Material compiled and edited from:
"Christmas, Its Carols, Customs and Legends" by Ruth Heller
"Christmas Songs and Carols" by Henry W. Simon
"The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians" by Stanley Sadie
The first carol to be heard on Earth was sung by the angels the night Jesus was born. Ever since, Christians have continued to sing the glad tidings of Jesus' birth.
The origin of the word "carol" remains a puzzle. Some say it comes from the medieval 1 "circle" or "ring" dance called a "carolare," which was accompanied by singing. Others believe that "carol" may have come from the Greek word for "flute player," referring to the musician who accompanied the singing of the dancing group. Many of the early carols were sung to popular dance tunes. Although carols were frowned upon by the established Church, they were popular with the common people because they expressed the joy of Christmas in music and language that was understood and enjoyed by all. Later, as better stanzas 2 were prepared for the dancers and onlookers to sing, the word carol came to apply more to the song lyrics 3 than the dances. In striking contrast to the slow, monotonous chants of the established Church, carols were exciting, happy and cheerful. They were used and loved by the people far more than the hymns and chants that had received the stamp of approval from the church authorities in Rome, Athens or Jerusalem.
Since the first carols were handed down from one generation to the next by word of mouth rather than being written down, several versions of the same carol may be found today.
St. Francis of Assisi is considered the "Father of the Christmas Carol." During ceremonies at his nativity scene in Graecia, Italy, in 1224, St. Francis led his followers in songs of praises to the newborn King. From his jovial 4 singing came about a new idea regarding the holiday season--that of singing "Christmas carols."
By the 14th century, carols had become more melodic and were being used between the acts of the "mystery plays"--Bible stories or other religious lessons which were taught to the people in skit form at town squares or other locations where people gathered. The carols were first sung as interludes 5 but gradually became integral 6 parts of the Christmas plays. If the audience showed great approval for the carol singing, the singers would march off the stage into the street, singing their carols. This was the beginning of the custom of caroling as we know it today.
By the 15th century, people were beginning to be freed from old Church teachings which denounced dancing and communal singing of hymns and carols by people other than the trained church choir. The common people began to express their own feelings about Christian music, preferring to sing in their own languages, instead of in Latin. As a result, carols began to develop in the languages of the people, sometimes with choruses in Latin. A gradual substitution of folk songs and dance tunes for the solemn church music took place. The public wanted music that was less severe and more lively. The popularity of bards 7 and wandering minstrels and the growth of ballads also had a strong influence on religious music.
In 1521, Wynkyn de Word, an English printer's apprentice 8, produced the first printed book of carols. In 1562, the Lord Mayor of London gave Thomas Tyndale a license to print "certain goodly carols to be sung to the glory of God." The carols were widely distributed in England through printed "broadsides" or "broadsheets"--little leaflets containing three or more carols sold for only one penny. Broadsheets were often illustrated with crude woodcuts, showing nativity scenes. They were easy to read, and helped people get acquainted with Christmas music.
During the 16th century, carols became more and more popular. English carols continued to flourish, and throughout the rest of Europe folk songs were becoming increasingly popular, with a special emphasis on the Christmas season.
Martin Luther, the famous Reformation 9 leader in Germany, realized the importance of music in people's lives. He loved music, and as a boy sang in the village choir, where he received his musical education. After the establishment of the Lutheran Church, he promoted congregational singing, "encouraging melodies to be sung by the workers in the field, by the wayside, or indeed, anywhere, to help the people be strengthened in the faith."
During the 17th century, however, the Puritans 10 did away with holiday observance, including caroling. But after the restoration of King Charles II of England, in 1660, caroling came back into the open again, and a new book of carols was published.
During the 18th century, carols were looked down upon by sophisticated city dwellers as commonplace and rustic 11 In fact, during the boyhood years of Charles Dickens (1812-1870), the author of the story "A Christmas Carol," carols and caroling had almost disappeared.
Fortunately, certain scholars and pastors began to collect and preserve traditional carols, and it is because of their efforts that these folk songs were not totally lost to generations to come. Schools and choirs in villages and countryside regions sang and helped to keep them alive. By the last half of the 19th century, carols and caroling had again become an important part of Christmas celebrations, both in churches and in homes.
Now in the 20th century, the singing of Christmas carols and hymns has become an all-around accepted event, and many new Christmas songs have been composed.
In the following pages you will read how some of our favorite carols came to be written, and a little about the lives and experiences of some of the composers.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Away in a Manger
Words: Anonymous
Music: German melody
In 1224, St. Francis of Assisi was wrestling with a problem. The Gospel message had become so intellectual that it was cold and dogmatic. "It must be simplified so that it might appeal to the heart of the common people," he resolved. Then an idea came to him. "Why not dramatize the Christmas story? The common folk will then be able to better understand the meaning of Christmas."
So he had a manger and all the trappings of a stable placed in his church at Graecia, Italy. On Christmas Eve, the members of his parish came to the church, and there, before their very eyes, were Joseph and Mary, and the Child in the manger. The people rejoiced! Christmas had never seemed so real to them.
Since that time, the manger has become the subject of many Christmas carols and lullabies. One of the best known of these is "Away in a Manger." This song is generally referred to as "Luther's Cradle Hymn." In 1887, the tune appeared in print in North America, with the subheading, "Composed by Martin Luther for his children, and still sung by German mothers to their little ones." The authorship of the lyrics has never been verified, and the source of the tune is still unknown. Some say it could have been composed by a member of a German Lutheran colony from Pennsylvania.
Away in a Manger
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.
Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay.
Close by me forever, and love my I pray.
Bless all the dear children, in thy tender care.
And take them to heaven, o be with thee there.
Music: German melody
In 1224, St. Francis of Assisi was wrestling with a problem. The Gospel message had become so intellectual that it was cold and dogmatic. "It must be simplified so that it might appeal to the heart of the common people," he resolved. Then an idea came to him. "Why not dramatize the Christmas story? The common folk will then be able to better understand the meaning of Christmas."
So he had a manger and all the trappings of a stable placed in his church at Graecia, Italy. On Christmas Eve, the members of his parish came to the church, and there, before their very eyes, were Joseph and Mary, and the Child in the manger. The people rejoiced! Christmas had never seemed so real to them.
Since that time, the manger has become the subject of many Christmas carols and lullabies. One of the best known of these is "Away in a Manger." This song is generally referred to as "Luther's Cradle Hymn." In 1887, the tune appeared in print in North America, with the subheading, "Composed by Martin Luther for his children, and still sung by German mothers to their little ones." The authorship of the lyrics has never been verified, and the source of the tune is still unknown. Some say it could have been composed by a member of a German Lutheran colony from Pennsylvania.
Away in a Manger
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.
Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay.
Close by me forever, and love my I pray.
Bless all the dear children, in thy tender care.
And take them to heaven, o be with thee there.
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Words: Anonymous--16th century traditional English carol
Music: Sir John Stainer
One of the most popular English carols is "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen." It's interesting to notice that the comma after "Merry" is often misplaced, causing it to read "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen." Yet the original punctuation helps to indicate that the song is for all gentlemen--to one and all--whether merry or not, with the hope and blessing that God will cause them to be merry.
The origin of the carol is still a mystery; some believe it is from Cornwall, England. There are several different versions, some of which go back to the 16th century. Even though written in a minor key, this song expresses Christmas joy, and is happy and triumphant. With music written by Sir John Stainer, "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" was usually the first carol heard on the streets of London at Christmas time.
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
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.
In Bethlehem, in Israel,
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same:
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.
"Fear not then," said the Angel,
"Let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Saviour
Of a pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan's power and might.
"O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway
The Son of God to find.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
And when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Saviour 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.
Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
Music: Sir John Stainer
One of the most popular English carols is "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen." It's interesting to notice that the comma after "Merry" is often misplaced, causing it to read "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen." Yet the original punctuation helps to indicate that the song is for all gentlemen--to one and all--whether merry or not, with the hope and blessing that God will cause them to be merry.
The origin of the carol is still a mystery; some believe it is from Cornwall, England. There are several different versions, some of which go back to the 16th century. Even though written in a minor key, this song expresses Christmas joy, and is happy and triumphant. With music written by Sir John Stainer, "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" was usually the first carol heard on the streets of London at Christmas time.
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
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.
In Bethlehem, in Israel,
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same:
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.
"Fear not then," said the Angel,
"Let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Saviour
Of a pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan's power and might.
"O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway
The Son of God to find.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
And when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Saviour 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.
Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
Good King Wenceslas
Words: John Mason Neale (1818-1866)
Music: 16th century Swedish-German hymn
This song is based on a story about Prince-Duke Wenceslas of Bohemia (907-929), martyr and patron saint of Czechoslovakia, who ruled in Bohemia from 923 to 929. He was raised a Christian by his grandmother. At 16 years old, Wenceslas took over the reins of government from his mother, who was a pagan. He was very devout and was said to have had the power to perform miracles.
He encouraged the work of German missionary priests in the Christianization of Bohemia, and showed great liberality to the poor, especially at Christmas and St. Stephen's Day, December 26th (called "Boxing Day" in some countries). His zeal in spreading Christianity, however, antagonized his non-Christian opponents. Heathen enemies conspired against Wenceslas, and in 929, his younger brother, Boleslav, murdered him.
Wenceslas was regarded as Bohemia's patron saint almost immediately after he was assassinated.
Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
Deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shown the moon that night,
Though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
Gathering winter fuel.
Hither, page, and stand by me.
If thou know it telling:
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain,
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes fountain.
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
Bring me pine logs hither.
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear the thither.
Page and monarch, forth they went,
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather.
Sire, the night is darker now,
And the wind blows stronger.
Fails my heart, I know not how.
I can go no longer.
Ark my footsteps my good page,
Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
In his master's step he trod,
Where the snow lay dented.
Heat was in the very sod
Which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
Music: 16th century Swedish-German hymn
This song is based on a story about Prince-Duke Wenceslas of Bohemia (907-929), martyr and patron saint of Czechoslovakia, who ruled in Bohemia from 923 to 929. He was raised a Christian by his grandmother. At 16 years old, Wenceslas took over the reins of government from his mother, who was a pagan. He was very devout and was said to have had the power to perform miracles.
He encouraged the work of German missionary priests in the Christianization of Bohemia, and showed great liberality to the poor, especially at Christmas and St. Stephen's Day, December 26th (called "Boxing Day" in some countries). His zeal in spreading Christianity, however, antagonized his non-Christian opponents. Heathen enemies conspired against Wenceslas, and in 929, his younger brother, Boleslav, murdered him.
Wenceslas was regarded as Bohemia's patron saint almost immediately after he was assassinated.
Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
Deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shown the moon that night,
Though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
Gathering winter fuel.
Hither, page, and stand by me.
If thou know it telling:
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain,
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes fountain.
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
Bring me pine logs hither.
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear the thither.
Page and monarch, forth they went,
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather.
Sire, the night is darker now,
And the wind blows stronger.
Fails my heart, I know not how.
I can go no longer.
Ark my footsteps my good page,
Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
In his master's step he trod,
Where the snow lay dented.
Heat was in the very sod
Which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788),
Rev. George Whitefield (1714-1770)
Music: Felix Bartholdy Mendelssohn (1809-1847),
William H. Cummings (1831-1915)
Charles Wesley, born in England in 1707, was the brother of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. When Charles was thirteen years old, a wealthy Irishman offered to adopt him and make him his legal heir. However, Charles refused the offer, choosing to continue his way through school under very trying circumstances.
Charles followed in the footsteps of his father, and older brother, John, in studying to become a preacher. He wrote his first hymn just three days after his conversion. That hymn was "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing." Within the following years, he is said to have written about 6,500 hymns and gospel songs on every conceivable subject. It was in 1738, at the age of 31, he wrote "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing."
By the time Charles Wesley sat down to write this carol, he had already had more than his share of adventure and travel. He had visited the "New World," to the colony of Georgia in America, as secretary to the colony's founder, General Oglethorpe. He was accompanied by his brother John who had plans to convert the Indians. During their trans-Atlantic voyage, the Wesley brothers were greatly influenced by a devout Christian group (the Moravians), who helped them discover in God's Word the joy of Salvation by grace. Charles particularly enjoyed listening to these Christians sing hymns while aboard the ship.
A year later, due to ill health, the Wesley brothers returned to England where they banded together as travelling preachers to spread the Gospel throughout the English countryside.
It was in 1739, while meditating upon the birth of Jesus, that Charles sat down and wrote the first of ten stanzas that contained these words:
"Hark! How all the welkin rings,
`Glory to the King of Kings,
Peace on Earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.'"
Wesley's ten stanzas underwent a series of alterations and adjustments until Rev. George Whitefield, a co-worker, settled the matter once and for all by omitting the rather awkward word "welkin" (an old English word for "the vault of Heaven"), and rewriting the first two lines to instead read:
"Hark! The herald angels sing,
`Glory to the new-born King.'"
The great composer, Felix Bartholdy Mendelssohn, was born a Jew, but later became a Christian. Mendelssohn became almost as prolific a composer as Charles Wesley was a poet, and had he lived as long as Wesley, he doubtless would have equaled Charles' creative output in musical compositions.
For an anniversary celebration commemorating Gutenburg's invention of the printing press, Mendelssohn was commissioned to compose suitable music, and so in 1840, he wrote a cantata 15 called "Festival Song."
Mendelssohn was not completely satisfied with the original words to the melody. He told the printers, "Perhaps words suitable for a marriage ceremony should be put to it, but it will never do to sacred words."
An English professor of music, William H. Cummings, however, proved Mendelssohn wrong, when, in 1855, fifteen years later, he suddenly discovered that two sections of Mendelssohn's "Festival Song" fit perfectly with Wesley's Christmas poem. He arranged the song for his choir and presented it on Christmas day.
Since its publication in 1856, it has superseded 16 every other tune to which Wesley's stanzas had formerly been sung, and now is generally recognized as one of the most inspiring tunes the composer was to write during his brief life of thirty-eight years. Although Mendelssohn considered his tune a secular 17 one, God obviously had a better and higher purpose for it!
* * *
Moravian Church
Originating in Moravia, a region in the former Czechoslovakia, this Protestant denomination was formed after the death of religious reformer John Hus.
In 1457, some supporters of the martyred Hus organized themselves as the Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren). They stressed the sole authority of the Bible; simplicity in worship; receiving the Lord's Supper in faith without authoritative human explanation; and disciplined Christian living. They suffered great persecution during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). The group revived in Germany in the early 1700s. They wanted to return to the simple life, and first immigrated to America in 1735.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th' angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!
Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell;
Jesus, our Emmanuel! Refrain
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Risen with healing in his wings,
Light and life to all he brings,
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Refrain
Come, Desire of nations come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the Woman's conquering Seed,
Bruise in us the Serpent's head.
Adam's likeness now efface:
Stamp Thine image in its place;
Second Adam, from above,
Reinstate us in thy love. Refrain
Rev. George Whitefield (1714-1770)
Music: Felix Bartholdy Mendelssohn (1809-1847),
William H. Cummings (1831-1915)
Charles Wesley, born in England in 1707, was the brother of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. When Charles was thirteen years old, a wealthy Irishman offered to adopt him and make him his legal heir. However, Charles refused the offer, choosing to continue his way through school under very trying circumstances.
Charles followed in the footsteps of his father, and older brother, John, in studying to become a preacher. He wrote his first hymn just three days after his conversion. That hymn was "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing." Within the following years, he is said to have written about 6,500 hymns and gospel songs on every conceivable subject. It was in 1738, at the age of 31, he wrote "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing."
By the time Charles Wesley sat down to write this carol, he had already had more than his share of adventure and travel. He had visited the "New World," to the colony of Georgia in America, as secretary to the colony's founder, General Oglethorpe. He was accompanied by his brother John who had plans to convert the Indians. During their trans-Atlantic voyage, the Wesley brothers were greatly influenced by a devout Christian group (the Moravians), who helped them discover in God's Word the joy of Salvation by grace. Charles particularly enjoyed listening to these Christians sing hymns while aboard the ship.
A year later, due to ill health, the Wesley brothers returned to England where they banded together as travelling preachers to spread the Gospel throughout the English countryside.
It was in 1739, while meditating upon the birth of Jesus, that Charles sat down and wrote the first of ten stanzas that contained these words:
"Hark! How all the welkin rings,
`Glory to the King of Kings,
Peace on Earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.'"
Wesley's ten stanzas underwent a series of alterations and adjustments until Rev. George Whitefield, a co-worker, settled the matter once and for all by omitting the rather awkward word "welkin" (an old English word for "the vault of Heaven"), and rewriting the first two lines to instead read:
"Hark! The herald angels sing,
`Glory to the new-born King.'"
The great composer, Felix Bartholdy Mendelssohn, was born a Jew, but later became a Christian. Mendelssohn became almost as prolific a composer as Charles Wesley was a poet, and had he lived as long as Wesley, he doubtless would have equaled Charles' creative output in musical compositions.
For an anniversary celebration commemorating Gutenburg's invention of the printing press, Mendelssohn was commissioned to compose suitable music, and so in 1840, he wrote a cantata 15 called "Festival Song."
Mendelssohn was not completely satisfied with the original words to the melody. He told the printers, "Perhaps words suitable for a marriage ceremony should be put to it, but it will never do to sacred words."
An English professor of music, William H. Cummings, however, proved Mendelssohn wrong, when, in 1855, fifteen years later, he suddenly discovered that two sections of Mendelssohn's "Festival Song" fit perfectly with Wesley's Christmas poem. He arranged the song for his choir and presented it on Christmas day.
Since its publication in 1856, it has superseded 16 every other tune to which Wesley's stanzas had formerly been sung, and now is generally recognized as one of the most inspiring tunes the composer was to write during his brief life of thirty-eight years. Although Mendelssohn considered his tune a secular 17 one, God obviously had a better and higher purpose for it!
* * *
Moravian Church
Originating in Moravia, a region in the former Czechoslovakia, this Protestant denomination was formed after the death of religious reformer John Hus.
In 1457, some supporters of the martyred Hus organized themselves as the Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren). They stressed the sole authority of the Bible; simplicity in worship; receiving the Lord's Supper in faith without authoritative human explanation; and disciplined Christian living. They suffered great persecution during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). The group revived in Germany in the early 1700s. They wanted to return to the simple life, and first immigrated to America in 1735.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th' angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!
Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell;
Jesus, our Emmanuel! Refrain
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Risen with healing in his wings,
Light and life to all he brings,
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Refrain
Come, Desire of nations come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the Woman's conquering Seed,
Bruise in us the Serpent's head.
Adam's likeness now efface:
Stamp Thine image in its place;
Second Adam, from above,
Reinstate us in thy love. Refrain
How Brightly Beams the Morning Star
Words and music: Philipp Nicolai
In 1597, a pestilence raged throughout Westphalia (a region of western Germany). Thousands of people died and few families escaped without the loss of one or more of their loved ones. Out of this tragedy sprang one of the greatest hymns, "How Brightly Beams the Morning Star."
Philipp Nicolai, author and composer of the hymn, was a pastor in the city of Unna. The pestilence had already taken its toll on several of his relatives. Early one morning, as he sat in his study, weary and downcast, he lifted up his heart to God, and found comfort in his sorrow. He forgot his cares and was seized with the inspiration to write this song.
Nicolai first published his hymn in 1599. It was used for almost all religious occasions, especially weddings, funerals, and Communion. As early as 1610, Nicolai's hymn appeared in the hymnal of Sweden, where it was used during the Christmas season.
Johann Sebastian Bach, the famous composer, apparently had a high regard for the tune, for he used it as a basic theme in one of his greatest organ preludes,35 and included it in one of his cantatas.
How Brightly Beams the Morning Star
How brightly beams the Morning Star!
What sudden radiance from afar
Doth glad us with its shining.
Thy word, Jesus, truly feeds us,
Rightly leads us, life bestowing.
Praise, O praise such love o'er flowing.
The ray of God that breaks our night
And fills the darkened souls with light,
Who long for truth were pining.
Thy word, Jesus, truly feeds us,
Rightly leads us, life bestowing.
Praise, O praise such love o'er flowing.
In 1597, a pestilence raged throughout Westphalia (a region of western Germany). Thousands of people died and few families escaped without the loss of one or more of their loved ones. Out of this tragedy sprang one of the greatest hymns, "How Brightly Beams the Morning Star."
Philipp Nicolai, author and composer of the hymn, was a pastor in the city of Unna. The pestilence had already taken its toll on several of his relatives. Early one morning, as he sat in his study, weary and downcast, he lifted up his heart to God, and found comfort in his sorrow. He forgot his cares and was seized with the inspiration to write this song.
Nicolai first published his hymn in 1599. It was used for almost all religious occasions, especially weddings, funerals, and Communion. As early as 1610, Nicolai's hymn appeared in the hymnal of Sweden, where it was used during the Christmas season.
Johann Sebastian Bach, the famous composer, apparently had a high regard for the tune, for he used it as a basic theme in one of his greatest organ preludes,35 and included it in one of his cantatas.
How Brightly Beams the Morning Star
How brightly beams the Morning Star!
What sudden radiance from afar
Doth glad us with its shining.
Thy word, Jesus, truly feeds us,
Rightly leads us, life bestowing.
Praise, O praise such love o'er flowing.
The ray of God that breaks our night
And fills the darkened souls with light,
Who long for truth were pining.
Thy word, Jesus, truly feeds us,
Rightly leads us, life bestowing.
Praise, O praise such love o'er flowing.
How Firm a Foundation
Words: probably Robert Keene
Music: Samuel Webbe, Sr. (1740-1816)
"How Firm a Foundation," is sung to the same tune as "O Come, All Ye Faithful." With lyrics believed to have been written by Robert Keene, one of the musical directors of London's churches, "How Firm a Foundation" became immensely popular. This hymn was the personal choice of General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate Army during the U.S. Civil War, who requested that it be sung at his funeral "as an expression of his full trust in the ways of the Heavenly Father."
How Firm a Foundation
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
Music: Samuel Webbe, Sr. (1740-1816)
"How Firm a Foundation," is sung to the same tune as "O Come, All Ye Faithful." With lyrics believed to have been written by Robert Keene, one of the musical directors of London's churches, "How Firm a Foundation" became immensely popular. This hymn was the personal choice of General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate Army during the U.S. Civil War, who requested that it be sung at his funeral "as an expression of his full trust in the ways of the Heavenly Father."
How Firm a Foundation
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Words: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
Music: John Baptiste Calkin (1827-1905)
This carol was written on December 25, 1863, when the American Civil War (1861-1865) was at its height. The famous poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was saddened by the horrors of this conflict, for "hate seemed overstrong at the moment." His son, who was serving as lieutenant in the Union Army at the time, had been wounded.
When Longfellow heard the Christmas bells chiming out, he came to the realization, from the depths of his despair, that "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!" He believed that God is powerful enough to overcome the world's strife, and to bring peace and good will to Earth. And in ending each stanza, the poet stresses this idea with the phrase, "Of peace on Earth, good will to men."
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th’unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”
Till, ringing, singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
Music: John Baptiste Calkin (1827-1905)
This carol was written on December 25, 1863, when the American Civil War (1861-1865) was at its height. The famous poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was saddened by the horrors of this conflict, for "hate seemed overstrong at the moment." His son, who was serving as lieutenant in the Union Army at the time, had been wounded.
When Longfellow heard the Christmas bells chiming out, he came to the realization, from the depths of his despair, that "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!" He believed that God is powerful enough to overcome the world's strife, and to bring peace and good will to Earth. And in ending each stanza, the poet stresses this idea with the phrase, "Of peace on Earth, good will to men."
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th’unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”
Till, ringing, singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
Joy to the World
Words: Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Music: George Frederick Handel (1685-1759),
Dr. Lowell Mason (1792-1872)
Dramatic changes occurred in the 18th century in the way hymns were written and sung, largely due to the ideas and achievements of Isaac Watts. Born in Southampton, England, the son of a church deacon, and eldest of nine children, Isaac wrote his first poem when he was seven. In the seventy years that followed, he wrote some of the most beautiful hymns in the English language.
Very early in life, Isaac had a passion for hymn singing. His father was imprisoned twice for his religious views, and Isaac's mother used to carry him in her arms as she stood at the prison gate, singing hymns to cheer her husband who was inside.
At an early age, Isaac learned to play the piano, and, to the delight of his parents, often composed little songs. While still a young boy, Isaac noticed the lack of enthusiasm in congregational singing at their church, and questioned the quality of the songs. Around this time, in the late 1600s, congregational church singing was led by a song leader (called a "clerk") who stood up, faced the audience, and selected a Psalm to be sung. Only Psalms were sung in the church, as it was considered sacrilege to use any other writings from the Bible or otherwise for the lyrics of religious songs. The clerk would say or sing one line of the Psalm, and the people, in turn, would repeat what had been said or sung by the clerk. This method was called "lining-out."
Isaac's father challenged him to write new hymns for the people to sing. So Isaac, at about the age of fifteen, composed his first hymn, and it received an enthusiastic response. Soon afterward he produced several others that were readily accepted by his father's congregation.
The people enjoyed singing Watts' hymns. Watts intended his hymns to be sung as complete stanzas, rather than as disconnected lines. He urged congregations to sing Psalms and hymns as they do today, one line immediately after the other. Also, he felt that Christian congregational singing should not be confined to Psalms, but that it should include freely composed hymns on Biblical subjects. In Isaac Watts' day, these were very radical changes!
Isaac continued with his studies, and in 1702, after his ordination as a minister of the Gospel, he became pastor of a church in London, which he served for the rest of his life.
Isaac Watts was a brilliant educator (the textbooks he wrote were used for more than 100 years), a notable poet, and the best known of all London ministers in his day. Declining health compelled Watts to resign his pulpit, and he accepted the position from the Lord Mayor of London--Sir Thomas and Lady Abney--of tutoring their children. Sir Thomas made Watts the private chaplain of his household, and Watts was held in great esteem by the Abneys, who considered it an honor to have him in their home.
Watt's talents and leadership helped raise the standards of both the lyrics and the music of hymns, for which he has been rightly called by some, "the father and liberator of the English hymn."
More than four hundred of his hymns are in common use in English-speaking countries today, the two most famous of which are "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" and "Joy to the World."
One of Watts' music projects was a volume of hymns based upon the Psalms of David. In preparing this volume, Watts read into Psalm 98 all the joy of the coming of the Messiah. Basing his hymn principally on verses 4, 6, 8 and 9, he wrote his finest Christmas hymn, beginning with the lines:
"Joy to the world,
The Lord is come,
Let Earth receive her King!
Let every heart
Prepare Him room,
And Heav'n and nature sing."
Even 70 years after this milestone publication of Watts', there were still some Christians who believed that God stopped singing when David the Psalmist died, and that for believers to sing anything other than the metrical 12 versions of the Old Testament Psalms was heresy 13 of the worst sort. They despised the works of hymn revolutionists Watts and Charles Wesley, saying they were of "human composition." Yet battles have been fought and victories won by Christians singing these great hymns of faith.
At first, "Joy to the World" was sung to music composed by Dr. Hodges (and his tune is still used at times). But later Dr. Lowell Mason set it to a musical theme from "The Messiah" by George Frederick Handel, making "Joy to the World" one of the most joyous Christmas hymns.
Joy to the World
Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
while fields and floods,
rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessing flow
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of His righteousness,
and wonders of His love,
and wonders of His love,
and wonders, wonders of His love.
Music: George Frederick Handel (1685-1759),
Dr. Lowell Mason (1792-1872)
Dramatic changes occurred in the 18th century in the way hymns were written and sung, largely due to the ideas and achievements of Isaac Watts. Born in Southampton, England, the son of a church deacon, and eldest of nine children, Isaac wrote his first poem when he was seven. In the seventy years that followed, he wrote some of the most beautiful hymns in the English language.
Very early in life, Isaac had a passion for hymn singing. His father was imprisoned twice for his religious views, and Isaac's mother used to carry him in her arms as she stood at the prison gate, singing hymns to cheer her husband who was inside.
At an early age, Isaac learned to play the piano, and, to the delight of his parents, often composed little songs. While still a young boy, Isaac noticed the lack of enthusiasm in congregational singing at their church, and questioned the quality of the songs. Around this time, in the late 1600s, congregational church singing was led by a song leader (called a "clerk") who stood up, faced the audience, and selected a Psalm to be sung. Only Psalms were sung in the church, as it was considered sacrilege to use any other writings from the Bible or otherwise for the lyrics of religious songs. The clerk would say or sing one line of the Psalm, and the people, in turn, would repeat what had been said or sung by the clerk. This method was called "lining-out."
Isaac's father challenged him to write new hymns for the people to sing. So Isaac, at about the age of fifteen, composed his first hymn, and it received an enthusiastic response. Soon afterward he produced several others that were readily accepted by his father's congregation.
The people enjoyed singing Watts' hymns. Watts intended his hymns to be sung as complete stanzas, rather than as disconnected lines. He urged congregations to sing Psalms and hymns as they do today, one line immediately after the other. Also, he felt that Christian congregational singing should not be confined to Psalms, but that it should include freely composed hymns on Biblical subjects. In Isaac Watts' day, these were very radical changes!
Isaac continued with his studies, and in 1702, after his ordination as a minister of the Gospel, he became pastor of a church in London, which he served for the rest of his life.
Isaac Watts was a brilliant educator (the textbooks he wrote were used for more than 100 years), a notable poet, and the best known of all London ministers in his day. Declining health compelled Watts to resign his pulpit, and he accepted the position from the Lord Mayor of London--Sir Thomas and Lady Abney--of tutoring their children. Sir Thomas made Watts the private chaplain of his household, and Watts was held in great esteem by the Abneys, who considered it an honor to have him in their home.
Watt's talents and leadership helped raise the standards of both the lyrics and the music of hymns, for which he has been rightly called by some, "the father and liberator of the English hymn."
More than four hundred of his hymns are in common use in English-speaking countries today, the two most famous of which are "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" and "Joy to the World."
One of Watts' music projects was a volume of hymns based upon the Psalms of David. In preparing this volume, Watts read into Psalm 98 all the joy of the coming of the Messiah. Basing his hymn principally on verses 4, 6, 8 and 9, he wrote his finest Christmas hymn, beginning with the lines:
"Joy to the world,
The Lord is come,
Let Earth receive her King!
Let every heart
Prepare Him room,
And Heav'n and nature sing."
Even 70 years after this milestone publication of Watts', there were still some Christians who believed that God stopped singing when David the Psalmist died, and that for believers to sing anything other than the metrical 12 versions of the Old Testament Psalms was heresy 13 of the worst sort. They despised the works of hymn revolutionists Watts and Charles Wesley, saying they were of "human composition." Yet battles have been fought and victories won by Christians singing these great hymns of faith.
At first, "Joy to the World" was sung to music composed by Dr. Hodges (and his tune is still used at times). But later Dr. Lowell Mason set it to a musical theme from "The Messiah" by George Frederick Handel, making "Joy to the World" one of the most joyous Christmas hymns.
Joy to the World
Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
while fields and floods,
rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessing flow
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of His righteousness,
and wonders of His love,
and wonders of His love,
and wonders, wonders of His love.
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Words: Anonymous--Latin hymn; discovered by John Francis Wade (1710-1786);
translated into English by Rev. Frederick Oakeley (1802-1880)
Music: Samuel Webbe, Sr. (1740-1816)
The authorship of "O Come, All Ye Faithful," originally a Latin Christmas song of praise entitled, "Adeste Fidelis," has been attributed to many different poets, but remains somewhat of a mystery. Some think it was an old carol connected with dancing around the manger, and that it might have been used by St. Francis of Assisi. Others claim it came from the 13th century and was the work of a Franciscan friar, St. Bonaventura, an associate of St. Francis. Other historians state that "Adeste Fidelis" was originally written by an unknown French poet between the years 1685 and 1690, during the reign of Louis XIV.
However, it is now generally agreed that Englishman John Francis Wade either came across the stanzas or created them in connection with his music copying and research work in Douay, France, and it first appeared in print in his book, Cantus Diversi, published in 1751.
The first published appearance of the tune to which "O Come, All Ye Faithful" is now sung, was in a collection by another English music copyist 14, Samuel Webbe, Sr. Because Samuel Webbe played the organ in the chapel of the Portuguese embassy in London and used this superb tune on many occasions, the music to this carol became known as "The Portuguese Hymn," leading some historians to believe that it had its origin in Portugal.
So the two music copyists, Wade and Webbe, were instrumental in giving Christendom one of her finest Christmas hymns, "Adeste Fidelis."
Englishman Rev. Frederick Oakeley was so thrilled by the published Latin version of "Adeste Fidelis," that, in 1841, he translated it into his native English, entitling it, "Ye Faithful, Approach Ye."
Eleven years after the translation, Oakeley was determined to improve upon the hymn. He scrupulously studied the original Latin version in an attempt to translate it into more effective and expressive English, with the opening lines of the first stanza reading,
"O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant"
Although more than forty different translations were made of "Adeste Fideles," Oakeley's translation, "O Come, All Ye Faithful," was the one most preferred. This carol has been translated into 120 languages and dialects.
Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful
Oh, come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant!
Oh, come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold him,
Born the King of angels;
Chorus
Oh, come, let us adore him;
Oh, come, let us adore him;
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ, the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation;
Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above!
Glory to God,
Glory in the highest;
Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be all glory giv’n.
Son of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing;
translated into English by Rev. Frederick Oakeley (1802-1880)
Music: Samuel Webbe, Sr. (1740-1816)
The authorship of "O Come, All Ye Faithful," originally a Latin Christmas song of praise entitled, "Adeste Fidelis," has been attributed to many different poets, but remains somewhat of a mystery. Some think it was an old carol connected with dancing around the manger, and that it might have been used by St. Francis of Assisi. Others claim it came from the 13th century and was the work of a Franciscan friar, St. Bonaventura, an associate of St. Francis. Other historians state that "Adeste Fidelis" was originally written by an unknown French poet between the years 1685 and 1690, during the reign of Louis XIV.
However, it is now generally agreed that Englishman John Francis Wade either came across the stanzas or created them in connection with his music copying and research work in Douay, France, and it first appeared in print in his book, Cantus Diversi, published in 1751.
The first published appearance of the tune to which "O Come, All Ye Faithful" is now sung, was in a collection by another English music copyist 14, Samuel Webbe, Sr. Because Samuel Webbe played the organ in the chapel of the Portuguese embassy in London and used this superb tune on many occasions, the music to this carol became known as "The Portuguese Hymn," leading some historians to believe that it had its origin in Portugal.
So the two music copyists, Wade and Webbe, were instrumental in giving Christendom one of her finest Christmas hymns, "Adeste Fidelis."
Englishman Rev. Frederick Oakeley was so thrilled by the published Latin version of "Adeste Fidelis," that, in 1841, he translated it into his native English, entitling it, "Ye Faithful, Approach Ye."
Eleven years after the translation, Oakeley was determined to improve upon the hymn. He scrupulously studied the original Latin version in an attempt to translate it into more effective and expressive English, with the opening lines of the first stanza reading,
"O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant"
Although more than forty different translations were made of "Adeste Fideles," Oakeley's translation, "O Come, All Ye Faithful," was the one most preferred. This carol has been translated into 120 languages and dialects.
Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful
Oh, come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant!
Oh, come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold him,
Born the King of angels;
Chorus
Oh, come, let us adore him;
Oh, come, let us adore him;
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ, the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation;
Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above!
Glory to God,
Glory in the highest;
Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be all glory giv’n.
Son of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing;
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Words: Latin origin from the 12th century;
first translated into English by John Mason Neale (1818-1866)
Music: Anonymous--13th century
The roots of this carol can be found in the medieval Roman Church of the 12th century and possibly even earlier. Each of the carol's stanzas begins with a short statement called an "antiphon." Antiphons were used at the beginning of Vespers 30 during the Advent season,31 and were greetings sung to the Savior--each antiphon using one of the many titles given to Jesus in the Scriptures.
This carol's modal 32 melody is an example of the earliest form of singing in the Church. During the 19th century there were a number of ministers and scholars, such as John M. Neale (born in London), who developed an interest in rediscovering and translating into English many of the ancient Greek, Latin and German hymns. Neale himself wrote more than sixty original hymns.
Although the original carol contained many more antiphons, most hymn books that have been printed contain only five of the original antiphons, which are as follows. In verse 1: "Emmanuel." ("Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel."--Isaiah 7:14.)
In verse 2: "Rod of Jesse." ("And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots."--Isaiah 11:1.)
In verse 3: "Dayspring"--meaning "sunrising." ("Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring from on High hath visited us."--Luke 1:78.)
In verse 4: "Key of David." ("And the key of the house of David will I lay upon His shoulder."--Isaiah 22:22a.)
And in verse 5: "Lord of Might"--which addresses God Who revealed Himself on Mount Sinai in the awesome accompaniment of lightning and thunder. ("There were thick clouds upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud."--Exodus 19:16.)
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go. Refrain
O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan's tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory over the grave. Refrain
O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death's dark shadows put to flight. Refrain
O come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery. Refrain
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to thy tribes on Sinai's height
in ancient times once gave the law
in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain
O come, thou Root of Jesse's tree,
an ensign of thy people be;
before thee rulers silent fall;
all peoples on thy mercy call. Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid thou our sad divisions cease,
and be thyself our King of Peace. Refrain
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear. Refrain
first translated into English by John Mason Neale (1818-1866)
Music: Anonymous--13th century
The roots of this carol can be found in the medieval Roman Church of the 12th century and possibly even earlier. Each of the carol's stanzas begins with a short statement called an "antiphon." Antiphons were used at the beginning of Vespers 30 during the Advent season,31 and were greetings sung to the Savior--each antiphon using one of the many titles given to Jesus in the Scriptures.
This carol's modal 32 melody is an example of the earliest form of singing in the Church. During the 19th century there were a number of ministers and scholars, such as John M. Neale (born in London), who developed an interest in rediscovering and translating into English many of the ancient Greek, Latin and German hymns. Neale himself wrote more than sixty original hymns.
Although the original carol contained many more antiphons, most hymn books that have been printed contain only five of the original antiphons, which are as follows. In verse 1: "Emmanuel." ("Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel."--Isaiah 7:14.)
In verse 2: "Rod of Jesse." ("And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots."--Isaiah 11:1.)
In verse 3: "Dayspring"--meaning "sunrising." ("Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring from on High hath visited us."--Luke 1:78.)
In verse 4: "Key of David." ("And the key of the house of David will I lay upon His shoulder."--Isaiah 22:22a.)
And in verse 5: "Lord of Might"--which addresses God Who revealed Himself on Mount Sinai in the awesome accompaniment of lightning and thunder. ("There were thick clouds upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud."--Exodus 19:16.)
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go. Refrain
O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan's tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory over the grave. Refrain
O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death's dark shadows put to flight. Refrain
O come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery. Refrain
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to thy tribes on Sinai's height
in ancient times once gave the law
in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain
O come, thou Root of Jesse's tree,
an ensign of thy people be;
before thee rulers silent fall;
all peoples on thy mercy call. Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid thou our sad divisions cease,
and be thyself our King of Peace. Refrain
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear. Refrain
O Holy Night
Words and Music: Adolphe Adam (1803-1856)
The inspiring hymn, "Cantique de Noël" ("O Holy Night"), was written by a distinguished French composer, Adolphe Adam. His father was a pianist, yet he did not want his son to become a musician. At first, Adolphe taught himself music, and, later, his father allowed him to follow this profession.
Adolphe Adam's life ambition was to be a composer of grand opera. He did not achieve success in this, but he did compose many stage works and ballets, the most frequently performed of these being the ballet, "Giselle."
"O Holy Night" received repeated attacks from ecclesiastical 21 authorities on music, saying that the song "lacks of good musical taste, and has a total absence of the spirit of religion." However, a century after its composition, "O Holy Night" remains one of the most popular and stirring Christmas songs ever written.
Oh Holy Night
O holy night!
The stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Chorus
Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the wise men from Orient land
Te King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend.
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
The inspiring hymn, "Cantique de Noël" ("O Holy Night"), was written by a distinguished French composer, Adolphe Adam. His father was a pianist, yet he did not want his son to become a musician. At first, Adolphe taught himself music, and, later, his father allowed him to follow this profession.
Adolphe Adam's life ambition was to be a composer of grand opera. He did not achieve success in this, but he did compose many stage works and ballets, the most frequently performed of these being the ballet, "Giselle."
"O Holy Night" received repeated attacks from ecclesiastical 21 authorities on music, saying that the song "lacks of good musical taste, and has a total absence of the spirit of religion." However, a century after its composition, "O Holy Night" remains one of the most popular and stirring Christmas songs ever written.
Oh Holy Night
O holy night!
The stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Chorus
Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the wise men from Orient land
Te King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend.
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Words: Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)
Music: Lewis Redner (1831-1908)
Although not a professional poet, Phillips Brooks could write a hymn, a carol or a poem with almost effortless ease. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he came from a Christian family which excelled both academically and musically. Even as a child, Phillips was always singing, and by the time he was 16 years old, he knew 200 songs by heart!
As a young man, he was a miserable failure in his first position as a Latin professor, and it was only when he surrendered himself wholly and completely to God, that he found his calling in life.
At the age of 24, Brooks was ordained a pastor, and took charge of a church in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Although he remained a bachelor all his life, Brooks was especially fond of children. It is said that he kept a supply of toys, dolls and other objects of interest to children in his study so that youngsters would be encouraged to drop in and chat with him. A familiar sight was this important man sitting on the floor of his study, having a fun time with a group of children.
Brooks was especially interested in Sunday School music. He loved to hear children sing, and so it's not surprising that he wrote his best song for them, the story of which is as follows:
In 1865, Brooks made a trip to Palestine. The experience found the 33-year-old Brooks with his travelling party in Bethlehem during Christmas week. The trip made an unforgettable impression upon him, but the song he was eventually to write as a result of his travels was almost three years away.
Three years later as Brooks prepared his Christmas program and services, he reflected upon his visit to the Holy Land three years earlier, the impressions and inspiration of which seemed to be permanently stamped upon his heart. The still vivid memory moved the pastor-poet to express his feelings and sentiments in a lovely poem, written especially with the children of his parish 24 in mind. He captured the mystery of that first Christmas in a carol which began with these lines:
"O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The Everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight."
--And in the last stanza, Brooks prayed that the Holy Child of Bethlehem would be born anew in each heart.
The following day when Mr. Lewis Redner, the church organist and also the Sunday School superintendent, came into the minister's study, Brooks handed him a piece of paper on which he had written a copy of this new poem.
"Lewis," he said to his friend and co-worker, "why not write a new tune for my poem?"
Redner smiled as he glanced over the five stanzas and replied, "I'll do what I can, Phillips." Brooks urged Redner to do what he could as quickly as possible, since the Christmas services were only days away!
Although he had ample time in which to compose a suitable tune, Redner delayed until it was almost too late. When Brooks questioned him about the tune, Redner gave the pastor the age-old answer of frustrated composers, "No inspiration!"
Upon retiring, the night before Brooks had planned for a group of children to introduce the song, Redner had still not come up with a single line of music. During the night, Redner suddenly awakened from his sleep, the new tune ringing in his ears! He jotted the melody down as rapidly as he could and then went back to bed for a few hours of contented and undisturbed sleep.
Very early the next morning, he harmonized his original melody, declaring that it "was a gift from Heaven." A group of six Sunday School teachers and thirty-six children sang it from newly printed leaflets on December 27, 1868. Brooks, sitting in the back of the room, was thrilled to hear the children sing his song. The carol was an immediate favorite with everyone--especially the children.
Brooks passed away on January 23, 1893, in his 58th year. He was loved by all who came in contact with him, and his sudden death was greatly mourned by everyone who knew him. The story is told of a five-year-old girl who was upset because she hadn't seen her preacher friend for several days. When told by her mother that Dr. Bishop Phillips Brooks had gone to Heaven, the child exclaimed, "Oh, Mama, how happy the angels will be!"
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary,
And, gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heav’n.
No ear may hear his coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.
Music: Lewis Redner (1831-1908)
Although not a professional poet, Phillips Brooks could write a hymn, a carol or a poem with almost effortless ease. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he came from a Christian family which excelled both academically and musically. Even as a child, Phillips was always singing, and by the time he was 16 years old, he knew 200 songs by heart!
As a young man, he was a miserable failure in his first position as a Latin professor, and it was only when he surrendered himself wholly and completely to God, that he found his calling in life.
At the age of 24, Brooks was ordained a pastor, and took charge of a church in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Although he remained a bachelor all his life, Brooks was especially fond of children. It is said that he kept a supply of toys, dolls and other objects of interest to children in his study so that youngsters would be encouraged to drop in and chat with him. A familiar sight was this important man sitting on the floor of his study, having a fun time with a group of children.
Brooks was especially interested in Sunday School music. He loved to hear children sing, and so it's not surprising that he wrote his best song for them, the story of which is as follows:
In 1865, Brooks made a trip to Palestine. The experience found the 33-year-old Brooks with his travelling party in Bethlehem during Christmas week. The trip made an unforgettable impression upon him, but the song he was eventually to write as a result of his travels was almost three years away.
Three years later as Brooks prepared his Christmas program and services, he reflected upon his visit to the Holy Land three years earlier, the impressions and inspiration of which seemed to be permanently stamped upon his heart. The still vivid memory moved the pastor-poet to express his feelings and sentiments in a lovely poem, written especially with the children of his parish 24 in mind. He captured the mystery of that first Christmas in a carol which began with these lines:
"O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The Everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight."
--And in the last stanza, Brooks prayed that the Holy Child of Bethlehem would be born anew in each heart.
The following day when Mr. Lewis Redner, the church organist and also the Sunday School superintendent, came into the minister's study, Brooks handed him a piece of paper on which he had written a copy of this new poem.
"Lewis," he said to his friend and co-worker, "why not write a new tune for my poem?"
Redner smiled as he glanced over the five stanzas and replied, "I'll do what I can, Phillips." Brooks urged Redner to do what he could as quickly as possible, since the Christmas services were only days away!
Although he had ample time in which to compose a suitable tune, Redner delayed until it was almost too late. When Brooks questioned him about the tune, Redner gave the pastor the age-old answer of frustrated composers, "No inspiration!"
Upon retiring, the night before Brooks had planned for a group of children to introduce the song, Redner had still not come up with a single line of music. During the night, Redner suddenly awakened from his sleep, the new tune ringing in his ears! He jotted the melody down as rapidly as he could and then went back to bed for a few hours of contented and undisturbed sleep.
Very early the next morning, he harmonized his original melody, declaring that it "was a gift from Heaven." A group of six Sunday School teachers and thirty-six children sang it from newly printed leaflets on December 27, 1868. Brooks, sitting in the back of the room, was thrilled to hear the children sing his song. The carol was an immediate favorite with everyone--especially the children.
Brooks passed away on January 23, 1893, in his 58th year. He was loved by all who came in contact with him, and his sudden death was greatly mourned by everyone who knew him. The story is told of a five-year-old girl who was upset because she hadn't seen her preacher friend for several days. When told by her mother that Dr. Bishop Phillips Brooks had gone to Heaven, the child exclaimed, "Oh, Mama, how happy the angels will be!"
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary,
And, gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heav’n.
No ear may hear his coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.
Once in Royal David's City
Words: Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895)
Music: Henry J. Gauntlett (1805-1876)
Mrs. Frances Alexander, born in Ireland, is said to have been a quiet and reserved person, who wrote her poems for certain special occasions. She had no idea that they would ever appear in print and bring her recognition. Her eight books of hymns, including such favorites like There Is a Green Hill Far Away and Jesus Calls Us O'er the Tumult, contain about 400 songs.
Her Christmas poem, "Once in Royal David's City," was first published in 1848 in Hymns for Little Children. According to one source, the song was written by Mrs. Alexander for her godchildren 36, because they "told her that their Bible lessons were getting dreary." She wrote this nativity poem to help inspire their Bible study time.
In the carol, Mrs. Alexander tells the Christmas story simply, so all ages of children may understand it. She also wanted the children to realize what Jesus' birth meant personally to them, and in the third stanza told them:
"For He is our childhood's pattern,
Day by day like us He grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles, like us, He knew;
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness."
The melody was written by the Englishman Henry J. Gauntlett, an organist, organ designer, and composer, who wrote over ten thousand hymn tunes.
Once in Royal David’s City
Once in royal Davids city,
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby,
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ, her little Child.
He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall:
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.
For He is our childhood's pattern;
Day by day, like us, He grew;
He was little, weak, and helpless,
Tears and smiles, like us He knew;
And He cares when we are sad,
And he shares when we are glad.
And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle,
Is our Lord in heaven above:
And He leads His children on,
To the place where He is gone.
Music: Henry J. Gauntlett (1805-1876)
Mrs. Frances Alexander, born in Ireland, is said to have been a quiet and reserved person, who wrote her poems for certain special occasions. She had no idea that they would ever appear in print and bring her recognition. Her eight books of hymns, including such favorites like There Is a Green Hill Far Away and Jesus Calls Us O'er the Tumult, contain about 400 songs.
Her Christmas poem, "Once in Royal David's City," was first published in 1848 in Hymns for Little Children. According to one source, the song was written by Mrs. Alexander for her godchildren 36, because they "told her that their Bible lessons were getting dreary." She wrote this nativity poem to help inspire their Bible study time.
In the carol, Mrs. Alexander tells the Christmas story simply, so all ages of children may understand it. She also wanted the children to realize what Jesus' birth meant personally to them, and in the third stanza told them:
"For He is our childhood's pattern,
Day by day like us He grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles, like us, He knew;
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness."
The melody was written by the Englishman Henry J. Gauntlett, an organist, organ designer, and composer, who wrote over ten thousand hymn tunes.
Once in Royal David’s City
Once in royal Davids city,
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby,
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ, her little Child.
He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall:
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.
For He is our childhood's pattern;
Day by day, like us, He grew;
He was little, weak, and helpless,
Tears and smiles, like us He knew;
And He cares when we are sad,
And he shares when we are glad.
And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle,
Is our Lord in heaven above:
And He leads His children on,
To the place where He is gone.
Silent Night
Words: Josef Mohr (1792-1848)
Music: Franz Gruber (1787-1863)
While the composition of "The Messiah" by Handel and "Christmas Oratorio" 18 by Bach in the 18th century had helped instill the Christmas spirit in many, there was still the need for a simple song that could be sung by everyone. This song was finally found in "Silent Night" whose words were written by an Austrian village priest, Josef Mohr, and its melody by the church organist Franz Gruber.
Born in Salzburg, Austria, Josef served as a choir boy in his youth, and later became assistant pastor of the parish church in the small town of Oberndorf, in the Austrian Tyrol, not too far from the city of Salzburg,
Franz Gruber, also born in Austria, was the son of a linen weaver. His father tried to persuade him to follow the same trade, but from the time he was a small child, Franz was fascinated by music. Without his father's knowledge, he would slip out secretly and go to his schoolmaster's home, where he learned to play the organ.
Once, when the schoolmaster was ill, there would have been no music for the church service had Franz (then twelve years old) not volunteered to take his place. Franz was allowed to do so, and played the entire service from memory! After this, his father let him take regular music lessons. At the age of 20, upon completing his other studies, Franz became a teacher and also a church organist.
On December 24, 1818, Mohr listened intently as his church organist and friend, Franz Gruber, told him that the pipe organ in the church would not be available for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, since it was damaged almost beyond repair. Unfortunately, mice had eaten the organ bellows 19, and because of the deep winter snows, it would not be possible for a repairman to arrive to restore the organ in time for the service.
Father Mohr, not knowing what to do without the traditional organ music for the service, then received a messenger asking him to go out to bless the newborn babe of a peasant mother. Meanwhile, Gruber went back to the organ loft in a growing mood of despair and disappointment. He paced the floor, trying to come up with a solution to the problem that seemed to grow more critical with every passing hour.
Perhaps seeing the child in the mother's arms reminded the priest of Mary and Baby Jesus, for as Father Mohr walked home through the snow on that starlit sky, he thought of that first Christmas when the angels sang to the wondering shepherds. Once back home, he thought over the events, and felt moved to put his feelings into words. Soon, without too much conscious effort on his part, the words began to flow from his pen. As fast as he scratched them down on a piece of paper, other words and lines came crowding in to take their place. Before he knew it, he had written several simple stanzas.
However, he had no music for it, and he wanted the composition sung at the Christmas service. He hurried to see his friend, Franz, to ask him to furnish the melody for his words. Handing his friend a copy of his new stanzas, he said, "Franz, write some music for my new poem and we will sing it at the Midnight Mass, organ or no organ!" Mohr suggested that the song be composed and played on the guitar, but Gruber protested that he was an organist not a guitarist, and certainly not a composer. Mohr brushed his objections aside by explaining, "Surely you know three chords on the guitar." Gruber nodded as the pastor continued, "Then why not write the music as simple as possible using those three chords, arrange it, and tonight while you play, we will sing the new carol!"
Gruber proceeded to do what Mohr requested, and within a hour or so, had completed the tune. He took it to the priest, who was delighted with it. At the Christmas service in 1818, the two men, singing the tenor and bass, formed a quartet with two women singers, and, to the accompaniment of Father Mohr's Italian guitar, introduced a new carol to the world.
After having finally received Gruber's letter, asking him to come and fix the organ, an organ builder and repairman from the valley of Zillertal, Karl Mauracher arrived. When the instrument was in good playing order, Franz Gruber sat down to try the instrument. Father Mohr happened to be in the church that afternoon and insisted that Gruber play the music he had composed for the new Christmas carol. Upon hearing it, Mauracher was delighted, immediately fell in love with the tune and begged Gruber to give him a manuscript copy of the new song, asking if he might take it back with him to the Zillertal Valley and share it with the singers and musicians there who are always on the lookout for a new song.
Mauracher took a copy of the carol back to his home town. The villagers were thrilled and called it the "Song from Heaven." Ten years later, Mauracher heard four children with exceptionally good voices, Caroline, Josef, Andreas and Amalie Strasser. He taught the carol to them, and they enjoyed singing it.
As their parents were skillful glove-makers, the children went with them each year to the great fair at Leipzig, where Mr. and Mrs. Strasser offered their gloves for sale. While there, the children often sang in front of their parents' booth and on the streets to advertise their wares 20. To their great surprise, the General Director of Music of the Kingdom of Saxony, Mr. Pohlenz (who had heard them sing one day), asked them to attend a concert.
At the close of the regular program Mr. Pohlenz invited them to come to the platform and sing before the King and Queen of Saxony. Although the young Strassers were nervous, they arose, went to the front of the hall, and sang several selections, including their favorite "Song from Heaven." Their singing created a sensation, and they were invited to the palace on Christmas Eve, 1832, to sing the carol again before the royal family.
"Silent Night" was first published in 1840 in Leipzig, as a Tyrolean Christmas carol, accompanied by the statement, "Hymn of Unknown Origin--Author and Composer Unknown."
The King of Prussia, Frederick Wilhelm IV, heard "Silent Night" for the first time in 1854, when it was sung by the entire choir of the Imperial Church in Berlin. He declared that this song should be given first place at all Christmas concerts in his country; he also instructed his court musicians to try to find out the names of the author and composer.
That year, these men got in touch with the monks of St. Peter's monastery in Salzburg, and inquired whether they had any information about the origin of the song. By a fortunate turn of events, a choir boy there, the son of Franz Gruber, heard of the investigation, and he soon convinced the monks that it was his father's music. Years later, in 1897, a tablet honoring Franz Gruber was placed on the school where he had taught.
"Silent Night" is said to have a wider use than any other Christmas carol. It has been translated into many different languages, and sung in some of the most distant and isolated countries. Thus it has spread from a small Austrian village throughout the entire world.
Silent Night
Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace;
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heav’nly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth;
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
Music: Franz Gruber (1787-1863)
While the composition of "The Messiah" by Handel and "Christmas Oratorio" 18 by Bach in the 18th century had helped instill the Christmas spirit in many, there was still the need for a simple song that could be sung by everyone. This song was finally found in "Silent Night" whose words were written by an Austrian village priest, Josef Mohr, and its melody by the church organist Franz Gruber.
Born in Salzburg, Austria, Josef served as a choir boy in his youth, and later became assistant pastor of the parish church in the small town of Oberndorf, in the Austrian Tyrol, not too far from the city of Salzburg,
Franz Gruber, also born in Austria, was the son of a linen weaver. His father tried to persuade him to follow the same trade, but from the time he was a small child, Franz was fascinated by music. Without his father's knowledge, he would slip out secretly and go to his schoolmaster's home, where he learned to play the organ.
Once, when the schoolmaster was ill, there would have been no music for the church service had Franz (then twelve years old) not volunteered to take his place. Franz was allowed to do so, and played the entire service from memory! After this, his father let him take regular music lessons. At the age of 20, upon completing his other studies, Franz became a teacher and also a church organist.
On December 24, 1818, Mohr listened intently as his church organist and friend, Franz Gruber, told him that the pipe organ in the church would not be available for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, since it was damaged almost beyond repair. Unfortunately, mice had eaten the organ bellows 19, and because of the deep winter snows, it would not be possible for a repairman to arrive to restore the organ in time for the service.
Father Mohr, not knowing what to do without the traditional organ music for the service, then received a messenger asking him to go out to bless the newborn babe of a peasant mother. Meanwhile, Gruber went back to the organ loft in a growing mood of despair and disappointment. He paced the floor, trying to come up with a solution to the problem that seemed to grow more critical with every passing hour.
Perhaps seeing the child in the mother's arms reminded the priest of Mary and Baby Jesus, for as Father Mohr walked home through the snow on that starlit sky, he thought of that first Christmas when the angels sang to the wondering shepherds. Once back home, he thought over the events, and felt moved to put his feelings into words. Soon, without too much conscious effort on his part, the words began to flow from his pen. As fast as he scratched them down on a piece of paper, other words and lines came crowding in to take their place. Before he knew it, he had written several simple stanzas.
However, he had no music for it, and he wanted the composition sung at the Christmas service. He hurried to see his friend, Franz, to ask him to furnish the melody for his words. Handing his friend a copy of his new stanzas, he said, "Franz, write some music for my new poem and we will sing it at the Midnight Mass, organ or no organ!" Mohr suggested that the song be composed and played on the guitar, but Gruber protested that he was an organist not a guitarist, and certainly not a composer. Mohr brushed his objections aside by explaining, "Surely you know three chords on the guitar." Gruber nodded as the pastor continued, "Then why not write the music as simple as possible using those three chords, arrange it, and tonight while you play, we will sing the new carol!"
Gruber proceeded to do what Mohr requested, and within a hour or so, had completed the tune. He took it to the priest, who was delighted with it. At the Christmas service in 1818, the two men, singing the tenor and bass, formed a quartet with two women singers, and, to the accompaniment of Father Mohr's Italian guitar, introduced a new carol to the world.
After having finally received Gruber's letter, asking him to come and fix the organ, an organ builder and repairman from the valley of Zillertal, Karl Mauracher arrived. When the instrument was in good playing order, Franz Gruber sat down to try the instrument. Father Mohr happened to be in the church that afternoon and insisted that Gruber play the music he had composed for the new Christmas carol. Upon hearing it, Mauracher was delighted, immediately fell in love with the tune and begged Gruber to give him a manuscript copy of the new song, asking if he might take it back with him to the Zillertal Valley and share it with the singers and musicians there who are always on the lookout for a new song.
Mauracher took a copy of the carol back to his home town. The villagers were thrilled and called it the "Song from Heaven." Ten years later, Mauracher heard four children with exceptionally good voices, Caroline, Josef, Andreas and Amalie Strasser. He taught the carol to them, and they enjoyed singing it.
As their parents were skillful glove-makers, the children went with them each year to the great fair at Leipzig, where Mr. and Mrs. Strasser offered their gloves for sale. While there, the children often sang in front of their parents' booth and on the streets to advertise their wares 20. To their great surprise, the General Director of Music of the Kingdom of Saxony, Mr. Pohlenz (who had heard them sing one day), asked them to attend a concert.
At the close of the regular program Mr. Pohlenz invited them to come to the platform and sing before the King and Queen of Saxony. Although the young Strassers were nervous, they arose, went to the front of the hall, and sang several selections, including their favorite "Song from Heaven." Their singing created a sensation, and they were invited to the palace on Christmas Eve, 1832, to sing the carol again before the royal family.
"Silent Night" was first published in 1840 in Leipzig, as a Tyrolean Christmas carol, accompanied by the statement, "Hymn of Unknown Origin--Author and Composer Unknown."
The King of Prussia, Frederick Wilhelm IV, heard "Silent Night" for the first time in 1854, when it was sung by the entire choir of the Imperial Church in Berlin. He declared that this song should be given first place at all Christmas concerts in his country; he also instructed his court musicians to try to find out the names of the author and composer.
That year, these men got in touch with the monks of St. Peter's monastery in Salzburg, and inquired whether they had any information about the origin of the song. By a fortunate turn of events, a choir boy there, the son of Franz Gruber, heard of the investigation, and he soon convinced the monks that it was his father's music. Years later, in 1897, a tablet honoring Franz Gruber was placed on the school where he had taught.
"Silent Night" is said to have a wider use than any other Christmas carol. It has been translated into many different languages, and sung in some of the most distant and isolated countries. Thus it has spread from a small Austrian village throughout the entire world.
Silent Night
Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace;
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heav’nly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth;
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
The First Noel
Words and Music: Anonymous
17th century traditional English carol
Have you ever wondered where the word "noel" comes from? Some scholars claim "noel" is of French origin, meaning "a shout of joy" at the birth of Jesus. Others say that it stems from the medieval Latin word "natalis," meaning "birth," which explains why some people refer to Christmas as "His natal day." There is yet another Latin word that some claim as the accurate source of "noel," the word "novella," which means "news," which relates the idea that the news of Jesus' birth causes the shouts of joy associated with Christmas time.
However, other scholars say that the original is of English spelling, "nowell," rather than the French "noël." This could be another example of how the English language has changed down through the centuries.
For example, the English people took the parting phrase with which they bade one another "Fare thee well," and made it into one word, "Farewell." They also took the phrase "God be with you," and shortened the four words into one, the word "goodbye."
In the same way, if the word "nowell" was first a phrase instead of a word, perhaps it was something like "Now all is well!" The English forefathers greeted each other every Christmas morning with the cry "Now all is well," since God had regarded those who had walked in darkness by giving them a great Light--Jesus! Soon, "Now all is well" became merely "Now well," and was later further shortened to "Nowell."
If so, when the unknown poet who wrote "The First Noel" sat down to compose his story poem about the birth of Jesus sometime during the 17th century, perhaps he decided that the message of the angels to the shepherds, "Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10), was a message to remind us that "now all is well," for Christ is born in Bethlehem.
"The First Noel" has been a popular carol for almost three centuries, and is about the oldest familiar carol in the English language. It is noted for its simplicity and sincerity. After having been handed down by word of mouth for many generations, "The First Noel" was finally copied down with the stanzas properly polished, the tune correctly harmonized, and printed for the first time in a collection of Christmas carols published in 1833.
The First Noel
The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay,
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.
Chorus
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
17th century traditional English carol
Have you ever wondered where the word "noel" comes from? Some scholars claim "noel" is of French origin, meaning "a shout of joy" at the birth of Jesus. Others say that it stems from the medieval Latin word "natalis," meaning "birth," which explains why some people refer to Christmas as "His natal day." There is yet another Latin word that some claim as the accurate source of "noel," the word "novella," which means "news," which relates the idea that the news of Jesus' birth causes the shouts of joy associated with Christmas time.
However, other scholars say that the original is of English spelling, "nowell," rather than the French "noël." This could be another example of how the English language has changed down through the centuries.
For example, the English people took the parting phrase with which they bade one another "Fare thee well," and made it into one word, "Farewell." They also took the phrase "God be with you," and shortened the four words into one, the word "goodbye."
In the same way, if the word "nowell" was first a phrase instead of a word, perhaps it was something like "Now all is well!" The English forefathers greeted each other every Christmas morning with the cry "Now all is well," since God had regarded those who had walked in darkness by giving them a great Light--Jesus! Soon, "Now all is well" became merely "Now well," and was later further shortened to "Nowell."
If so, when the unknown poet who wrote "The First Noel" sat down to compose his story poem about the birth of Jesus sometime during the 17th century, perhaps he decided that the message of the angels to the shepherds, "Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10), was a message to remind us that "now all is well," for Christ is born in Bethlehem.
"The First Noel" has been a popular carol for almost three centuries, and is about the oldest familiar carol in the English language. It is noted for its simplicity and sincerity. After having been handed down by word of mouth for many generations, "The First Noel" was finally copied down with the stanzas properly polished, the tune correctly harmonized, and printed for the first time in a collection of Christmas carols published in 1833.
The First Noel
The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay,
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.
Chorus
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
We Three Kings
Words and Music: John Henry Hopkins (1820-1891)
Of the several Christmas carols written by the American Rev. John Henry Hopkins Jr., "We Three Kings" is his best one. Although composed in the 19th century, its style and mixture of modes 22 have led a number of hymnologists 23 to believe it is of medieval origin and consider Hopkins as the "arranger."
Even though the Bible speaks of "wise men from the East" who journeyed from the East to worship the newborn King (see Matthew 2:1,7,16), because it doesn't specifically say that these travelers were kings, some people were hesitant to receive "We Three Kings" as a genuine Christmas carol when it was composed in 1857 and first printed in 1859. But this point of controversy didn't prevent Hopkins from writing his carol about the visit of the wise men, whether they were actually kings, astrologers or philosophers.
While the Gospel of Matthew makes no reference to the names, the number, or even the royalty of the kings, the details have come down to us through legend and tradition. The three names traditionally given to the kings--Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, who read and knew the movements of the stars (see Matthew 2:2)--were chosen somewhere along the way, we don't know by whom or where. And why three wise men? This number was selected, no doubt, because of the three special gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh, as each man brought one precious gift to lay at the feet of Jesus.
We Three Kings
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar.
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
Chorus
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light.
Born a king on Bethlehem's plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign.
Frankincense to offer have I.
Incense owns a Deity nigh.
Prayer and praising all men raising,
Worship Him, God on high.
Myrrh is mine: Its bitter perfume
Breaths a life of gathering gloom.
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Sounds through the earth and skies.
Of the several Christmas carols written by the American Rev. John Henry Hopkins Jr., "We Three Kings" is his best one. Although composed in the 19th century, its style and mixture of modes 22 have led a number of hymnologists 23 to believe it is of medieval origin and consider Hopkins as the "arranger."
Even though the Bible speaks of "wise men from the East" who journeyed from the East to worship the newborn King (see Matthew 2:1,7,16), because it doesn't specifically say that these travelers were kings, some people were hesitant to receive "We Three Kings" as a genuine Christmas carol when it was composed in 1857 and first printed in 1859. But this point of controversy didn't prevent Hopkins from writing his carol about the visit of the wise men, whether they were actually kings, astrologers or philosophers.
While the Gospel of Matthew makes no reference to the names, the number, or even the royalty of the kings, the details have come down to us through legend and tradition. The three names traditionally given to the kings--Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, who read and knew the movements of the stars (see Matthew 2:2)--were chosen somewhere along the way, we don't know by whom or where. And why three wise men? This number was selected, no doubt, because of the three special gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh, as each man brought one precious gift to lay at the feet of Jesus.
We Three Kings
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar.
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
Chorus
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light.
Born a king on Bethlehem's plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign.
Frankincense to offer have I.
Incense owns a Deity nigh.
Prayer and praising all men raising,
Worship Him, God on high.
Myrrh is mine: Its bitter perfume
Breaths a life of gathering gloom.
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Sounds through the earth and skies.
What Child Is This?
Words: William C. Dix
Music: Anonymous--16th century English melody;
arranged by Sir John Stainer
Here is another example of how some carol tunes were often taken from popular folk tunes.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, there was a song entitled, "My Lady Greensleaves." Shakespeare often referred to the song as being one of the most popular of his day. The words to "My Lady Greensleaves" are no longer in use today, but the melody is still popular in the form of the carol "What Child Is This?"
The words to this carol were written during the reign of Queen Victoria, by William C. Dix. He was the manager of an insurance company in England, and wrote many beautiful hymns.
What Child Is This
What Child is this who, laid to rest
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 guard 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?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Music: Anonymous--16th century English melody;
arranged by Sir John Stainer
Here is another example of how some carol tunes were often taken from popular folk tunes.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, there was a song entitled, "My Lady Greensleaves." Shakespeare often referred to the song as being one of the most popular of his day. The words to "My Lady Greensleaves" are no longer in use today, but the melody is still popular in the form of the carol "What Child Is This?"
The words to this carol were written during the reign of Queen Victoria, by William C. Dix. He was the manager of an insurance company in England, and wrote many beautiful hymns.
What Child Is This
What Child is this who, laid to rest
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 guard 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?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
Words: Nahum Tate (1652-1715)
Music: George Frederick Handel (1685-1759)
Considered to be one of the best poets of his time, Nahum Tate was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1652, the son of an Irish clergyman. Even though Nahum Tate was Poet Laureate 28 of England during the reigns of William and Mary, Queen Anne, and George I, his loose living as a drunkard and a spendthrift eventually led to his downfall, and he died in 1715 at a debtor's refuge in Southwark, London. His literary works, which were mainly stage plays, are now forgotten, except for his inspiring carol, "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night," which was set to a melody written by George F. Handel, and ranks as one of our most popular Christmas carols.
Handel, one of the most outstanding composers of all time, was born in Halle, Germany. After 1713 he made his home in England, and became a naturalized English citizen in 1727. He is best known for his famous oratorio, "The Messiah," composed in 1741, which was completed in just 24 days.
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
While shepherds watch’d their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
”Fear not,” said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind;
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.”
“To you, in David’s town this day,
Is born of David’s line
The Savior who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign:
The heav’nly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.”
Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song:
“All glory be to God on high
And on the earth be peace.
Goodwill henceforth from heav’n to men
Begin and never cease.”
Music: George Frederick Handel (1685-1759)
Considered to be one of the best poets of his time, Nahum Tate was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1652, the son of an Irish clergyman. Even though Nahum Tate was Poet Laureate 28 of England during the reigns of William and Mary, Queen Anne, and George I, his loose living as a drunkard and a spendthrift eventually led to his downfall, and he died in 1715 at a debtor's refuge in Southwark, London. His literary works, which were mainly stage plays, are now forgotten, except for his inspiring carol, "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night," which was set to a melody written by George F. Handel, and ranks as one of our most popular Christmas carols.
Handel, one of the most outstanding composers of all time, was born in Halle, Germany. After 1713 he made his home in England, and became a naturalized English citizen in 1727. He is best known for his famous oratorio, "The Messiah," composed in 1741, which was completed in just 24 days.
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
While shepherds watch’d their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
”Fear not,” said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind;
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.”
“To you, in David’s town this day,
Is born of David’s line
The Savior who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign:
The heav’nly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.”
Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song:
“All glory be to God on high
And on the earth be peace.
Goodwill henceforth from heav’n to men
Begin and never cease.”
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