After singing at weddings for a few years, he joined with several other choristers to form a group named The Mistletones in 1980. He also sang the national anthems at Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Maple Leafs games since 1988 and continues to do so. From 1984 through 1992 he worked as a circulation representative for the Toronto Sun, Conrad Black heard him singing at company parties. Black, along with other executives, financed McDermott's independent recording of "Danny Boy" in 1992, which was picked up and released in North America by EMI Music Canada. Following this unexpected success, McDermott decided to pursue a professional singing career.
John has annual concerts world wide, and can be seen from Toronto, to Boston, to New York, to Glasgow.
McDermott performed his first concert at the Rebecca Cohn Theatre on October 5, 1993 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. From there he continued to tour the rest of Canada, performing as an opening act for The Chieftains. Throughout 1994 he went on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, following the great success of Danny Boy, which had been ranked Number 1 on the charts there and achieved triple platinum in New Zealand. Next, in 1995 he went on a tour of the United Kingdom with The Seekers.
At this point in his career he was becoming recognized internationally, so he started to tour regularly as a solo act rather than an opening act. He also appeared at several special events including the D-Day ceremonies in France in 1995, and the US Democratic National Convention in 1996. He has also appeared on TV several times, both as a host of CBC Television concert specials in 1997, and in his own television special titled John McDermott: A Time to Remember which aired on PBS in 2002.
McDermott formed The Irish Tenors and after performing a large concert in Dublin, Ireland in 1998, they spent some time touring the US, appearing on TV, and releasing a gold record.
Since leaving The Irish Tenors, McDermott continues to tour extensively throughout the World, performing with his own group and with the great symphonies of the world. He continues to work to support the veteran community in the United States and in Canada. In 2000 McDermott dedicated McDermott House in Washington DC, a transitional home for homeless veterans. His latest release Journeys-Bringing Buddy Home was recorded to help support fundraising for Fisher House Boston and launch the Canadian initiative for an outreach centre for Canadian Veterans.
What Child Is This
John McDermott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is christ the king,
Whom shepherds worship and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
The babe, the son of mary.
Why lies he in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Come have no fear, god's son is here,
His love all loves exceeding.
Nails, spear, shall pierce him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you:
Hail, hail, the saviour comes,
The babe, the son of mary.
So bring him incense, gold and myrrh,
All tongues and peoples own him.
The king of kings salvation brings,
Let ev'ry heart enthrone him.
Raise, raise your song on high,
While mary sings a lullaby;
Joy, joy for christ is born,
The babe, the son of mary.
In this Christmas carol "What Child Is This", the lyrics express the wonder and awe of the birth of Jesus Christ. The first verse presents the image of Mary holding her newborn son who lies peacefully sleeping in her lap while angels sing sweet anthems and shepherds watch over him. This verse highlights the significance of Jesus' birth and the expectation and excitement that surrounded it. The second verse, on the other hand, communicates the irony of the newborn king lying in a manger amidst farm animals. The verse emphasizes that despite the humble conditions of his birth, the Messiah had come bringing salvation to all because of God's great love. The last verse calls on all to recognize and honor Christ in their own customs and traditions, offering him gifts of incense, gold, and myrrh, while Mary sings a lullaby.
Overall, the lyrics in "What Child Is This" are a reflection on the miracle of Jesus' birth as the savior of the world who was born in the most humble of circumstances, yet all creation is called to worship him.
Line by Line Meaning
What child is this, who laid to rest
Who is this child that is peacefully resting?
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
He is sleeping comfortably in the lap of Mary?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
The angels are rejoicing and singing songs of praise to Him,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
While the shepherds watch over Him,
This, this is Christ the King,
This child is the King of all Kings,
Whom shepherds worship and angels sing:
The shepherds and angels all worship Him.
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
Let's quickly give Him our praise,
The babe, the Son of Mary.
For He is a young baby, the Son of Mary.
Why lies He in such mean estate,
Why is He lying in such a humble dwelling,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Where the oxen and donkeys are grazing?
Come have no fear, God's Son is here,
Do not be afraid, for God's Son has come to be with us,
His love all loves exceeding.
His love surpasses all other love.
Nails, spear, shall pierce Him through,
He will be painfully pierced by nails and a spear,
The cross be borne for me, for you:
He will carry the cross for us all,
Hail, hail, the Saviour comes,
Rejoice, for the Saviour has arrived,
The babe, the Son of Mary.
This baby is the Son of Mary.
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Let us offer Him gifts of incense, gold, and myrrh,
All tongues and peoples own Him.
He is the Lord of all people and all languages.
The King of Kings salvation brings,
He, the King of Kings, has come to bring salvation,
Let ev'ry heart enthrone Him.
Let every heart open up and praise Him as the ultimate authority.
Raise, raise your song on high,
Sing your praises and joyously lift your voices,
While Mary sings a lullaby;
As Mary sings a soothing song to the child,
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
We should be filled with joy, for Christ is born,
The babe, the Son of Mary.
This baby is Mary's son, the Son of God.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Integrity Music
Written by: William Dix
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Named channel
He has such a beautiful voice!
LadyGreyCarolyn
@Named channel Yes, I agree with you. Thanks very much for your comment, God Bless You!
ShyMoonheart
The voice of the angels are heard here. Lovely version, so heartfelt. Truly, John's Christmas Carols bring out all the joy and love of the glorious season. Thanks for posting another treasure, Lady Grey.
ShyMoonheart
@***** Thank you for always putting John's songs on You Tube. I am no longer able to get to his shows so this is a way of keeping his songs close and to bring the memories of those shows to the forefront. Thank you!
LadyGreyCarolyn
Thanks you for always making a stop on my videos :-) These songs are beautiful in every season, they truly put your heart and soul toward God...
obear
Beautiful, just beautiful.
LadyGreyCarolyn
Thanks very much for your comment!
Have a Happy Christmas :-)