Carols By Candlelight 2025

Joy to the world, the Lord is come,
Let earth receive her King,
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns,
Let men their song employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground,
He comes to make His blessings flow,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found. 

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove,
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, and wonders of His love.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!" 

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies,
with th'angelic hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!" 

Refrain:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King"

Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of the Virgin's womb:
veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail th'incarnate Deity,
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel. 

Refrain

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth. 

Refrain

O come all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye,
O come ye To Bethlehem,
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels.

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord. 

Sing choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all ye citizens of Heaven above,
Glory to God,
In the highest.

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Yea Lord we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesus to Thee be glory given,
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing.

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town!

He's making a list,
And checking it twice,
Gonna find out,
Who's naughty or nice,
Santa Claus is coming to town!

He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake,
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!

Oh...
You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town!

With little tin horns,
And little toy drums,
Rooty-toot-toots,
And rummy tum tums,
Santa Claus is coming town!

And curly-haired dolls,
That toddle and coo,
Elephants, boats,
And kiddie cars too,
Santa Claus is coming to town!

The kids in girl and boy land,
Will have a jubilee,
They're gonna build a toyland town,
All around the Christmas tree.

Sooo. . . .
You better watch out,
You better not cry.
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why...
Santa Claus is coming...
Santa Claus is coming...
Santa Claus is coming to town!

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer,
Had a very shiny nose,
And if you ever saw it,
You would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer,
Used to laugh and call him names,
They never let poor Rudolph,
Play in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve,
Santa came to say,
"Rudolph with your nose so bright,
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then how the reindeer loved him,
As they shouted out with glee,
"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
You'll go down in history!"

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer,
Had a very shiny nose,
And if you ever saw it,
You would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer,
Used to laugh and call him names,
They never let poor Rudolph,
Play in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve,
Santa came to say,
"Rudolph with your nose so bright,
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then how the reindeer loved him,
As they shouted out with glee,
"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
You'll go down in history!"

Dashing through the snow,
In a one-horse open sleigh,
Over the fields we go,
Laughing all the way,
Bells on bobtails ring,
Making spirits bright,
What fun it is to ride and sing,
A sleighing song tonight.

Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way,
Oh, what fun it is to ride,
In a one-horse open sleigh, hey,
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way,
Oh, what fun it is to ride,
In a one-horse open sleigh.

Now the ground is white,
Go it while you're young,
Take the girls tonight,
And sing this sleighing song,
Just get a bobtailed bay,
Two forty as his speed,
Hitch him to an open sleigh,
And crack, you'll take the lead.

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way,
Oh, what fun it is to ride,
In a one-horse open sleigh, hey,
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way,
Oh, what fun it is to ride,
In a one-horse open sleigh.

We three kings of Orient are,
bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star.

Refrain:
O star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain,
gold I bring to crown him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
over us all to reign. 

Refrain

Frankincense to offer have I,
incense owns a Deity nigh,
prayer and praising, voices raising,
worshiping God on high. 

Refrain

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume,
breathes a life of gathering gloom,
sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
sealed in the stone-cold tomb. 

Refrain

Glorious now behold him arise,
King and God and sacrifice,
Alleluia, Alleluia,
sounds through the earth and skies.

Refrain

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la,
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la,
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la la la, la la la la,
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

See the blazing Yule before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la,
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa la la la la, la la la la,
Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la,
While I tell of Yuletide treasure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la. 

Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la,
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la,
Sing we joyous, all together,
Fa la la la la, la la la la,
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head,
The stars in the bright sky looked down where,
He lay, The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes,
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay,
Close by me for ever and love me I pray,
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven to live with thee there.

The first Noel the angels did say,
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay,
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.

Refrain:
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

They look-ed up and saw a star,
Shining in the east beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.

Refrain

Then entered in the wise men three,
Full rev’rently upon their knee,
And offered there in His presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.

Refrain

Then let us all with one accord,
Sing praises to our Heavenly Lord,
That hath made heav’n and earth of nought,
And with His blood mankind hath bought.

Refrain

Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing over the plains,
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains. 

Refrain:
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Gloria in excelsis Deo. 

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be?
Which inspire your heavn'ly song? 

Refrain

Come to Bethlehem and see,
Him whose birth the angels sing,
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

Refrain

See him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise,
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise. 

Refrain

We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a happy New Year.

Chorus:
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a happy New Year.

Now bring us some figgy pudding,
Now bring us some figgy pudding,
Now bring us some figgy pudding,
And bring some out here.

Chorus

For we all like figgy pudding,
For we all like figgy pudding,
For we all like figgy pudding,
So bring some out here.

Chorus

And we won’t go until we’ve got some,
And we won’t go until we’ve got some,
And we won’t go until we’ve got some,
So bring some out here.

Chorus

Once in Royal David's city,
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby,
In a manger for his bed,
Mary was that mother's mild,
Jesus Christ, her little Child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall,
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth, our Savior holy.

And through all His wonders childhood,
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms he lay,
Christian children all must be,
Mild, obedient, good as He.

For He is our childhood's pattern,
Day by day, like us, He grew,
He was little, weak, and helpless,
Tears and smiles, like us He knew,
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love,
For that Child so dear and gentle,
Is our Lord in heaven above,
And He leads His children on,
To the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him (we shall see Him) but in heaven (but in heaven),
Set as God's right hand on high,
When like stars his children crowned,
All in white shall we around.

Ding Dong! Merrily on high,
The Christmas bells are ringing,
Ding Dong! Joyously reply,
The angels all are singing.

Gloria….. Hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria….. Hosanna in excelsis! 

Ding Dong! Carol all the bells,
Ring out the Christmas story,
Ding Dong! Sound the glad noel,
God’s Son has come in glory.

Gloria….. Hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria….. Hosanna in excelsis! 

Praise Him! People far and near,
And join the angels’ singing,
Ding Dong! Ev’ry where we hear,
The Christmas bells a ringing.

Gloria….. Hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria….. Hosanna in excelsis!

Anson has been performing since he was 8, with Initial Stages and school productions both Shepparton and Melbourne. He most recently portrayed Billy Flynn in Shepparton Theatre Arts Group sell out season of Chicago. Last year Anson played the lovable Seymour in Little Shop Of Horrors receiving multiple Georgy Awards and a Guild Award for his performances.

Anson is thrilled to be a part of this year’s Carols by Candlelight alongside his leading ladies. He is grateful for the opportunity to sing alongside such talented people and bring much needed joy to everyone this holiday season.

A Little Messy Productions is a creative initiative committed to empowering young performers to share original stories that hold wonder, vulnerability, and heart at their centre. Our mission is to celebrate creativity, collaboration, and authentic connection within ourselves, with each other, and across our wider community.

We believe in offering meaningful opportunities for young people to grow, learn, lead, and express themselves through the mediums of theatre, storytelling, music, and art. Our hope is to provide spaces where young people can explore who they are, find their voice, embrace their imagination, discover courage, and experience the joy of bringing stories to life.

Briana Lee is a proud Shepparton local singer, songwriter and musician who has been performing all her life – from the local gig scene to stages across Australia and overseas. In 2013 she released her album A Part of You, which is available to stream on all platforms.

Over the years Briana has shared the stage with some of Australia’s finest artists, including Troy Cassar-Daley, Jessica Mauboy, The McClymonts, Kasey Chambers, Jasmine Rae, Wendy Matthews and Daryl Braithwaite.

Tonight, she is especially thrilled to be singing at Shepparton’s Carols by Candlelight again– and her two little girls are even more excited to see their Mum perform!

The Greater Shepparton Combined Churches Band is a small representation of our region’s diverse range of approximately 40 Christian churches. Coming together for Carols, this group unites musicians and singers from at least 8 local churches.

Creating Drama is an inclusive, disability-based performance art and theatre group in Shepparton, Australia, founded by Helen Janke to provide a creative and inclusive space for performers with disabilities. The group has grown to include many performers and staff, regularly performing in and around Shepparton.

This year Creating Drama performed Frozen a Disney Jr Production at Eastbank delighting and bringing joy to their audience. They are so happy and excited to once again be apart or Carols by Candlelight.

Stevie has been on the stage from a young age, with many thanks to both her parents. Branching out with her band and also into the theatre, she's honed her craft as a performer over a variation of styles. Stevie's always wanted to sing for you at Shepparton carols, and finally, she gets to make her debut! Her favourite singers during the festive season are Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby and Michael Bublé.

Kaitlyn Martin is a singer songwriter born in Shepparton who’s loved music her whole life. In 2024, she appeared on The Voice Australia, turned three chairs, and joined Team Adam Lambert.

She gigs regularly and is passionate about creating and performing music and is excited to be singing at Carols by Candlelight for the first time this year. Next year, Kaitlyn will begin studying Occupational Therapy at university while continuing to gig and work on releasing original songs.

Fresh off co-directing A Month of Sundays and Christmas in July for STAG, Kat is excited to be a part of Shepparton’s Carols by Candlelight this year. Over the years, Kat has played in rock bands and been an avid performer in local theatre revues.

Currently she is part of a new local singing quartet, Musicamici. When not on stage, Kat teaches Music and Drama and loves directing plays and musicals!

Kathleen loves Christmas! She is a local primary school Performing Arts teacher who has been involved in local carols for many years, including Wodonga, Albury, and many towns around Shepparton.

She has been involved with a variety of STAG productions and is excited to be back for another full festive season of carols - both guiding her students and as a performer herself.

Nigel started playing piano at age three and began lessons at five, and has been essentially playing music his entire life, and hopes to be good at it sometime soon.

He started playing professionally at 16 with younger brother Robert Parsons, an amazing bass player who together played in ‘Crying Out Loud’, appearing on Hey Hey it’s Saturday with the single ‘No Consolation’ as an unsigned act a few weeks before the show was cancelled. Many still blame him for the show’s ultimate demise.

These days you’ll find him playing with the cover band ‘Current Stand’, named after the 80’s hit from ‘Kids in the Kitchen’, co-written by drummer Bruce Curnow. All three members agree they wouldn’t have gone with such a lame band name had they known they’d still be playing together 15 years later.

Ray has been performing around the region for a number of years and can often be seen with his acoustic guitar in hand at various bars, cafes, pubs and private functions.

Ray loves the buzz from performing and is excited to be back at carols for another year, coincidently the date this year falling on gravy day!

Shepparton Brass and Wind are made up of talented local musicians, with a common interest in sharing their music with our local community.

Shepparton Brass and Wind have been an integral part of Shepparton Carols for many years and serve at other community event like ANZAC day and Australia Day celebrations. They are always accepting new members and can be found through Facebook and Google.

St Pauls Lutheran Church Choir began in 2008 when former refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and South Sudan expressed a desire to sing songs of faith in their own languages during Sunday worship services.

Since their beginning the choir has grown in number and stature. While continuing to see their primary role as serving the congregation each Sunday, the choir’s passion for singing and the gospel has seen them performing at the Keith Murdoch Oration in the State Library, the Premier’s Gala Dinner at Crown Casino and the Melbourne Entertainment Centre, the SheppARTon Festival, numerous Emerge festivals, and more.

At present the choir is made up of immigrants from both D.R. Congo and Burundi, as well as first generation Australians from these African communities. They regularly sing in Kiswahili, Kirundi and English.

Sophie is proudly born and bred in Shepparton, where her musical journey began with weekly renditions of the National Anthem at her primary school assemblies often sharing this role with another well loved local face, Briana Lee.

Since then, she has performed at countless community events and has become a well-known and much-loved presence at Carols by Candlelight. She feels deeply honoured to once again MC an event that holds a very special place in her heart.

You’ll often find Sophie singing throughout Shepparton — serving as a Worship Leader at Encounter Christian Church, performing as a solo artist, providing backing vocals for a range of musicians, or taking the stage with her new band at weddings and local functions.

Bringing together four powerhouse vocalists for the first time, the 2025 Carols by Candlelight proudly presents Rachael Howard, Stevie Renee, Hannah Magee and Jamie Lea.

Each artist is celebrated in her own right — from theatrical stages to festival line-ups, studio sessions and community events — but this special performance marks their debut as a collective.

With rich harmonies, dynamic stage presence and a shared love of storytelling through song, this quartet promises a beautifully crafted and heartfelt celebration of a Christmas classic. Individually accomplished and collectively unforgettable, Rachael, Stevie, Hannah and Jamie are set to light up the stage and lift spirits high this festive season.