What is in Kelvin's Head?

While the shepherds at night were a-watching

19/11/2021

While the shepherds at night were a-watching
Where their flocks in the fields were abiding
Th’angel of the Lord came and stood down beside them
Opened his mouth and then greatly surprised them:
“Shine Jesus shine. Shine Jesus shine”
[Chorus]

Fear not said he for dread had seized them mightily
Minds were troubled, they all worried frightfully
I bring you tidings of gladness eternally
Dance with joy and with me sing supernally…
“Shine Jesus Shine. Shine Jesus Shine.
[Chorus]

Unto you is born now a saviour
Who is Christ the Lord and he made you.
He’s of David’s line, a descendent
Sing now to him for his sign is transcendent:
“Shine Jesus Shine. Shine Jesus Shine.”
[Chorus]

You shall find the heavenly babe there
To human view he looks lovely and very fair
All simply wrapped in bands that are swaddling
Sing to the child in the manger, the Godling:
“Shine Jesus Shine. Shine Jesus Shine”.
[Chorus]

Thus the angel spoke and suddenly
Throngs of angels appeared singing utterly
Beautiful music, their praises lasted long
As they sang forth they repeated the glorious song:
“Shine Jesus Shine. Shine Jesus Shine”
[Chorus]

“Glory be now to God in the highest
Peace to God’s people” they sang without shyness
Unto those upon whom his favour rests
With goodwill, may this song be ever blessed:
“Shine Jesus Shine. Shine Jesus Shine”
[Chorus]

8 responses to “I seem to have been spared”

Erp

06/12/2008

Glad to hear you are feeling better. May you have a good illness free Advent for you and your congregation. (Is blue or purple the Advent colour at St. Mary’s?)

Reply
kelvin

06/12/2008

The colour is purple, though sadly we don’t have a full high mass set for this time of the year.

In my former congregation, we kept what people called “sarum colours” – blue in advent, unbleached linen in Lent.

I believe the term sarum colours to be historically incorrect, but I rather liked the distinction between the two seasons.

Reply
Marion Conn

06/12/2008

Hi Kelvin, glad to hear you are feeling better. In respect to “sarum colours” may i suggest this website, http://anglicanhistory.org/essays/wright/sarum.pdf

Reply
Erp

07/12/2008

Thanks for the distinction. One of the local churches (non-denominational university with one episcopal priest out of three ministers) here uses blue but I seem to have recalled purple from other places. I’m not sure where they got the blue candles though, they are a very odd shade.

Reply
Ritualist Robert

07/12/2008

Speaking of Sarum, were there medieval uses peculiar to Scotland, Fr Kelvin? Presumably there may have been something like a St Andrews Use.

Reply
ryan

07/12/2008

Yeah, I think the Sarum rite sounds fabulous, but Advent candles should obviously be purple and pink :-).

Reply
kelvin

07/12/2008

I presume that there was a St Andrews Use, though I’m no medievalist and there may be people better qualified to comment about it than I am.

There certainly seems to have been a very spectacular Use at the collegiate church of St Mary and St Anne in Glasgow. There is some speculation that St Mary’s (with its side chapel dedicated to St Anne) might have some significant roots in that congregation, which met in a church where the Tron theatre now is.

The ceremonies (and endowments) of this church were lavish. There is a little about it on wikipedia.

Reply
Fr Dougal

08/12/2008

Use of Aberdeen is very well recorded in FC Eels book on King’s College Chapel, rather like Sarum and Bangor.

Reply