975: #314)
  • Cherry Tree Carol, The
    (Fowke & Johnston: 128-129, Bronson 1962, vol. 2: 8, Sharp I: 93, 94,
    Langstaff, Barab & Johnson 1974: 26-27, Simon: 46-47; Erdei & Komlos 1974: 58)
  • Child of God
    (Poston 1988: 88-89, Silber 1971: 13, Seeger, R. C. 1953: 40, McNeil: 9,
    Langstaff, Barab & Johnson 1974: 64-65, C & S: 35, Bronson 1962, vol. 2: 8, Brice: 43-44, Sharp I: 92
  • Go tell it on the mountain
    (Langstaff, Barab & Johnson 1974: 58-59, Silber 1971: 381, Seeger, R. C. 1953: 29,
    Ehret & Evans 1964: 84-85)
  • Hills are bare at Bethlehem, The (Singing in the living tradition #232)
  • Mary had a baby
    (Poston 1988: 73-74, Silber 1971: 7, Cass-Beggs & Cass-Beggs 1969: 22, Ehret & Evans 1964: 83, Johnson & Johnson 1926: 124-125, Seeger, R. C. 1953: 47, Langstaff, Barab & Johnson 1974: 54-55; Erdei & Komlos 1974: 55)
  • Twelve days of Christmas (lesser-known pentatonic version)
    (Seeger, R. C. 1953: 72)
  • Yonder comes sister Mary (Fischer 208-209, Seeger, R. C. 1953: 57)
  • Star of Bethlehem (Scudder 1852: #68, Bradford 1978: 96)
la do mi so la do re
  • Sing hallelu Seeger, R. C. 1953: 46
mi so la do re mi so
  • Fais do-do (A French family song) (Carmer: 130-131)
  • New-born baby, The (Seeger, R. C. 1953: 34, Fisher: 24-25)
  • Singing in the land (Seeger, R. C. 1953: 64)
  • The new-born baby (Fisher 1924: 24-25, Seeger, R. C. 1952: 34)
mi la do re mi
  • Poor little Jesus Seeger, R. C. 1953: 52
mi la do re mi la
  • Poor little Jesus (Silber 1971: 25, Folk song USA: 354-355)
la do re mi so la do re mi
  • Poston 1988: 142-143, Langstaff, Barab & Johnson 1974: 56-57, Seeger, R. C. 1953: 28
  • Mary, Mary, what is the matter?
    (a call-response song. One part has the tone row so la do re mi,
    the other part has the range la do re mi so.)
    (Poston 1970: 142-144, Langstaff, Barab & Johnson 1974: 56, Seeger, R. C. 1953 28)
so la do re mi so la do
  • Awake, awake! (Burton & Manning: 91)
  • Golden Ray, The (Kut: 51)
  • Heard from Heaven today (Seeger, R. C. 1953: 53, Allen, Ware & Garrison 1867: 2)
  • In the valley (Langstaff, Barab & Johnson: 31)
  • Juda's land (Poston: 100-101)
  • 'Twas a wonder in Heaven (Seeger, R. C. 1953: 54)

so la do re mi so la do re

O Shepherds, Rise and Leave Your Sheep



O shepherds, go to where He lies,
In Bethl'hems's stall there feat your eyes,
A manger is His humble throne,
The King of Heav'n, God's only Son.

Shepherds, lowly bend your knee,
He has come to set men free,
May love and peace surround the earth
At this, the great Messiah's birth.

O shepherds, rise, be on your way,
For Jesus Christ is born today.

The hymn tune appeared in the 1835 edition of Southern Harmony under the name PROSPECT.
The source of the lyrics is unknown.

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