(Australia) The Redemptorist Congregation have got into the Christmas spirit with the release of their version of the famous Yuletide carol, God rest ye merry gentlemen.
The Redemptorist Province of Oceania has their fingers crossed for a top 10 hit with the song that dates back to the 16th century or even earlier. An all-time favorite, the carol is also referred to in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (1843) and has been recorded by numerous artists over the decades, including Bing Crosby in 1945.
Niamh O Neill performs the vocals and Juliana Laga’aia the keys. The track was produced/recorded by Fr Mans Wenge CSsR, mixed by Matthew Howard and mastered by Pavlo Haikalis.
God rest ye merry gentlemen is available on more than 150 streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer. The latest version is also the musical accompaniment to the 2018 Redemptorist e Christmas card.
The single has the blessing of Redemptorist Bishop of Ballarat, Mons. Paul Bird CSsR. “Congratulations to Niamh and Juliana on their arrangement of God rest ye merry gentlemen as part of the Redemptorist e Christmas Card. The carol blends with the images so well as a prayer for a Merry Christmas even in the midst of a struggling world,” says Bishop Paul Bird.
Music and carols are not new to the Redemptorist congregation which was founded by St Alphonsus Liguori in 18th century in Italy. St Alphonsus fully understood the power of music in mission and in 1732, he penned the popular Italian Christmas song, Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle, which is still heard around the world revealing God to millions.
This track also serves as the soundtrack for the Redemptorist E Christmas Card: Christmas in the age of fake news. The card is available in Available in English, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Bahasa, Sinhalese, French & Spanish.
Click below to view E Christmas Card and a video on Christmas in the age of fake news
