If you are a first-time visitor, click here to find out the story behind "Notes of Glory" (helping you to SING wherever you are)!
Here's an alphabetical list of all "Notes of Glory" music with links so that you can revisit your favorite hymns/songs.
Complete "Notes of Glory" Song List
TO LISTEN TO MUSIC
Look for the SoundCloud audio player window found below the information provided for each song. Click on the white arrow in the orange circle.
IF YOU ARE LISTENING/VIEWING ON A MOBILE DEVICE OR TABLET
If given an option on your mobile device, click "LISTEN IN BROWSER" (rather than "Play on SoundCloud") on the audio player windows so that you stay on this page and can sing along using the printed lyrics.
We are continuing to enjoy the beautiful music of the season of Advent as we prepare to celebrate, with deep thankfulness, the birth of Christ. Let's lift our voices and sing praises to our King!TO LISTEN TO MUSIC
Look for the SoundCloud audio player window found below the information provided for each song. Click on the white arrow in the orange circle.
IF YOU ARE LISTENING/VIEWING ON A MOBILE DEVICE OR TABLET
If given an option on your mobile device, click "LISTEN IN BROWSER" (rather than "Play on SoundCloud") on the audio player windows so that you stay on this page and can sing along using the printed lyrics.
PRELUDE
(to help you enter into a spirit of worship)
I Wonder as I Wander (Appalachian Yuletide)
Traditional Appalachian Carol, arranged for piano by Dan Forrest
Colossians 1:19-23
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven.
____________________
In July 1933, American composer and folk song collector John Jacob Niles (1892-1980) heard a young girl named Annie Morgan sing a few melodic fragments in Murphy, North Carolina. In fact, she sang "three lines of verse, a garbled fragment of melodic material—and a magnificent idea." This plaintive Appalachian Christmas tune so captivated Niles that he compiled the bits of lyrics and melody into "I Wonder as I Wander," which has since become a beloved carol. In this simple song, we hear the thoughts of a humble, ordinary person contemplating the wonder of Christ and His love. This ethereal arrangement for solo piano by Dan Forrest captures the sense of awe and worshipful attitude of the lyrics.
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die
For poor ord'n'ry people like you and like I.
I wonder as I wander, out under the sky.
When Mary birthed Jesus, all in a cow's stall,
Came wise men and farmers and shepherds and all,
And high from the heavens a star's light did fall;
The promise of the ages it then did recall.
If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,
A star in the sky or a bird on the wing,
Or all of God's angels in heav'n for to sing,
He surely could have had it, 'cause he was the king.
HYMNS FOR YOU TO SING ANYWHERE
(transposed to easily singable keys!)
Angels from the Realms of Glory
Words by James Montgomery, Music by Henry T. Smart
Luke 2:13-14
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased."
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased."
Haggai 2:7
I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty._____________________
First published on Christmas Eve 1816 as a poem in a Yorkshire newspaper, "Angels from the Realms of Glory" recalls the events of the nativity and invites praise and adoration. The hymnwriter, James Montgomery (1771-1854), was a prolific author of several hundred hymns including "Go to Dark Gethsemene" (which was featured in this Good Friday post) and "Stand Up and Bless the Lord." He was a well-known figure in 19th century literary England, and was the editor of the Sheffield Iris weekly newspaper for 31 years: it was in this publication that "Angels From the Realms of Glory" originally appeared. The lyrics are dynamic and colorful and travel through time as they recall the singing of angels, retroactively remind shepherds that "God with us is now residing," beckon the Magi to see the "great Desire of Nations," and point all saints toward the second coming of Christ. Each stanza is followed by a warm invitation to worship Christ, the newborn King.
"Angels" is sung to different tunes in the UK and America (this is typical of many historic English-language hymns). Here we usually sing this text to "Regent Square" by British composer and organist Henry Smart (1813-1879). Smart, who was completely blind by age 51, was renowned for his extemporaneous organ improvisations and his accompaniment of congregational singing. He originally wrote "Regent Square" in 1866 as the melody for a doxology hymn, "Glory Be to God the Father" by Horatio Bonar (1808-1889).
Here is a video showing this hymn being sung by the Birmingham Boys Choir at their 2015 Christmas concert.
Angels, from the realms of glory,
wing your flight o'er all the earth;
ye, who sang creation's story,
now proclaim Messiah's birth:
come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing;
yonder shines the infant Light:
come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
Sages, leave your contemplations;
brighter visions beam afar;
seek the great Desire of nations;
ye have seen His natal star:
come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
Saints before the altar bending,
watching long in hope and fear,
suddenly the Lord, descending,
in His temple shall appear:
come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Words by Phillipps Brooks, Music by Lewis Henry Redner
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| Public Domain. Courtesy of Hymnary.org |
Angels, from the realms of glory,
wing your flight o'er all the earth;
ye, who sang creation's story,
now proclaim Messiah's birth:
come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing;
yonder shines the infant Light:
come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
Sages, leave your contemplations;
brighter visions beam afar;
seek the great Desire of nations;
ye have seen His natal star:
come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
Saints before the altar bending,
watching long in hope and fear,
suddenly the Lord, descending,
in His temple shall appear:
come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
 |
| David Roberts, "Bethlehem" Color Lithograph, 1839. Public domain. Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons |
Words by Phillipps Brooks, Music by Lewis Henry Redner
Matthew 2:1-12
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
____________________
Like those before him and since who have sought to experience the geographical heritage of Christianity, American clergyman and author Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) journeyed to Israel in 1865 and participated in Christmas Eve services at the Church of the Nativity. He later wrote to the children of Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia, (where he served as rector) describing his experiences traveling to Bethlehem:
Before dark we rode out of town to the field where they say the shepherds saw the star. It is a fenced piece of ground with a cave in it, in which, strangely enough, they put the shepherds. . . . Somewhere in those fields we rode through, the shepherds must have been. As we passed, the shepherds were still ‘keeping watch over their flocks,’ or leading them home to fold.
Three years later, recalling his time in Bethlehem, Brooks wrote "O Little Town of Bethlehem" as a hymn for children. It was first published in a booklet in 1868, and a tune for the hymn, "St. Louis" was written by the church's gifted organist, Louis Redner (1831-1908), who composed it the night before the hymn was to be sung by the congregation.
"O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel." Brooks' prayer then is still our prayer today, even as we celebrate Emmanuel (God with us) every day, and await the second coming of our Lord. If this carol is new to you, you might enjoy hearing (and watching) this beautiful arrangement performed by the Gather Vocal Band.
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| Public Domain. Courtesy of Hymnary.org |
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.
O holy child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin and enter in;
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
our Lord Emmanuel!
Words by Nahum Tate, Music by Georg Friedrich Handel
Luke 2:8-14
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
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.
O holy child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin and enter in;
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
our Lord Emmanuel!
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks at Night
Words by Nahum Tate, Music by Georg Friedrich Handel
Luke 2:8-14
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased."
___________________
If you read the passage from Luke 2:8-14 (above), and then read the lyrics of "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks at Night" (below) you'll notice that the latter is a direct paraphrase of the former. This hymn comes from an era in England when congregational church music was strictly based on the Psalms. Irish poet, dramatist and hymn writer, Nahum Tate, who was appointed England's poet laureate in 1692, worked together with Nicholas Brady to produce New Version of the The Psalms of David in 1696, consisting of a greater variety of metrical psalm settings than had previously been available. In 1703, an supplement to the collection was published which included Nahum's Christmas poem "While Shepherds Watched." We think of this type of hymn as very traditional-sounding when we hear it with our modern ears. However, the poetic way that Tate paraphrased Luke 2:8-14 was quite innovative for the time, and the hymn became the only Christmas song authorized by the Anglican church for congregational singing during this period.
The uplifting melody frequently sung with "When Shepherds Watched Their Flocks at Night" was written by German Baroque composer George Friedrich Handel (1685-1759): it was originally part of his1728 opera Siroe and was adapted by Lowell Mason in 1821. If this hymn is new to you, here is a version including organ and voices.
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| Public Domain. Courtesy of Hymnary.org |
While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
an 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
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:
"The heavenly babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all simply wrapped in swaddling clothes
and in a manger laid."
Thus spoke the angel. Suddenly
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:
"All glory be to God on high,
and to the earth be peace;
to those on whom his favor rests
goodwill shall never cease."
Traditional French Carol, arranged for solo piano by David Lantz III
all seated on the ground,
an 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
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:
"The heavenly babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all simply wrapped in swaddling clothes
and in a manger laid."
Thus spoke the angel. Suddenly
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:
"All glory be to God on high,
and to the earth be peace;
to those on whom his favor rests
goodwill shall never cease."
POSTLUDE
(to help you go forth with joy!)
Noël Nouvelet (Sing We Now of Christmas)
Traditional French Carol, arranged for solo piano by David Lantz III
Luke 2:15-20
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.____________________
"Noël Nouvelet" is a late 15th century French carol that beautifully recounts the story of the nativity. It's a traditional song with folk origins: at this time in France, congregational singing was not a featured part of church liturgy. The word "Noël" has a multi-lingual history, according to Merriam-Webster:
English speakers borrowed the word noel from French. It can be traced further back to the Latin word natalis, which can mean "birthday" as a noun or "of or relating to birth" as an adjective. (The English adjective natal has the same meaning and is also an offspring of natalis.). Noels were being sung in Latin or French for centuries before the word found its way into our language in the 1800s. The earliest known musical use of noel occurred in the text of a Christmas motet called "Nova vobis gaudia," which was written in the 1400s.
The word noël is also connected to the idea of newness or something being new, as can be seen in the literal translation of the first two lines of the original French text.
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici,Dévotes gens, crions à Dieu merci !New Christmas, Christmas we sing here,Devout people, let us shout our thanks to God!
May this sparkling, exciting piano arrangement of "Noël Nouvelet" by David Lantz III fill your heart with the joy of the Lord!
Sing we now of Christmas,
Noel, sing we here!
Hear our grateful praises
to the babe so dear.
Refrain:
Sing we Noel, the King is born, Noel!
Sing we now of Christmas, sing we now Noel!
Angels called to shepherds,
"Leave your flocks at rest,
journey forth to Bethlehem,
find the lambkin blest." [Refrain]
In Bethlehem they found him;
Joseph and Mary mild,
seated by the manger,
watching the holy child. [Refrain]
From the eastern country
came the kings afar,
bearing gifts to Bethlehem
guided by a star. [Refrain]
Gold and myrrh they took there,
gifts of greatest price;
there was ne'er a place on earth
so like paradise. [Refrain]
Here's a playlist of all the music featured in today's post. Enjoy!
Noel, sing we here!
Hear our grateful praises
to the babe so dear.
Refrain:
Sing we Noel, the King is born, Noel!
Sing we now of Christmas, sing we now Noel!
Angels called to shepherds,
"Leave your flocks at rest,
journey forth to Bethlehem,
find the lambkin blest." [Refrain]
In Bethlehem they found him;
Joseph and Mary mild,
seated by the manger,
watching the holy child. [Refrain]
From the eastern country
came the kings afar,
bearing gifts to Bethlehem
guided by a star. [Refrain]
Gold and myrrh they took there,
gifts of greatest price;
there was ne'er a place on earth
so like paradise. [Refrain]
Here's a playlist of all the music featured in today's post. Enjoy!
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