On this fourth and final Sunday of Advent, we rejoice "with heart and soul and voice" in the birth of Jesus Christ!
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Here's an alphabetical list of all "Notes of Glory" music with links so that you can revisit your favorite hymns/songs.
Dear friends, as we prepare to worship, let your hearts be glad as you ponder the miracle of God's gift to us:
PRELUDE
(to prepare you to worship with joy!)
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Words by George Ratcliffe Woodward, "Branle l'Officiel" traditional French tune. Arranged for solo piano by Marilyn Thompson.
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!
____________________
Like "Angels We Have Heard on High," another carol with a French tune, "Ding Dong Merrily on High" has an extended "Gloria" section, recalling the praise of the angels as they appeared to the shepherds. Don't be surprised if the lively melody makes your toes start to tap: originally titled "Branle de l'Officiel," the tune was included in a French Renaissance-era dance guidebook compiled by cleric and composer Jehan Tabourot (1520-1595). A branle was a specific type of dance from this period: here's a video showing dancers stepping in time to this historic tune).
More than three centuries later, Anglican priest and poet George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848-1934) composed the English lyrics to match this vivacious tune. Woodward was an accomplished musician whose hobbies included bellringing. He wrote several collections of carols including A Cambridge Carol Book: Being Fifty-two Songs for Christmas, Easter and Other Seasons (1924), in which "Ding Dong Merrily on High" first appeared.
The jubilant, effervescent quality of the music combined with the text beautifully expresses our joy at the birth of Christ. Even though we live in a different era when church bells are rarely heard, the lyrics still encourage us to make a joyful noise to the Lord! Marilyn Thompson's piano arrangement features keyboard figuration reminiscent of pealing bells, a perfect match for the happy text and tune.
Ding dong, merrily on high!
In heav’n the bells are ringing;
ding dong, verily the sky
is riv’n with angel singing.
Gloria, hosannah in excelsis!
Gloria, hosannah in excelsis!
E'en so here below,
let steeple bells be swungen,
And io, io, io,
by priest and people sungen.
Gloria, hosannah in excelsis!
Gloria, hosannah in excelsis!
Pray ye dutifully prime
your matin chime, ye ringers;
may ye beautifully rhyme
your evetime song, ye singers.
Gloria, hosannah in excelsis!
Gloria, hosannah in excelsis!
HYMNS FOR YOU TO SING WHEREVER YOU ARE
Joy to the World
Words by Isaac Watts. "Antioch" hymn tune, attributed to George Frideric Handel, adapted by Lowell Mason
Psalm 98:1-3
Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
Genesis 3:17-18
And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev'ry heart prepare him room,
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns;
Let all 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 sin and sorrow grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings 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.
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased
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 hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Refrain:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn 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 th'incarnate Deity,
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel. [Refrain]
Hail the heaven-born 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 we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth. [Refrain]
And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
___________________
Although "Joy to the World" is usually right at the top of lists of beloved Christmas carols, its text is not drawn from the Christmas narratives in the Bible, but was rather based on parts of Psalm 98 and 96 as well as Genesis 3:17-18 (all listed above). The great British poet, clergyman and hymnwriter Isaac Watts (1674-1748) was active during a time in English church history when congregational singing during services was mainly limited to psalm settings. In 1719, Watts wrote a poetic paraphrase of Psalm 98 in two parts, and "Joy to the World" comes from the second part of this poem, titled "The Messiah's Coming and Kingdom." Indeed, while the text does work well as a Christmas hymn, it points us even more dramatically toward the second coming of Christ (see Revelation 21:1-5, especially verse 4: "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”)
The tune sung today with "Joy to the World" is thought to be based on based on several melodic fragments from The Messiah by German Baroque composer George Friedrich Handel (1685-1759), although these is considerable scholarly debate about this! We do know that American composer, arranger, and educator Lowell Mason (1792-1872) published this tune, attributed to Handel, under the title "Antioch" in an 1848 book, The National Psalmist.
Whether celebrating the first or anticipating the second coming of Christ (or both), whether you are singing this song for the first, tenth, or hundredth time . . . may you rejoice in the marvelous things the Lord has done, is doing, and will continue to do for all eternity!
Here is a roof-raising, stunningly beautiful performance of "Joy to the World" by the choir and orchestra of George Fox University that should whet your appetite for singing this great hymn with all you've got!
Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev'ry heart prepare him room,
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns;
Let all 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 sin and sorrow grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings 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.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Words by Charles Wesley, Music by Felix Mendelssohn
Luke 2:14
“Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased
2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Galatians 4:4
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
_____________________
Many wonderful hymns feature occasional words or references that require a bit of historical or Biblical research (e.g. " here I lay my Ebenezer" in "Come Thou Fount of Many Blessing") One of the best loved Christmas carols of all time, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" originally featured a somewhat obscure word in its first line that may have limited its popularity, if it were not for the editorial input of one of the hymnwriter's friends.
"Hark the Herald Angels Sing" was written by British hymnwriter Charles Wesley (1707-1788), whose hymns have been featured many times here on Notes of Glory. First published in 1739 as part of the collection Hymns and Sacred Poems, the first line of this carol was originally "Hark how all the welkin rings, Glory to the King of Kings." Welkin was a word that referred to the heavens or the sky, which makes sense as the location of the angels praising God...but the word was not in common usage even in that era. Evangelist George Whitefield (1714-1770), a friend of Wesley's, changed the text in the 1754 Collection of Hymns for Social Worship to "Hark the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king." The melody we sing with this carol comes from an 1840 cantata written by German composer Felix Mendelssohn, Festgesang, which commemorates the invention of the movable type press by Johannes Gutenberg. This melody was adapted to fit the text of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" by British organist and singer William Hayman Cummings (1831-1915) in 1855.
Here's a wonderful article from Hymnology Archive that explains in greater detail the history of this magnificent carol. And here's the King's College Choir (and congregation) singing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" at the 2012 "Carols from King's" presentation.
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 hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Refrain:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn 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 th'incarnate Deity,
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel. [Refrain]
Hail the heaven-born 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 we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth. [Refrain]
Silent Night
Words by Joseph Mohr, Music by Franz Gruber
Matthew 1:23
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us).
_____________________
A broken-down organ. A small, rural church. A quickly-approaching Christmas service, posing a musical dilemma.
These surprising ingredients combined to provide the world with "Silent Night," a Christmas song which is cherished around the world.
Here's a lovely documentary that tells the story behind the song better than I ever could! You might enjoy watching this video before singing "Silent Night" with your family this Christmas.
Here's more on the history of "Silent Night," from the Gospel Coalition.
Come, let us worship and adore Him.
 |
| Public Domain. Courtesy of Hymnary.org |
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.
(to help you go forth into Christmas week with joy!)
The Sussex Carol
Words by Luke Wadding, arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Solo piano arrangement by Mark Hayes
It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
____________________
This carol was first published in Ghent, Belgium n 1684 as part of a collection by Irish priest Luke Wadding (c. 1628-1691) titled A Small Garland of Pious and Godly Songs, Composed by a devout Man, For the Solace of his Friends and neighbors in their afflictions. Originally known by its first line, "On Christmas Night All Christians Sing," the song known as the "Sussex Carol" today owes its shortened title to British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) who first heard it performed by singer Harriet Verrall in West Sussex, England, in 1904. Vaughan Williams arranged the carol and published it as part of his Eight Traditional English Carols of 1919. It was also included in The Oxford Book of Carols (1924). This carol overflows with joy and excitement, and Mark Hayes' arrangement for solo piano is similarly bright, exuberant, and full of "great mirth" at the "news of our merciful King's birth."
On Christmas night all Christians sing,
to hear the news the angels bring;
on Christmas night all Christians sing,
to hear the news the angels bring,
news of great joy, news of great mirth,
news of our merciful King’s birth.
Then why should we on earth be sad,
since our Redeemer made us glad;
then why should we on earth be sad,
since our Redeemer made us glad,
when from our sin he set us free,
all for to gain our liberty?
When sin departs before his grace,
then life and health come in its place;
when sin departs before his grace,
then life and health comes in its place;
heaven and earth with joy may sing,
all for to see the newborn King.
All out of darkness we have light,
which made the angels sing this night;
all out of darkness we have light,
which made the angels sing this night:
"Glory to God in highest heaven;
to hear the news the angels bring;
on Christmas night all Christians sing,
to hear the news the angels bring,
news of great joy, news of great mirth,
news of our merciful King’s birth.
Then why should we on earth be sad,
since our Redeemer made us glad;
then why should we on earth be sad,
since our Redeemer made us glad,
when from our sin he set us free,
all for to gain our liberty?
When sin departs before his grace,
then life and health come in its place;
when sin departs before his grace,
then life and health comes in its place;
heaven and earth with joy may sing,
all for to see the newborn King.
All out of darkness we have light,
which made the angels sing this night;
all out of darkness we have light,
which made the angels sing this night:
"Glory to God in highest heaven;
peace on earth and goodwill. Amen!"
Here's a complete playlist of all the music featured in today's post, along with playlists from the three previous Advent editions of "Notes of Glory."
Merry Christmas!
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