Our Christmas Elf Crafters are busy once again creating a wonderful selection of handmade Christmas gifts and decorations, all of which will be available to buy at our Christmas Pop-Up Event from 7 December.

As well as the Pop-Up, we will be hosting our annual Carols Around the Tree concert on 10 December, a special festive occasion that we always look forward to sharing with our community.

We would love to see you there!

Carols song sheet

Welcome to our Carol Concert. We will be providing pre-recorded music for all carols and song sheets will be available.

  To maintain all our safety, there are a few rules that we need to follow.

1.                   In clear weather, the event will be outside, in front of the Christmas Tree

2.                   In the event of rain, we will move into the hospital foyer to sing

3.                   In the foyer enjoy hot drinks, mince pies, tombola, gifts and festive stalls

4.                   The Car Park can be used

5.                   Dress up warm and be prepared for rain

6.                   Bring a lamp/torch so you can read the carol words

7.                   At the end, please allow time for people to leave safely

We wish you all seasons’ greetings and that you have a happy and safe time.

The FFCH organising team

1   Away In A Manger 

2   Ding Dong Merrily On High.

3   Good King Wenceslas. 

4   Hark The Herald Angels Sing. 

5   Jingle Bells. 

6   O Come All Ye Faithful 

7   O Little Town Of Bethlehem. 

8   Once In Royal David’s City. 

9   Silent Night 

10  The First Noel 

11  The Holly And The Ivy. 

12  We Three Kings. 

13  While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks. 

14  We Wish You A Merry Christmas. 

1  Away In A Manger

William J. Kirkpatrick 1895

1.   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

2.   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

3.   Be near me Lord Jesus I ask thee to stay

Close by me forever, and love me I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,

And fit us for heaven to live with thee there

2  Ding Dong Merrily On High

George Ratcliffe Woodward 1924

1. Ding dong merrily on high, in heav’n the bells are ringing:

Ding dong verily the sky, is riv’n with angels singing.

Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

 2. E’en so here below, below, let steeple bells be swungen,

And “Io, io, io!” By priest and people sungen.

Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

 3.   Pray you, dutifully prime, your matin chime, ye ringers;

May you beautifully rime, your evetime song, ye singers.

Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis! 

4.   Ding dong merrily on high, in heav’n the bells are ringing:

Ding dong! verily the sky, is riv’n with angels singing.

Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

3  Good King Wenceslas

John Mason Neale 1853

1. Good King Wenceslas looked out,

On the feast of Stephen

When the snow lay round about,

Deep and crisp and even

Brightly shone the moon that night,

Though the frost was cruel

When a poor man came in sight,

Gathering winter fuel.

2. Hither, page and stand by me,

If thou know’st it, telling.

Yonder peasant, who is he?

Where and what his dwelling?

Sire, he lives a good league hence,

Underneath the mountain,

Right against the forest fence,

By St.Agnes’ fountain.

3. Bring me flesh and bring me wine!

Bring me pine logs hither!

Thou and I will see him dine,

When we bear them thither

Page and monarch forth they went,

Forth they went together.

Through the rude wind’s wild lament,

And the bitter weather.

4.   Sire, the night is darker now,

And the wind grows stronger.

Fails my heart, I know not how,

I can go no longer.

Mark my footsteps good my page,

Tread thou in them boldly.

Thou shal’t find the winter’s rage,

Freeze thy blood less coldly.

5. In his master’s steps he trod,

Where the snow lay dinted

Heat was in the very sod,

Which the Saint had printed

Therefore, Christian men, be sure,

Wealth or rank possessing

Ye who now will bless the poor,

Shall yourself find blessing.

4  Hark The Herald Angels Sing

William H. Cummings 1758

1.   Hark the herald angels sing,

Glory to the new born 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 host proclaim,

“Christ is born in Bethlehem”.

Hark the herald angels sing,

Glory to the new born king

2.   Christ by highest heav’n adored,

Christ the everlasting Lord:

Late in time behold him come,

Offspring of a virgin’s womb

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,

Hail the incarnate Deity!

Pleased as man with man to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel!

Hark the herald angels sing,

Glory to the new born king

3.   Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the son of righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings,

Risen with healing in his wings

Mild, he lays his glory by,

Born that man no more may die,

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth

Hark the herald angels sing,

Glory to the new born king

5  Jingle Bells

James Lord Pierpont 1857

1.   Dashing through the snow

In a one horse open sleigh,

Across the fields we go,

We’re laughing all the way,

2.   The bells on bobtail ring,

They are making spirits bright,

What fun it is to ride and sing

A sleighing song tonight

3.   Oh jingle bells, jingle bells,

Jingle all the way,

Oh what fun it is to ride

On a one horse open sleigh.

4.   Oh jingle bells, jingle bells,

Jingle all the way,

Oh what fun it is to ride

On a one horse open sleigh.

Repeat verses

In a one horse open sleigh.

6  O Come All Ye Faithful

John Francis Wade 1751

1.   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!

Chorus:

O come let us adore him!

O come, let us adore him!

O come, let us adore him,

Christ the Lord!

2.   God of God,

Light of light,

Lo! He abhors not the virgin’s womb.

Very God,

Begotten, not created.

Chorus:

O come let us adore him!

O come, let us adore him!

O come, let us adore him,

Christ the Lord!

3.   Sing choirs of angels,

Sing in exultation,

Sing all ye citizens of heaven above;

Glory to God

In the highest

Chorus:

O come let us adore him!

O come, let us adore him!

O come, let us adore him,

Christ the Lord!

7  O Little Town Of Bethlehem

Phillips Brooks 1868

1.   O little town of Bethlehem

How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting light,

The hopes and fears of all the years,

Are met in thee tonight

2.   O morning stars, together

Proclaim the holy birth!

And praises sing to God the king,

And peace to men on earth,

For Christ is born of Mary,

And, gathered all above,

While mortals sleep, the angels keep

Their watch of wondering love.

3.   How silently, how silently,

The wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts

The blessings of his heaven

No ear may hear his coming,

But in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive him still,

The dear Christ enters in.

4.   O holy child of Bethlehem

Descend to us we pray;

Cast out our sin and enter in,

Be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels

The great glad tidings tell:

O come to us, abide with us,

Our Lord Emmanuel

8  Once In Royal David’s City

Cecil Frances Alexander 1848

1.   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 the mother mild,

Jesus Christ her little child.

2.   He came down from earth to 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 Saviour holy

3.   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.

4.   Not in that poor lonely stable.

With the oxen standing by,

We shall see him, but in heaven

Set at God’s right hand on high;

When like stars his children crowned

All in white shall wait around.

9  Silent Night

Text: Joseph Mohr – Melody: Franz Xaver Gruber 1833

1.   Silent night, holy night.

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin, mother and child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.

2.   Silent night, holy night

Shepherds quake at the sight

Glories stream from heaven afar,

Heav’nly hosts sing Alleluia

Christ the Saviour is born!

Christ the Saviour is born!

3.   Silent night, holy night

God’s own son, loves pure light

Radiant beams from thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus, Lord at thy birth,

Jesus, Lord at thy birth!

10 The First Noel

Anonymous 1823

1.   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.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel. Born is the King of Israel!

2.   They looked 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.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel Born is the King of Israel!

3.   And by the light of that same star

Three Wise Men came from country far

To seek for a King was their intent

And to follow the star wherever it went

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel. Born is the King of Israel!

4.   This star drew nigh to the northwest

O’er Bethlehem it took its rest

And there it did both stop and stay

Right o’er the place where Jesus lay

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel. Born is the King of Israel!

5.   Then entered in those Wise Men three

Full reverently upon their knee

And offered there in his presence

Their gold and myrrh and frankincense

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel. Born is the King of Israel!

6.   Then let us all with one accord

Sing praises to our heavenly Lord

That hath made heaven and earth of nought

And with his blood mankind has bought.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel. Born is the King of Israel!

11 The Holly And The Ivy

Anonymous 1710

1.   The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown,

Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.

O the rising of the sun, and the running of the deer,

The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir

2.   The holly bears a blossom, as white as lily flower;

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, to be our sweet Saviour.

O the rising of the sun, and the running of the deer,

The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir

3.   The holly bears a berry, as red as any blood;

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, to do poor sinners good

O the rising of the sun, and the running of the deer,

The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir

4.   The holly bears a prickle, as sharp as any thorn;

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, on Christmas day in the morn.

O the rising of the sun, and the running of the deer,

The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir

5.   The holly bears a bark, as bitter as any gall;

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, for to redeem us all.

O the rising of the sun, and the running of the deer,

The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir

12 We Three Kings

John Henry Hopkins, Jr. 1863

1.   We three kings of Orient are,

Bearing gifts we traverse afar,

Field and fountain, moor and mountain,

Following yonder star

Chorus:

O, star of wonder, star of night,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect light.

2.   Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain;

Gold we bring to crown him again;

King forever, ceasing never,

Over us all to reign

Repeat Chorus

3.   Frankincense to offer have I;

Incense owns a Deity nigh;

Prayer and praising, all men raising

Worship him, God on high.

Repeat Chorus

4.   Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume

Breathes a life of gathering gloom;

Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,

Seal’d in the stone-cold tomb.

Repeat Chorus

13 While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

Nahum Tate 1822

1.   While Shepherds watch their flocks by night,

All seated on the ground.

The angel of the Lord came down,

And glory shone around.

2.   “Fear not,” said he for mighty dread,

Had seized their troubled mind

“Glad tidings of great joy I bring,

To you and all man-kind”

3.   “To you in David’s town this day,

Is born of David’s line.

The Saviour who is Christ the Lord,

And this shall be the sign”.

4.   “The heav’n’ly babe you there shall find,

To human view displayed.

All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,

And in a manger laid”.

5.   Thus spoke the seraph and forth-with,

Appeared a shining throng

Of angels praising God who thus,

Addressed their joyful song

6.   “All glory be to God on high,

And on the earth be peace.

Goodwill henceforth from heav’n to men,

Begin and never cease”.

14 We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Anonymous 1830

1.   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

2.   Now bring us some figgy pudding,

Now bring us some figgy pudding,

Now bring us some figgy pudding,

And bring some out here.

Chorus:

Good tidings we bring

To you and your kin;

We wish you a Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year

3.   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:

Good tidings we bring

To you and your kin;

We wish you a Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year

We wish you a Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year

A beautiful mural, funded by FFCH, and created by Basingstoke artist Kev Munday is now installed in the children's area at the hospital. How many rabbits can you find?

Our goal was to provide a stimulating and cheerful environment for visitors to the hospital.  We hope you agree this has been achieved and look forward to hearing the reactions to the mural. We hope the children have lots of fun exploring the colourful animals, plants and scenery.

If you would like to see more of the amazing artwork created by Kev Munday, you can follow him on Facebook or find him on Kev Munday