X: 1
T: the Ditchling Carol
C: melody: Peter Preston 
C: words: William Robert Spencer  (1811)
%D:1811
N: Ditchling is a town in Sussex, England
%R: march
S: 8notes.com (from Sheila Foley 2025-10-26)
D: 
Z: 2025 John Chambers <jc:trillian.mit.edu>
M: C
L: 1/4
K: C
%%continueall
"^Chorus:"[|]\
G | "C"cc cG | "Am"ed ec | "C"cc cc | "G"Bc d> || G | "C"Gc cc |
w: 1.~Be mer-ry all, be mer-ry all, With hol-ly deck the fes-tive hall, Pre-pare the song, the
"(Am)"cd ec | "G"dd BB | cc Hz "^Verse:"|[| (G/c/) | "C(Am)"cc cB | "^E7"A^G "Am"AA |
w: feast, the hall, to wel-come mer-ry Christ-mas. And* all re-mem-ber gen-tles gay, For
AA GA | "Em(G)"Bd "E7"B> || A | "Am"AG AB | ce "(C)"ec | cc "G"dB | "Am"A A2 |]
w: you who bask in for-tune's ray, The year is all a ho-li-day. The poor have on-ly Christ-mas.
%
%W:1. Be merry all, be merry all.  With holly deck the festive hall.
%W: Prepare the song, the feast, the hall To welcome merry Christmas.
%W: 
%W:cho: And all remember, gentles gay: For you who bask in fortune's ray
%W: The year is all a holiday.  The poor have only Christmas.
%W: 
W:2. You who in velvet mantle go, Defy December's tempest's roar.
W: Oh, spare one garment from your store To clothe the poor at Christmas.
W: 
W:3. You who the costly banquet deal To friends who never famine feel,
W: Oh, spare one morsel from your meal To feed the poor at Christmas.
W: 
W:4. With blazing logs of fuel the while, Your homes are within summer's smile.
W: Oh, spare one log from off your pile To warm the poor at Christmas.
W: 
W:5. So shall each note of mirth appear More sweet to Heaven than praise or prayer,
W: And angels in their carols there Shall bless the poor at Christmas.