I really didn’t spend much time on Christmas Carols when I came to them when doing the As One Voice hymn books all those years ago, and my backings were… ahem – interesting.
This is of course a Christmas staple and it will be sung at Christmas liturgies every year or there will be trouble.
The text is another from Charles Wesley – with some “alt” going on – who is nothing if not prolific. Is there a fix for rhyming “behold him come” with “the Virgin’s womb”? There are many better rhymes for “Virgin’s womb” my favourite being “nom de plume”.
The setting is by Felix Mendelsshon-Bartholdy and is called MENDELSSON. Here it is noted to have been adapted by William Hayman Cummings.
I used this chance to do a more traditional backing with the fake BIAB organ.
1 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!”2 Christ, by highest heav’n 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 Emmanuel.[Refrain]
3 Hail, the heav’n-born 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 we no more may die,
Born to raise us from the earth,
Born to give us second birth.[Refrain]
I has been done in just about every style by just about everybody – here is a small selection:
Wesley published this as “Hark How All the Welkin Rings” (where welkin means “heavens” or “sky”), but it didn’t find much usage at the time. Thank goodness for “Alt” and the glorious tune! For hymn nerds, see https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/hark-the-herald-angels