Masters in This Hall - Traditional

Masters in this hall,
Hear ye news today
Brought from over sea,
And ever I you pray.
Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!
Nowell, sing we clear!
Holpen are all folk on earth,
Born is God's Son so dear!

Go we hence in peace,
Singing evermore,
Mary hath a Son
Whom the angels adore.
Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!
Nowell, sing we clear!
Holpen are all folk on earth,
Born is God's Son so dear!

There shall we see him,
Joseph, her dear spouse,
Mary, Mother mild,
With the Babe in the house.
Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!
Nowell, sing we clear!
Holpen are all folk on earth,
Born is God's Son so dear!

At Bethlehem she bore
Jesus in an inn,
In the winter's cold
The cattle fast within.
Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!
Nowell, sing we clear!
Holpen are all folk on earth,
Born is God's Son so dear!

He was born so poor,
Ne'er a bed of gold;
In a stall of beasts
This dear Babe they hold.
Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!
Nowell, sing we clear!
Holpen are all folk on earth,
Born is God's Son so dear!

Masters in This Hall lyrics were written by William Morris to an old French dance tune. The song is notable for its energetic triple-meter rhythm and its narrative structure. It describes the shepherds on the hill and the Lady bright with her Babe of might. It serves as a bridge between the folk dance tradition and the sacred story of Christmas. By singing the Masters in This Hall lyrics the congregation experiences the excitement of a witness sharing the glad tidings with their community emphasizing that the birth of Christ is a cause for celebration for both the high-born and the lowly.