Can you hear the distant music?

A feast for the ears and the eyes awaits you in this, in all likelihood the most joyous and exuberant Christmas carol you have ever heard.

Can you hear the distant music,
sounding from the pipe and horn?
Bearing news of joy and gladness,
Christ, the King of heav’n is born.

Angels, too, resound the anthem,
To the children of the earth,
Calling all to hear the tidings,
Of the blessed Savior’s birth.

Hear them sing, ta-ra-ra, ta-ra-re
Li-tam-pon, la-de-ri-tam-pon
The fife and angel voices ring

Ta-ra-ra, ta-ra-ra, ta-ra-re
Li-tam-pon, la-de-ri-tam-pon
They all rejoice with songs they sing
To bring the world a newborn King.

Feel the music stir your senses,
Like a mighty trumpet call,
Wakening the world from slumber,
Calling out to one and all.

From the village, from the country,
Let us join the holy throng,
As we hasten to the manger,
That we, too, may join the song.

As we sing, ta-ra-ra, ta-ra-re
Li-tam-pon, la-de-ri-tam-pon
The fife and angel voices ring.

Ta-ra-ra, ta-ra-ra, ta-ra-re
Li-tam-pon, la-de-ri-tam-pon
We all rejoice with songs we sing
To bring the world a newborn King.

Enter now the holy stable,
To behold the blessed sight.
This is Christ, the Lord, the Savior,
Pure and filled with holy light.

Tune your heart to hear His music,
Feel the glory of His love.
Let us worship and adore Him,
Wondrous Child of God above.

Raise your voice, ta-ra-ra-ra, ta-ra-re
Li-tam-pon, la-de-ri-tam-pon
The fife and angel voices ring.

Ta-ra-ra, ta-ra-ra, ta-ra-re
Li-tam-pon, la-de-ri-tam-pon
We all rejoice with songs we sing
To bring the world a newborn King.

Ta-ra-ra, ta-ra-ra, ta-ra-re
Li-tam-pon, la-de-ri-tam-pon
We all rejoice with songs we sing,
To tell us all to rise and sing,
To bring the world a newborn King.

The Carol to The King Processional was recorded as part of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s 2004 Christmas Concert.

This article originally appeared in The Arrow Is Flown - A Tristan Baier weblog