1) Three Roma… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least three bands/artists with this name:
1) Three Roman Catholic priests from Ireland.
2) A rock band from New York
3) For the Gothic Metal Washington DC. band, see Priests
1) The Priests are three Roman Catholic priests from Ballyclare and Ballygowan in Northern Ireland who have been singing together since they were children. After signing a $2million record deal with SonyBMG in 2008 they have been recording an album in Ireland, London and have been allowed to record in St. Peter's Basilica, The Vatican.
Their debut album was produced by Mike Hedges who has worked with, amongst others, U2, Dido and Manic Street Preachers, and is released on 24th November by Epic Records. It will be launched simultaneously in 33 countries and precedes an ITV documentary and PBS special in America.
Who they are:
* Father Eugene O’Hagan is of the Parish of Ballyclare and Ballygowan: Church of The Sacred Heart and Church of The Holy Family. Diocese of Down and Connor.
* Father Martin O’Hagan is of the Parish of Cushendun: Church of St. Patrick (Craigagh), Church of St. Mary, The Star of the Sea (Culraney). Diocese of Down and Connor.
* Father David Delargy is of the Parish of Hannahstown: Church of St. Joseph and Church of St. Peter, the Rock , Diocese of Down and Connor.
Record sales of debut album:
The Priests’ eponymous debut album recorded the biggest opening week of sales ever for a classical album.
The Priests, the album, shot into the UK album chart at number five in its first week and also topped the classical chart in its first week of release.
When the album was released in the UK, it was released in 33 countries at the same time and has already topped the charts in Ireland as well as making the top tens in album charts in countries as diverse as Spain, Norway and Sweden.
Around the world, sales of the album – which comprises spiritually inspired tracks such as Pie Jesu, Ave aria as well as great classical arias and traditional Irish - are soaring in the run-up to Christmas.
In the United States, sales are growing fast in anticipation of a coast-to-coast broadcast of a special two hour PBS TV programme about the group.
The trio are also the subject of an ITV documentary to be aired in the UK on December 14 telling the story of their incredible journey over the past 12 months.
The Priests, Fathers Eugene and Martin O Hagan, who are brothers and their schoolfriend of 30 years ago, Father David Delargy, are signed up to Sony BMG's Epic label under a unique deal which stipulates that none of their recording commitments will ever be allowed to stand in the way of their day jobs of parish priests in their neighbouring parishes.
The group is currently performing on tour in Canada and the USA and will be playing to massive audiences on a world arena tour next year. However, they will shortly be stopping all promotional work and other aspects of their recoding career in order to concentrate on the celebration in their parishes of the Christmas season.
They have promised that a substantial proportion of the money made from the sale of The Priests will go to various religious based charities.
Nick Raphael, managing director of the Epic label and the man who spotted The Priests, said: "It is incredible that, in the UK alone, their debut album has taken by storm an album chart in which it is competing with massive acts like The Killers, Guns N Roses, Leona Lewis and Dido.
"It is also an incredible achievement that, in terms of the classical chart, sales of The Priests have outstripped anything that Luciano Pavarotti or more recently Katherine Jenkins shifted in the first week of sales for any of their albums."
2) This State-of-New-York foursome embraces the mythic garage-rock-psych sounds of yesterday while creating the music of tomorrow in their own image. Hypnotic guitar lines, fuzzed-out organ and tribalistic back beats build the foundations of their unusual and original sound.
TALL TALES, the PRIESTS latest release and first for GET HIP was produced by the great TIM KERR in a whirlwind 4 day session at Saxon Studios in Rochester, NY. While maintaining their signature sound, the band has pushed their own boundaries, experimenting with guitar layers, feedback, vocal techniques and time lengths, creating an album destined for greatness. Spread the word.
"The PRIESTS have a sound that positively oozes with snarling, back street toughness driven forward with an infectious, primitive beat. Some garage bands come up with one good song and repeat it over and over again. The PRIESTS avoid this trap by coming up with one great song after another." -Sean Barry/COOL AND STRANGE MUSIC
"This is what rock'n'roll is all about - noisy, angry guitars and a real classic rock and roll look. Can't wait for their next release." -John Holmstrom/PUNK MAGAZINE
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
The Priests Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For Jesus Christ, our Savior was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
From God our Heavenly Father, a blessed angel came
How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
And when they came to Bethlehem where our dear Savior lay
They found Him in a manger where oxen feed on hay
His Mother Mary kneeling down, unto the Lord did pray
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay
For Jesus Christ, our Savior was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
The lyrics to The Priests' song "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" convey a message of hope and joy during the Christmas season. The first verse reminds listeners that the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior, is a reason to be merry and not to be discouraged. The second verse recalls the story of the angels announcing the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, emphasizing the miraculous nature of his birth in Bethlehem. The final verse returns to the theme of the first verse, reiterating the idea that the birth of Jesus saves us from Satan's power and brings comfort and joy to our lives.
At its core, the song speaks to the eternal Christmas message of hope and salvation. It encourages individuals to find comfort in the story of Jesus' birth, and to rejoice in the fact that, through his birth, the world was given a savior. The lyrics capture the essence of the Christmas story in a joyful and uplifting manner, making it a favorite Christmas carol for individuals and groups alike.
Line by Line Meaning
God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay
Take heart, dear ones, and let no trouble or fear sway you
For Jesus Christ, our Savior was born on Christmas day
On this day, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born to bring us salvation
To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray
His birth is meant to deliver us from the grip of Satan when we went astray from the path of righteousness
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy
Joyful news bringing warmth and happiness to our hearts
From God our Heavenly Father, a blessed angel came
An angel of God was sent from heaven for a blessed purpose
And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same
The angel brought glad tidings of the Savior's birth to certain shepherds
How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name
He announced that the Son of God was born in Bethlehem
And when they came to Bethlehem where our dear Savior lay
When they reached Bethlehem where our beloved Savior lay
They found Him in a manger where oxen feed on hay
They found Him lying in a manger, where oxen usually feed
His Mother Mary kneeling down, unto the Lord did pray
His mother Mary was kneeling down in prayer to the Lord
God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay
Take heart, dear ones, and let no trouble or fear sway you
For Jesus Christ, our Savior was born on Christmas day
On this day, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born to bring us salvation
To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray
His birth is meant to deliver us from the grip of Satan when we went astray from the path of righteousness
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy
Joyful news bringing warmth and happiness to our hearts
Contributed by Caden K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DragonologyDepartment
This is perfect... one of my favorite Christmas carols, but I have such a hard time finding renditions I like lol
Igns Dhon
@PilafiaMadness i love this redition but how about trying "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen - Anderson University Men's Choir" it also great redition
Skull
Same here, a lot of folks try to change the rhythm or just don't have the voice for it.
sharon laduke
As with others, this carol is a favorite of mine. I have listened to 30 versions today, looking for the one in my head (which remains undiscovered - it was certainly recorded prior to the 1990's). This version is a very traditional one. I think it's well done.
Rolnik Aitmatov
wonderfull !
Fliuck
Heavenly simpley heavenly.
Punckey
Subhanallah kardeş ibretlik bir paylaşım.
Tom Livanos
67 likes and zero dislikes? I am not going to add the first dislike but, for goodness sakes, this performance is not that great. As with PilafiaMadness, this is one of my favourite Christmas carols as well. I too have a hard time finding renditions I like. My preference is for deeper voices but, leaving that aside, to me the music is more present than the singing. I like the carol for its words.
Dr Bojangles
I don't know how you can dislike this, the harmonizing in this version is insane