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God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen", sometimes called "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen" was an ancient Earth Christmas carol. The lyrics were:

God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay
For Jesus Christ our saviour was born upon this day
To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy. (AUDIO: Voyage to Venus [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

It was this song that was being played by a group of robotic Santas before they attacked Rose Tyler and Mickey Smith on Earth. (TV: The Christmas Invasion [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas special (BBC One, 2005).) The Santas also played it just before abducting Donna Noble in a taxi. (TV: The Runaway Bride [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2006 (BBC One, 2006).)

A group of children were singing this song when the Tenth Doctor arrived in London on Christmas Eve 1851, just before his encounter with Jackson Lake, Rosita, and the Cybermen. (TV: The Next Doctor [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2008 (BBC One, 2008).)

The song was also playing before Wilfred Mott entered a church commemorating "the Sainted Physician" where he first met the woman. It was also played by a brass band shortly before the Tenth Doctor regenerated. (TV: The End of Time [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2009 and New Year Special 2010 (BBC One, 2009-2010).)

A group of carol singers sang "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen" outside Maisie Johnson's house. (PROSE: The Gift [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

Carol singers sang "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" in Cardiff on Christmas Eve 1869. (TV: The Unquiet Dead [+]Mark Gatiss, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

The melody of the carol was the same as that of the "Venusian lullaby" occasionally used by the Third Doctor to lull his foes into a state of tranquility. (TV: The Dæmons [+]Guy Leopold, Doctor Who season 8 (BBC1, 1971)., The Curse of Peladon [+]Brian Hayles, Doctor Who season 9 (BBC1, 1972)., PROSE: Venusian Lullaby [+]Paul Leonard, Virgin Missing Adventures (Virgin Books, 1994).) Henry Gordon Jago and George Litefoot sang the song to a herd of Shanghorn on Venus to stop them from stampeding. After hearing the song, Ursina planned to change the lyrics and use it as the basis of the lullaby. (AUDIO: Voyage to Venus [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

Professor Capra sang a version of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" to himself. (AUDIO: Flip-Flop [+]Jonathan Morris, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2003).)

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