We continue
our look at the music of Christmas with Hark!
The Herald Angels Sing. This is one
of particularly popular tunes with children, and is familiar to baby boomers as
the song sung by Charlie Brown and
company at the end of A Charlie Brown
Christmas, first broadcast in 1965.
The words
to Hark were written in 1730 by Charles
Wesley. (Wesley’s brother, John Wesley, was the founder of the
Methodist Church.) Charles was probably
the most prolific hymn-writer of all time, with more than 6,500 hymns and
carols. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is
perhaps the most popular.
Wesley’s
actual opening line was Hark! How all
the welkin rings. Welkin is a now
obscure word meaning sky. The lyrics
were changed 30 years later by another hymn-writer, the Reverend Martin Madan. They
were not set to the current familiar music until 1855, when Dr. W.H. Cummings
adapted a tune by Felix Mendelssohn
to fit them. Oddly enough, Mendelssohn
said, I am sure that this piece will
never do for sacred words. In fact,
he thought the melody best suited for some military theme! How often are artists bad judges of their own
work!
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn 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!”
Refrain
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Refrain
Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
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.
Refrain
Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
RefrainAdam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
RefrainWesley’s original version read thus:
Hark, how all the welkin rings,
“Glory to the King of kings;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
Universal nature say,
“Christ the Lord is born to-day!”
Christ, by highest Heaven ador’d,
Christ, the everlasting Lord:
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb!
Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate deity!
Pleased as man with men to appear,
Jesus! Our Immanuel here!
Hail, the heavenly Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.
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.
Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conquering seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to thine.
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface;
Stamp Thy image in its place.
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the life, the inner Man:
O! to all thyself impart,
Form’d in each believing heart.
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