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A Manger Filled With Love

“And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:12 KJV

About the Song

Have you ever noticed how few words rhyme with “love?” Because of this unfortunate state of the English language, I had to make a hard choice–either abandon the concept I wanted to use for my 1997 “Christmas Card Carol” or write yet another song using the old above/love rhyme. As you might expect, I went with the rhyme. Church Music Submission: Relief Society division–Award of Merit 2003 (SSA)

Spotify, Soundcloud (inc. free downloads)

Click the Soundcloud download icon to download the free track for personal use.

Recording featuring vocals by Allyse Smith Taylor:

Accompaniment track:

Recording featuring vocals by Sarah Crowther Ziroll:

Accompaniment track:

Apple Music, Amazon

These files may be copied/shared in any quantity in any physical format unless otherwise noted. They may not be re-sold or offered for download.

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Lyrics

The shadows fell o’er Bethlehem,
And o’er the waiting world
And darkness gathered ’round the shepherds
biding in the fields
When in a moment song and splendor
Rent the skies above
And the night was filled with wonders
And a manger was filled with Love

Ah, that I had seen the shepherds
come to seek the Lamb
And looked with them on Jesus’ face,
And touched the infant hands
And felt with them the Father’s peace
descending from above
When their hearts were filled with wonder
at a manger filled with Love

I need not see the Holy Child
To know him for my King
I need not hear the voice of Heaven’s host
re-echoing
For I have heard the Spirit’s witness
Whispered from above
And my heart is filled with wonder
at a manger filled with Love

A voice as pure as angel-song
Has spoken from above
And my heart is filled with wonder
at a manger filled with Love

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24 Comments

  1. L. Miller

    This is so beautiful. I have not heard the music yet. I cannot wait to hear it. I feel like your heart is filled with so much love for our Savior. Thank you so much for sharing!!!! It blesses my life and the lives of so many others!!’n
    God bless you always….

    Reply
  2. Florence Alexander

    I love your music, my children are plying this song for our church devotional next Sunday 12/11/2022
    When I heard this song, I search for your other songs. Thank you for sharing, it is also helpful that the music sheets are handy.

    Reply
  3. Mikell Barzee

    I love your music. Thank you for sharing your music. I have used it in several church choir numbers. Is there a possibility of having a tool to convert the music into a different key if sopranos struggle with the higher notes. I wish we just had one of the pianos that could transpose down but we don’t.

    Reply
  4. Maria Johnson

    I have done the Manger Filled with Love song as the SSA a couple years ago and want to do it again, but add the violin. Would the solo 2 violin sheet music you have be able to be used with that arrangment. I am not musically skilled enough to determine.

    Reply
  5. sharon

    This is so beautiful. Can you tell me which score was used to accompany the recording by Allyse Smith Taylor? We will have piano, violin and flute to accompany if possible. Thank you so much.

    Reply
  6. Diane Webb

    Where can I get this on on CD?

    Reply
    • Sally DeFord

      Thanks, Diane! You’re so kind. 🙂 All the CDs I have available are found here:

      http://kunaki.com/msales.asp?PublisherId=109980

      That song in particular is on the album about halfway down the page, titled “On a Still and Starry Night.”

      Reply
  7. Diane Webb

    Love it felt the spirit. I have been so trying to feel the spirit and this did it for me. My gratitude is boundless for this precious gift.

    Reply
  8. Merlene Ellington

    Am I missing a four part choir arrangement with cello? This is a lovely number and I have a great cellist but I don’t find an arrangement with the same key for four parts or SSA with cello. Am I looking in the wrong place?

    Reply
  9. Abel Braganza

    A big Thank you for sharing your music with the sheet music and the mp3. It simplifies the method of teaching to a choir group. I keep using your hymns/carols/songs all through the year. Thanks and God Bless you.

    Reply
  10. Karen Schurz

    Has anyone out there transposed the optional cello score to fit with the SATB version of A Manger Filled With Love? If so, would you be willing to share. This song is beautiful and we would love to add the cello part with our ward choir for this Christmas.

    Reply
    • sallydeford

      Karen, the cello score was written to fit the solo arrangement–it’s quite different from the SATB, so that cello score isn’t going to work by simply transposing it. You’d have to fuss with it quite a bit to get it to work.

      Reply
      • Karen

        That’s what I figured. It is more than I could do so I was hoping maybe someone had done it before. Thank you for responding.

        Reply
      • Karen

        Thanks for sharing your music with everyone. It is beautiful. We have used several different songs!

        Reply
  11. Riccardo

    Grazie Sally musica molto bella e dolce.mi piacerebbe eseguirla on Italia in Chiesa Esiste una traduzione in italiano?

    Reply
  12. julene updike

    I’m looking for Spanish translations of Christmas songs for choir

    Reply
  13. BARB THOMAS

    Sally thank you for sharing this beautiful piece of music. I am going to use this for our RS Christmas Social this coming Christmas 2018. ….Barb, Sydney Branch, Nova Scotia, Canada

    PS I love getting your emails

    Reply
  14. Herman

    How has this song been around since 1997 and I only discovered it in 2016!?
    Thank you for this beautiful song. I sang it for our church Christmas program last year.

    Reply
    • Anna

      This song is so beautiful I will be singing it this Christmas for church! 🙂 I love how mysterious but uplifting this is🌸🌻.

      Reply
  15. Jillian Hendricks

    My first time listening to your composition. My eyes filled with tears to hear this beautiful rendition. Thank you for sharing your God given talent.

    Reply
  16. Vlad

    There is also a Russian version:
    https://noty-bratstvo.org/node/348
    Your music was just that beautiful!…

    Reply
  17. Cindy

    Sally,
    Question, We have a cello but not flute is it possible to use the cello from the solo score for the SATB? Or do I need to rewrite the cello in a different key. We have two cellos but not a flute to be had.
    Cindy

    Reply
  18. KMT

    Thanks for always offering your music for free. We love your music and enjoy the spirit we feel every time we sing it in our choir!

    Reply
  19. Esther

    Aloha Sally Deford!

    Beautiful music as always. Thank you. We are going to sing “A manger Filled with Love” at our annual Christmas concert.
    I direct a children’s choir of about 80 singers. We are grateful to you sharing your talents with the world. My choir does your music at our Christmas concerts.
    Our choir’s name is the Ko’olauloa Children’s Chorus and we are in residence at the Brigham Young University Hawaii Campus. All the singers are members of the church although we have a non member join us now and then. WE are open to all singers but it just so happens most people around our community are members of the church!

    Love and Mahalo,

    Esther Macy/Choral Director

    Reply

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