Christmas Music: Have You Heard the Story of the Jesus Child?

In the fall of 1988, I was a sophomore in high school. Our choir director, Mr. David Perry, pulled out the Christmas music, and introduced the sophomore choir to a song that was to become one of my favorite Christmas songs of all time, John Rutter’s, “Jesus Child”. It’s an exciting song with a calypso beat. I’ve always imagined the song being a group of friends telling each other about the birth of Christ and as the more people know the story, their joy and excitement for Christ grows.

Here are the lyrics:
Have you heard the story that they’re telling ’bout Bethlehem,
Have you heard the story of the Jesus child?
How he came from heaven and was born in a manger bed?
Mary was his virgin mother pure and mild.

Sing alleluia, brothers, sing alleluja, sisters,
Worship the Jesus child and praise his mother mild.
‘Glory to God’ the angel hosts are singing:
Listen to the story of the Jesus child.

Jesus child, lying at Bethlehem,
Sleeping safe at Mary’s knee,
Save my soul and bring me to paradise,
Let me join the angles singing glory to thee.

Sing alleluia, brothers, sing allelula, sisters,
Worship the Jesus child and praise his mother mild.
‘Glory to God’ the angel hosts are singing:
Listen to the story of the Jesus child.

Have you hard the story of the kings from the orient,
Following the star that’s shining over his head?
Offering their precious gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense,
Kneeling with the ox and ass before his bed?

Sing alleluia, brothers, sing allelula, sisters,
Worship the Jesus child and praise his mother mild.
‘Glory to God’ the angel hosts are singing:
Listen to the story of the Jesus child.

Brothers, let us celebrate the birth of the Jesus child,
Sisters, come and welcome him, the new-born King;
Praise the Lord who sent him down form heaven at Christmas time;
Young and old and rich and poor, his praises sing.

Sing alleluia, brothers, sing allelula, sisters,
Worship the Jesus child and praise his mother mild.
‘Glory to God’ the angel hosts are singing:
Listen to the story of the Jesus child.