Star to Stable

Song One – Star Birth

I decided on an instrumental to start the “album”. I wanted this one to represent the Stars being formed as part of God’s creation. Stars bursting into cosmic beacons across the universe. One, in particular, destined to shine on Bethlehem. In its blazing glory, to announce the birth of Jesus. The shining star sign, seen by the wisemen and to which they respond.

Having created the instrumental I decided it would be good to use this piece to set the scene. So I have overdubbed some verses form Genesis on the formation of the Earth, Moon and Stars, and some verses from chapter 1 of John’s Gospel. These draw our story to Jesus’ birth and leads us to the story of the wisemen.

Title –    “Star Birth”
Instrumental
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 3:48
Album Length – 3:48

Genesis 1 v 16 (NIV)

¹⁶ God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

John 1 v 1-5, 9-10, 14 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Song Two – Light of Day

Written for an Advent series of reflections. This song was originally written to reflect the first chapter of John’s gospel. The created star’s light travels billion of miles to shine exactly as needed on Bethlehem.

As I was thinking about and writing this song, a new star was discovered in December 2024. The star is in the Firefly Sparkle and astronomers have calculated that the light from that star has taken 13 billion years to reach us. It set me to thinking of the wonder of creation and in this context of the star that announced the coming of Jesus. The lines “here with us though far away” are to represent the wonder of the length of time that light takes to get to us here on earth.

Title –    “Light of Day”
Lyrics – © Chris Hancock, 2024
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 3:45
Album Length – 7:33

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1.  Light of day, fades away.
Darkness falls, close of day.
Vision fades, shadow spreads.
Dreams of wonder in sleepy heads.
[Chorus]
Light from star which your hands had formed,
Shines brightly on the place you’re born,
Lights of the night which guide the way,
Here with us though far away.

2. Flickering stars, now appear.
Scattered rays, darkness clear.
.Heavenly helper, show the way.
Guide our hearts, as we pray.
[Bridge]
Once again, gather there,
Come close, if we dare,
Starlight dancing, on his face,
Sleeping, waking, full of grace.
[Chorus]

4. Even in the light of day.
The stars still shine away.
Ready for the time,
When their light will truly shine.
[Chorus]

[Outro]
Even in the light of day.
The stars still shine away.
Ready for the time,
When their light will truly shine.

Song Three – What star is this?

This gentle folk style song is used to set the scene of the stars appearance. Also beginning the stars insistent call to both the wise men so long ago and its continual call to us today.

I found the original lyrics to this hymn by accident. I liked them but thought they needed a little tinkering with to bring them more up to date. So this is my version of the words of Charles Coffin from 1736 which were translated from Latin to English in 1837 by John Chandler.

Title –    “What star is this”
Lyrics – Charles Coffin Tr John Chandler (Public Domain) This revision © Chris Hancock, 2025
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 2:04
Album Length – 9:37

1. What star is this, with beams so bright?
That blazes in the dark of night?
it shines announcing – Comes the King!
Glad tidings of our God to bring.

2. See now fulfilled what God decreed,
“From Jacob shall a Star proceed:”
And lo! the eastern Wisemen stand,
To read in the heavens, of God’s plan.

3. Oh, while the Star of heavenly grace
Invites us, Lord, to seek Thy face,
May we no more ignore the call,
To come to where its’ light does fall.

Song Four – The Wisemen

We pass into the message from Matthew’s Gospel.

This song was originally written as a rap. It was performed by one of the church youth (accompanied by me on a drum) at a carol service a good few years ago. Lyrics slightly updated and new a.i. tune. This one was inspired by thoughts of the wisemen first seeing the star and deciding to follow it. So in a way a prequel to the passage from Matthew. I’ve squeezed it into part of verse 1 – “Magi from the east came”.

Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.

Title –    “I was sitting in my astral dome”
Lyrics – © Chris Hancock, 2025
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 5:08
Album Length – 14:45

1. I was sitting in my astral dome,
Wasting time, getting stuff done,
Looking up with my tired eyes,
Not much changes in the night skies,
Stars and planets, come and go,
How do they do that? I do not know.

[Chorus]
We are experts in a field of three
That’s all of us One, Two, Three!

2. What’s this through my looking glass,
A new star, in the sky so vast,
It comes from nowhere, never seen before,
Something special, – that is for sure!
Must mean something, better get down,
With the other wise ones in this town.

[Chorus]

3. Well what on earth does it show
It seems to make some sense, if you know
We talked and talked for a pretty long time
Through all the possible meanings of this sign
Seems a new king has been announced
Loud in clear in the silence by this light

[Chorus]

4. Seems to us a special kind of sign
Sent straight to us it was a thing, divine
Better take notice and get ready to go
To see the king whose star now glows
A king! This one must be the king of kings
To merit a star so bright. What a thing!

[Chorus]

5. Better pack our bags and get the train
Camels of course, shouldn’t need to explain
Setting off to the West, following the star
To find the place that it will rest
Months and months ahead of us
Weary feet tramping desert sand and dust

[Chorus]

6. We are still on that journey but getting pretty near
The palace in Jerusalem, seems pretty clear
We’ll go straight there and ask if we can see the king
Who we have come so far to see
Should be pretty simple, we’ll walk right up
Ask directions and been shown right in

[Chorus]

7. Seems to us a special kind of sign
Sent straight to us it was a thing, divine
Better take notice and get ready to go
To see the king whose star now glows
A king! This one must be the king of kings
To merit a star so bright. What a thing!

[Chorus]

Song Five – The Journey

Title –    “Travelling On”
Lyrics – © Chris Hancock, 2025
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 2:59
Album Length – 17:44

Work In Progress

First version still needs fettling!

[Verse 1]

We’re tramping through the desert sands,
travelling on, travelling on!
We’ve travelled through so many lands,
The star still leads us on.

[Verse 2]
burning days and freezing nights,
Sand filled winds which blow.
led ever onward by its light,
Where it shows, we will go.

[Chorus]
Walking, riding on our way
travelling ever onward
Walking, riding on our way
travelling ever onward

[Verse 3]

Star of joy and wonder,
travelling on, travelling on!
Light that leads us ever nearer
The star still leads us on.

[Verse 4]
Creations light our way will show,
Til’ journeys ends in sight
When we get there we will know;
The king we there will find.

[Chorus]
Walking, riding on our way
travelling ever onward
Walking, riding on our way
travelling ever onward

[Outro]

Travelling ever onward (travelling on)

Song Six – Wisemen at the gates

The next song idea came from thinking about the reaction of the palace officials to the wisemen asking for directions and the likely panic which would ensue…

Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

1. Three wisemen at the gates there are
Directions they have asked of me
They say a star they’re following along
The King of Kings to see

2. Is he found here they have asked
I said I’d go and see
Now I’m scared and frightened
That Herod in a rage will be

3. He’ll throw his toys out of his pram
There can be no king but me
Then he’ll shout and scream and stamp
And take it out on me

Bridge

I know what I’ll do
It’s plain to see
I’ll make a subtle plan
free from his wrath I’ll be

4. I’ll  tell the king to play along
To be as nice as he can be
Then they will go and find this king
And we can dispose of him quietly

Song Seven – Jerusalem disturbed

Title – “Jerusalem Disturbed”
Lyrics – © Chris Hancock, 2025
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 3:43
Album Length – 25:34

Work in progress – not finished yet…

1 The people are unsettled
There’s something going on
Three wisemen from the East are here
They say a king to see they’ve come

Who is this king?
What does it mean?
Is the Messiah here?

2 Where will the child be born
The question on their lips
In Bethlehem in Judea
The Prophets did predict

Who is this king?
What does it mean?
Is the Messiah here?

3 Bethlehem, David’s town
A ruler from there will come
A shepherd for my flock he’ll be
Messiah, Holy one

Song Eight – Come in, Come in

⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Song was written to reflect Herod’s anger and sneakiness…

Title – “Come in, come in”
Lyrics – © Chris Hancock, 2025
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 4:51
Album Length – 30:25

1 Come in, come in, you must be tired
After your extra long journey
Come rest your weary feet
And tell your tale to me

2 A child you say, a special one
A star says a king he will be
Why that is just amazing
And quite hard to believe.

Bridge

This child must be found
This child must be killed
There can be no king but me
So I will smile and play along
Then they’ll find this child for me.

3 Tell me where the child is found
And I will go and see
For if this child is a king
I must go and bend the knee

4 Where in the sky did this star appear
For I’ve an interest in astronomy
Can you tell my own wisemen
Then they can look for me,

Bridge

This child must be found
This child must be killed
There can be no king but me
So I will smile and play along
Then they’ll find this child for me.

5 You have been most helpful
So hurry along to see
And don’t forget on your way home
To tell me what I need

Song Nine – We’re on our way to Bethlehem

Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 9-10 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.

I am still finalising the tune for this one the words a written – thought I might use some words from O little town of Bethlehem in it for fun!

I made the mistake again of creating a tune before I had finalised the words and of course it is the one I like best. So the current favourite but still “Work in Progress” I had to weave three more verses into the song using what is proving to be the “random” software edit facility!

1 We’re on our way to Bethlehem
Before the king to kneel
We’ll watch the star we’re following
The place it will reveal

[Chorus]

Many miles we have travelled
Just a few to go
We’re travel worn and weary
Soon the truth we’ll know

[Guitar Solo]

2 Now we’re near to Bethlehem
It’s awesome to believe
That guided by a shining star
A king we will find here

[Chorus]

3 O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see you lie
Our destination shown to us
By starlight in the sky

[Chorus]

[Guitar solo]

4 How silently, how silently
The wonderous gift is given
Soon we will come and kneel before
This child announced by heaven

Outro

We’re travel worn and weary
Soon the truth we'll know.

Song Ten – In the Silence of Night

Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 11a On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.

Song was written for a series of Advent reflections in 2024.

1 In the silence of night, with hearts full of dreams,
We followed a light, that glittered and gleamed.
A star in the heavens, so bright and so bold,
Leading the way, to a promise of old.

[Chorus]
When the star rose, we knew inside,
That where it led, love would abide.
Over a child, this light would shine,
In that moment, human yet divine.

2 Over deserts, and mountains, we journeyed far,
With the promise of peace, proclaimed by a star.
The source of the world’s hope, love will abound.
Following a star, to where he is found.

[Chorus]

[Guitar Solo]

[Bridge]
With each step taken, we draw closer to life,
The light of the star, our feet will guide,
Shadows are scattered, in the warmth of its glow,
For the greatest of gifts, it has shone to show.

[Chorus]

[Outro]
The star came to rest, on most holy of nights,
Above a humble stable, which was lit by its’ light.
In the cradle he is found, by we who travelled far
To find our loving Saviour, by the light of a star.

Song Eleven – The Gifts

Introduction before individual songs for each gift – NOT WRITTEN YET

VERSES NEED RE-WRITING though I like the tune!

WORKING IDEA – “Not Just a Mortal King”

[Verse 1]

Now we are here
One thing is clear
In this child we see
The Holy one is here

[Chorus]

We kneel and worship him
And find the gifts we bring
Reveal to the world that he is
No ordinary king

[Verse 2]
No ordinary king is he
In no palace will he live
But he will lead his people
For them his life he’ll give
[Verse 3]

As we come to him
We give our gifts so rare
Gold, Frankincense and Mhyrr
Each for his life prepares

[Chorus]

We kneel and worship him
And find the gifts we bring
Reveal to the world that he is
No ordinary king

[Verse 4]

No ordinary king is he
No courtiers round him throng
But he will lead his people
And teach them right from wrong

[Chorus]

We kneel and worship him
And find the gifts we bring
Reveal to the world that he is
No ordinary king

[Outro]

No ordinary king (no ordinary king)
No ordinary king (no ordinary king)

Song Twelve – The Gift of Gold I Bring

Gold was and remains a very valuable rare element. Prized by kings and extensively used in the decoration of the tabernacle.

I have taken some of the ideas for this one from God’s design for the tabernacle from Exodus and some of the items created.

The Mercy seat, the lamp and the incense altar and linked these to some of the facets of Jesus’ nature. Merciful, the light and an intercessor for us.

The gift of Gold I bring
Worthy for a king.
A metal of great price.
A highly valued thing.

The gold of the mercy seat
Where our sins are washed away
Designed by the word of God
Gift of mercy given today

The gift of Gold I bring
Worthy for a king.
A metal of great price.
A highly valued thing.

The Gold of the altar lamp
Light that drives the dark away
Designed by the word of God
Gift of light given today

The gift of Gold I bring
Worthy for a king.
A metal of great price.
A highly valued thing.

The incense altar gold
Prayers that rise to God  each day  
designed by the word of God
Our Intercessor given today

The gift of Gold I bring
Worthy for a king.
A metal of great price.
A highly valued thing.

Song Thirteen – Frankincense, My Gift to You

Frankincense was a rare resin. It was used in the ancient world as part of worship. It would have been burnt on the Incense altar and symbolised the lifting of the prayers of the priests to God.

1 Frankincense, my gift to you
Resin sweet and resin rare
Prayers it lifts from earth to heaven
Your priestly nature it declares

2 Son of man, Son of God
Come to bring Gods’ word to us
In humble place, in David’s town
Is the King of glory found

[Guitar Solo]

3 Wholly human, yet divine
The Creator, creation joins
Lifting prayers to God on high
Intercessor who speaks for us

3 Now I see, and understand
That before my God I stand
So I kneel and worship you
God who now appears as man.

Song Fourteen – Mhyrr

Myrrh is another rare resin. Unlike Frankincense, which was burnt, Myrrh was used for the perfume in anointing oil. It was sought after as an anointing oil for embalming of bodies. Its rarity has been said to indicate that Myrrh was used for the embalming of kings and that as a result. The gift of Myrrh to Jesus indicated both his kingship and his death.

Mhyrr is referred to several times in the Bible. The ingredients of the anointing oil declared by God in Exodus to sanctify the priests and the objects in the tabernacle. The spices used to anoint Jesus body by Nicodemus as it was placed in the tomb.

Mhyrr was a very expensive commodity – it is calculated that it would cost approximately £3,000 per pound in today's currency. We are not told the amount that the wisemen bring but it was an expensive gift fit for a king. The amount in the anointing oil recipe equates to about 12 1/2 pounds. The amount in John's gospel is not stated but it was an extravagant amount. The amount used in a “normal” burial would be approximately only one pound.

Exodus Chapter 30

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, ²³ “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus, ²⁴ 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. ²⁵ Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. ²⁶ Then use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, ²⁷ the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, ²⁸ the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. ²⁹ You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.

³⁰ “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. ³¹ Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come

In John's Gospel chapter 19

³⁸ Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. ³⁹ He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. ⁴⁰ Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen.

Title – “Mhyrr it is My Gift to You”
Lyrics – © Chris Hancock, 2025
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 3:26
Album Length – 17:32

1 Myrrh it is my gift to you
Sap from Commiphora tree
Ingredient of anointing oil
By it, sanctified you will be

[Chorus]

A gift mysterious and strange
A gift for priest and king
Sanctified and Holy one
The word of God, you bring

2 Anointing for a holy priest
Made holy by its touch
In life and death a sacred sign
prepared for the purpose of God

[Chorus]

3 This treasure may predict your death
It will anoint your sacred head
Perfume prepared by your friends
When you die in our stead

[Chorus]

[Outro]

Extravagant gift at birth and death
The king of kings receives
In his life and death
The Son of God revealed

Song Fifteen – Go Another Way

Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 10 -11 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Song not completed yet

Go home another way

1 An angel in a dream
Came to us to say
Take another road
Go home another way

2 Herod’s words of worship
were nothing like they seemed
Only bad intentions
Are found within his schemes

3 He means harm to the child
So do not be deceived
His stated aim of worship
Conceal his violent schemes

4 Plenty more roads to travel
As you start your journey home
Carry all the hopes and dreams
Of a life newly begun

Song Seventeen – Light of those in darkness dwelling

This one was a re-write of a Charles Wesley Christmas hymn. Which I revised for my 2024 Advent series. I use it to indicate the story is not over and we await Jesus coming once more.

1 Light of those in darkness dwelling
Knowing not the hope of grace
Come and by your love revealing
Scatter clouds from this place

2 New heaven and earth’s creator
In our deepest darkness shines
Banish the nights fear and danger
Reveal yourself to our eyes

[Chorus]
Come and show to us your favour
God’s promise to the human race
Come again our precious saviour
Come and bring the gospel grace

3 Still we wait for your appearing
Life and joy your light imparts
Dispel fears with your love cheering
Every lost and burdened heart

4 Save us in your great compassion
Gentle, humble, peaceful prince!
Teach us of your great salvation
Giving pardon to our sins

[Chorus]

5 Restored by love we do not merit
All our burdened souls release
Every weary wandering spirit
Guide into your perfect peace

[Chorus]