1. A Special Tree Jerry Arhelger
2. Away In A Manger W.Kirkpatrick, J R. Murrey & C E. Pettman
3. Beginning In A Manger Bed Erv Lewis
4. Bethlehem, House of Bread Garth Hewitt
5. Bethlehem Morning Morris Chapman
6. Birthday of a King Wes Davis
7. Breath Of Heaven Grant & Chris Eaton
8. Christ In Our Christmas Clint Miller
9. Come On Ring Those Bells Andrew Culverwell
10. From Heaven You Came Helpless Babe Graham Kendrick
11. Happy Birthday Gentle Saviour Dale Evans Rogers
12. Hark The Herald Angels Sing Charles Wesley & Felix Mendelssohn
13. Heavenly Night Kelita Haverland
14. He Came To Earth Not To Be Served John Pantry
15. He Started The Whole World Singing Bill Gaither & Gloria Gaither & Chris Waters
16. Hope Has Begun Bill Drake
17. Let There Be Love Shared Among Us Dave Bilbrough
18. Mystery Unveiled Sherry Wending & Jean Watson
19. Never Shone A Light So Fair Fanny Crosby & Robert Lowry
20. No Room John Peterson
21. O Come All Ye Faithful J F. Wade & Frederick Oakley & John Reading
22. O Little Town Of Bethlehem Philip Brooks
23. Silent Night Joseph Mohr & Franz Gruber
24. The Light Has Come Dave Moody
25. Worthy To The King Roger Hill
26. Worthy You Are Worthy Don Moen
27. You Laid Aside Your Majesty Noel Richards

Introduction by Erv Lewis
Martin Luther once said, “The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through music”. To this day, music is one of the avenues God uses to touch man’s heart with the story of His Son…a story that began in a manger bed over 2,000 years ago. Music is a powerful means of communication and it can speak to the hearts of men when even the most articulate spoken message cannot. I believe few people understand the evangelical power of God’s music as well as my good friend, Paul Davis, and I am privileged to write this introduction to Paul’s book of Christmas song and hymn stories.
I first met Paul in 1974 in a Holiday Inn Hotel restaurant at the airport in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Earlier that year we had communicated about the possibility of my touring the United Kingdom in concert and it was time to meet. I was passing through Atlanta on a concert tour, Paul was coming to the U. S. for a visit, and Atlanta was convenient.
I had a background in folk music, had been a Christian for only 5 years, and was still working on the transition from folk to Christian music. I was recording for the Benson Company’s ‘Impact Records’ and, in planning my third album, had begun to feel God’s direction to assist other Christian artists in their recording and concert ministries. That direction led me to form Herald Records, dedicated to helping beginning Christian artists get their music recorded, and facilitating their concert ministries. In that first meeting, Paul encouraged me in both my own musical ministry, and the Herald Records outreach. His vision of the possibilities was apparently clearer than mine, as Herald eventually became the recording base for Judy Herring, Jerry Arhelger, Judith and Roland Friday, and 15 other Christian artists, each dedicated to evangelism through Christian music. My last three albums were recorded under the Herald label.
My collaboration with Paul resulted in many concert tours of the United Kingdom, at first playing local churches as a single singer/guitarist, later adding larger concert halls with a band, and, each year, the Wembley ‘International Country Music Festival’. I formed many lasting friendships across the UK and will always remember those years fondly. Still, as much as I enjoyed singing the songs and meeting so many wonderful people, one of my greatest joys was getting to know Paul, Hazel, and their children. That friendship grew over the years and I came to know Paul as a true Brother in the Lord.
Paul is so amazing. He doesn’t make a fuss about it and doesn't seek personal recognition. He just quietly goes about seeking opportunities to further spread the Gospel story through music, and through this obedience to God’s calling, Paul has become recognized indeed -as a radio personality, author, founder/publisher of ‘New Music’ magazine, manager of ‘New Music’ recordings, and regular contributor to music publications across the United Kingdom and abroad. In short, he effectively facilitates the ministries of countless others as they seek to spread the Good News.
I have great love and admiration for Paul Davis, count him among my dearest friends, and could not think of anyone better prepared to develop the stories behind this list of powerful songs about the birth of our Lord.
Thanks, Paul.
Erv Lewis
(singer/songwriter/record producer)
Florence, South Carolina, USA


Introduction by Paul Wheater
Getting to know Paul Davis has for me involved similar stages just as in my coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ. In the case of meeting my Saviour and giving my life to Him, it was the most important event that could ever take place in my life.
First of all, I had heard of Paul but could not say that I knew him. As a country music singer, I read the various publications associated with the music and checked out which radio stations featured country artistes. Reading through the various magazines and newspapers it would have been impossible to have not heard of Paul Davis, his talent as a columnist and record reviewer was obviously well appreciated by the editors, as he contributed to almost every major publication imaginable.
Later I realized just how many others had heard of Paul and listened to his radio shows when he played tracks from my recordings. The letters flooded in, many of them detailing the kind comments Paul had made about my music, and I began to feel that I was getting to know him a little, if only through the things that others said about him.
The second stage of getting to know Paul was to meet him, and this was a significant event in my life. Paul is Pastor of a truly Bible-based, Jesus-centred and spirit-filled church in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire and he invited me to sing there. So my wife, Jill and I headed south and enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship with Paul, his wife Hazel and his dear family over the weekend spent at his home.
The third stage of getting to know Paul has been the development of a true and lasting friendship over the years and it is a great privilege to be invited to write an introduction for this latest book.
The angels sang when our Saviour was born, and Paul has brought together in one book one of the most comprehensive collections of stories of Carols, Hymns and Christmas Songs ever. The diversity of dates when the songs were written, the musical backgrounds, testimonies and styles of the writers could hardly be greater. But they all have three most important themes in common: -
Each song tells with joy the blessed story of Christ’s wondrous Incarnation.
Each relates clearly the good news of salvation, the real meaning of Christmas.
Each inspired song seeks to magnify and praise Him who is worthy!
Enjoy this book of stories, testimonies and teaching! Sing again the songs with joy! Perhaps by the last page, you will feel that you have come to know Paul Davis a little, or if you already know him that you will know him a little better. Better still, I hope that you come to appreciate the Lord Jesus more.
My earnest prayer is that, if you have only heard of Christ Jesus from a distance, that this book may help you to eventually meet Him and that like me you will someday be able to call Him your Best Friend.
Paul Wheater
(singer /founder & organiser of the Whitby Gospel Music Convention)
Whitby, Yorkshire, England


Foreword by Rex Landon
There are very few pleasures that seem more enjoyable in life than getting together with like-minded people to sing songs that lift and encourage the human soul. Every year, when December arrives one can almost feel a ground swell of human expectation. Christmas is just around the corner, a time when peoples of different races, cultures, churches and theologies join with one purpose in mind. That is to sing carols and hymns that will glorify God for the sending of His Precious Son, Christ Jesus (our ‘God with us’ – our Emmanuel). In this yearly gathering, songs sung serve to: -
Strengthen the soul
Gladden the heart
Bring hope in a hopeless world of strife and suffering.
I have known Dr. Paul Davis for several years. In that time, we have to the Glory-of-God worked closely together in leading Leighton Christian Fellowship. It is a loving Church of devoted saints located in one of England’s ‘green-and-pleasant’ Bedfordshire market towns.
One of the first things that captured my attention with Paul was his interest in people. He has the gifting to encourage individuals where previously no-one had taken the responsibility, or seen the need to do so. At the centre of Paul’s heart are the Word-of-God, and the need to bring that Word to people who might not otherwise have an opportunity to hear it.
Paul loves Christian music-and-song. Almost every time you arrive at his house, somewhere in the background there is a recording being played. There are few with his depth of knowledge of gospel songs and worship hymns, their writers, and why they were written. He is an expert historian of the lives of those who put pen-to- paper when melodies-and-verses were brought into being.
Surely here is a faith-building book that will be invaluable as an instrument in helping its readers to appreciate that there is far more behind a song than mere words-and-music. As with most things, Paul attempts to unveil the revelation of God’s purpose. The winning-of-souls to the Kingdom of Heaven permeates the very fabric of this book. Many of the Christmas Carols and Hymns covered will have been birthed after real life experiences of their authors and composers. These are everyday people who, without the very real presence of God in their lives, could not have written such wonderful compositions that fill so many with the overwhelming desire to sing. Here are people who God has wonderfully gifted in accordance with His gracious purpose, so that we today can join together with others in the harmony of praise.
Paul, by his very nature, endeavours always to see the best in people. In similar fashion, his writings help readers to gain new and perhaps previously unknown revelations of the authors and composers. Each person written about will have his or her own vision of the Glory of God causing the putting of pen-to-paper and fingers to musical instruments. We are the beneficiaries of such visions. As a result, our present day worship is enriched in ways only Heavenly Grace and Favour can bestow.
For Paul this book is a great labour of love. It is the result of years of accumulating information and interviews that would one day be shared as the pages reveal.
Praise God for people who write beautiful Christmas Carols and Hymns, that we can enjoy and that warm our hearts.
Praise God too for people like Paul, who labour many long hours that we can be better informed about what has gone on before us.
Praise God for wonderful music that causes Him to be glorified through the voices of His human creation, on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Rev’d. Dr. Rex Landon (BTh. MA. DD)
Leighton Buzzard,
Bedfordshire, England