Sharon Lyons is church wedding funeral singer & violinist from Dublin.
<… Read Full Bio ↴Sharon Lyons is church wedding funeral singer & violinist from Dublin.

Sharon completed her A.R.I.A.M for Singing Teaching in 2004 and graduated with Bachelor of Music Education Honours Degree from Trinity College and R.I.A.M, Dublin in 2006. Continuing her studies, she achieved First Class Honours in her Master of Arts in Chant and Ritual Song in University of Limerick 2007. Sharon is currently a doctoral student on the PhD Arts Practice programme at the Irish World Academy, University of Limerick. Her doctoral investigation is entitled What is the relationship between Ritual, Repertoire and the Singing Voice in contemporary Irish Catholic worship? She will be entering her final year of studies in September 2013.

Music has always been part of her life and has now become her life. Primarily a performer, she also teaches music in primary and secondary schools, as well as giving violin & singing tuition. She is also lecturer for the cantor module on the Irish Church Music Diploma, Maynooth.

Sharon is director of Pro Nuova, a contemporary liturgical music group, which provides music for 6:30pm Mass each Sunday in St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral. She is also resident cantor in Newman University Church, St. Stephens’s Green, Dublin. She is a member of Fuaimloai, a choir directed by composer and organist Ronán Mc Donagh, which are based in St. Teresa’s Church, Clarendon Street, Dublin and in University of Limerick, she is also a member of Cantoral, an all female chant ensemble, specialising in Western plainchant and early polyphony, with a particular interest in medieval Irish repertoire.

Sharon has received numerous scholarships and awards over the years including a Fulbright Scholarship to study music in the US for the summer of 2007, which led to performing at a UN conference in Paris 2008. Sharon has performed in the NCH, on national television, on many RTÉ religious affairs programmes and for state events such as the annual 1916 Rememberance Service and funeral of former President Patrick Hillery. She is heavily involved in musical events throughout the Dublin diocese under the directorship of Fr. Pat O' Donoghue and travels on the annual Lourdes pilgrimage each September as primary cantor for the Dublin Lourdes Choir.

In the past twelve months, Sharon was involved with the preparation and performance of music for the International Eucharistic Congress which took place in Dublin in June 2012.

Sharon also appears in a singing capacity on the new hit television series ‘The Viking’s’, which was made by the History Channel, United States. This chant 'Sacrifice' which appears at the end of episode 8 of the show ,was composed by Sharon and performed live on set during filming.

Don Oiche Ud I MBeithil
Sharon Lyons Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don oíche úd i mBeithil
beidh tagairt faoi ghréin go brách,
Don oíche úd i mBeithil
gur tháinig an Briathar slán;
Tá gríosghrua ar spéartha
's an talamh 'na chlúdach bán;
Féach Íosagán sa chléibhín,
's an Mhaighdean 'Á dhiúl le grá

Ar leacain lom an tsléibhe
go nglacann na haoirí scáth
Nuair in oscailt gheal na spéire
tá teachtaire Dé ar fáil;
Céad glóir anois don Athair
sa bhFlaitheasa thuas go hard!

Is feasta fós ar sa thalamh
d'fheara dea-mhéin' siocháin!

Overall Meaning

The song, “Don Oíche Úd I Mbeithil,” is a traditional Irish Christmas carol that means “That Night in Bethlehem.” The opening lines refer to the night in Bethlehem when the Christ Child was born. It is said that the news of the birth of the Savior will be spread throughout the world. The sky above the earth is depicted in a fiery red color, which could be a sign of the importance of the event.

The lyrics further describe the scene of Jesus’ birth. The baby Jesus is lying in a manger surrounded by Mary and Joseph, while little Isaac is playing at His feet. Mary is depicted as being very cautious in her love for the infant, as He is the Son of God. The message of the song is that the birth of Jesus brought hope to the world, and His death on the cross would bring salvation to humankind.

Line by Line Meaning

Don oíche úd i mBeithil
On that night in Bethlehem

beidh tagairt faoi ghréin go brách,
There will be mention under the sun forever

gur tháinig an Briathar slán;
That the Word came safe

Tá gríosghrua ar spéartha
There is a glowing reddish-yellow on the skies

's an talamh 'na chlúdach bán;
And the earth covered in white

Féach Íosagán sa chléibhín,
Look at Jesus in the manger

's an Mhaighdean 'Á dhiúl le grá
And the Virgin Mary rejecting love

Ar leacain lom an tsléibhe
On the bare slope of the mountain

go nglacann na haoirí scáth
Where the shepherds take shelter

Nuair in oscailt gheal na spéire
When the bright sky opens up

tá teachtaire Dé ar fáil;
God's messenger is available