An Australian Christmas

Christmas Day 
Lyrics by John Wheeler

The north wind is tossing the leaves.
The red dust is over the town;
The sparrows are under the eaves,
And the grass in the paddock is brown;
As we lift up our voices and sing,
To the Christ-child the heavenly King

The tree ferns in green gullies sway;
The cool stream flows silently by;
The joy bells are greeting the day,
And the chimes are adrift in the sky,
As we lift up our voices and sing,
To the Christ-child the heavenly King.

Imagine celebrating Christmas on an Australian beach under the scorching sun—now you can escape the winter cold with this uniquely Australian Christmas carol. Composer William James and lyricist John Wheeler bring a uniquely Southern Hemisphere twist to festive traditions in this carol entitled simply "Christmas Day". This movement is part of a larger suite originally for brass band by James Curnow and has been adapted for brass ensemble by Joshua Davis. Movement 3 of that suite was recorded on the 2025 album release from the Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble "Frohe Weihnachten!".

Sheet music is available for purchase through Hal Leonard here.

Movement 3 recorded on the 2025 album release from the Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble, "Frohe Weihnachten!"