How Dark was the Stable Where Jesus was Born

This Christmas hymn about the impact of Jesus' birth was written by English folk-hymn writer Michael Cockett (b 1938) and / or English Roman Catholic singer/songrwriter, pastoral musician and publisher Kevin Mayhew.

It was included in the LP Haul Away, recorded by the Kevin Mayhew Singers and released under the Pax Records label (which was the recording division of Kevin Mayhew Ltd) in 1974 (ref).

The song was published in the 20th Century Folk Hymnal Volume 2 in  1975/76 (which credits it to Mayhew and is also in the currently-available Celebration Hymnal for Everyone (McCrimmon Publications, 1994 and 2012) which credits it to Cockett.     This hymnal is the only known source of sheet music for it.

    Image based on Angels Pray at the Birth of Christ - Farrar
    from the Wellcome Library, CC-BY



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    Examples

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    Lyrics

    The lyrics are copyright so cannot be reproduced here. But they are currently available on this website. A rough outline is:
    How dark was the stable where Jesus was born?
    How dark was the stable that was His first home?
    It was dark as sky on a dark winter's night,
    when the stars will not shine and the moon gives no light.

    How cold was the stable where Jesus was born?
    How cold was the stable that was His first home?
    It was cold as the frost on a white window pain;
    it was cold as a heart that has known no love.

    How light was the stable where Jesus was born?
    How light was the stable He made His first home?
    It was light as a star that was shinning that night.
    It was light as an angel in splendour and might.

    How warm was the stable when Jesus was born?
    How warm was the stable He made His first home?
    It was warm as a love of the first Christmas morn;
    it was warm as our hearts in which Jesus is born.

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    How dark was the stable where Jesus was born?
    How dark was the stable that was His first home?
    It was dark as sky on a dark winter's night,
    when the stars will not shine and the moon gives no light.

    How cold was the stable where Jesus was born?
    How cold was the stable that was His first home?
    It was cold as the frost on a white window pain;
    it was cold as a heart that has known no love.

    How light was the stable where Jesus was born?
    How light was the stable He made His first home?
    It was light as a star that was shinning that night.
    It was light as an angel in splendour and might.

    How warm was the stable when Jesus was born?
    How warm was the stable He made His first home?
    It was warm as a love of the first Christmas morn;
    it was warm as our hearts in which Jesus is born.

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