Sing Along on the Tenth Day of Christmas

There’s a lot going on in “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!”

Three eight-line stanzas, each followed by a two-line refrain. A whole lot of theology packed in by the original author, Methodist Charles Wesley, one of the most prolific hymn writers in history (whose original version was longer). A lot of revisions since then.

Originally published in 1739, Wesley’s lyrics were edited by George Whitefield and republished in Hymns for Social Worship in 1753. (And we’re glad he did that: Wesley’s original opening line had been “Hark! how all the welkin rings.” No herald angels at all in that version, which Wesley called “Hymn for Christmas-Day.”) Here’s how it looks in Whitefield’s revision: note the long “s” character.

The lyrics have been set to at least three different melodies. The one we recognize, from a cantata by Felix Mendelssohn written a century after the lyrics, has a nine-note vocal range, making it tough for many people to sing.1

And finally, there are some editorial considerations. Some versions put the angels’ lines in quotation marks, and I like that. When Wesley and Whitefield wrote this nearly four centuries ago, male-centric lyrics were the norm; now it’s become common to make some more inclusive substitutions.

Anyway, here are the lyrics I used.

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."
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 the Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with us to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

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 all us on earth,
Born to give us second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Click here for the recording.

Not sure what this is about? Click here!

Join us at https://lavezzi.us/ on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas to join in this virtual sing-along. Care to be a serial singer? Here you go:

Notes:

  1. For this recording, I transposed it down into the key of E, with a range from B to C#. I tried E-flat too, but that seemed a bit growly for some singers. Anyway, you would not want to hear me sing it as provided in my music book, where it appears in G and tops out at E. ↩

Sing Along on the Ninth Day of Christmas

Today’s Christmas singalong song is the African-American spiritual “Go, Tell It on the Mountain.”

This could be a generic mountain photo, but it’s actually a shot of Mount Evans from a wonderful 2002 visit with family in Colorado. It’s the sort of place that makes you want to “tell it on the mountain.”

Like a lot of traditional songs, this one has a long history of use and adaptation. Peter, Paul, and Mary adapted the lyrics and sang it as a protest song. Simon and Garfunkel, nice Jewish boys from Brooklyn,1 performed it with the Christmas lyrics, although there is an alternate set of non-Christmas lyrics.

Since my selections so far have been pretty European, you may be pleased to see some variety.2 Gospel music isn’t exactly in my wheelhouse,3 but I’m working on it: on a Sunday earlier this year I got some nice responses at church after performing “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.”

And now, the lyrics:

     Chorus:
     Go, tell it on the mountain, 
     Over the hills, and everywhere.
     Go, tell it on the mountain
     That Jesus Christ is born!

While shepherds kept their watching
O'er silent flocks by night,
Behold, throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.

     (Chorus)

The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! Above the Earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Savior's birth.

     (Chorus)

Down in a lowly manger
Our humble Christ was born,
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn.

     (Chorus)

Click here for the recording.

Not sure what this is about? Click here!

Join us at https://lavezzi.us/ on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas to join in this virtual sing-along. Care to be a serial singer? Here you go:

Notes:

  1. Not complaining: we’re fortunate to have a long and wonderful history of Christian holiday music by Jewish artists. Remember “White Christmas” and “Easter Parade,” both by Irving Berlin. ↩
  2. Or not: some are sensitive to the appearance of cultural appropriation, although whatever I play I play with respect. ↩
  3. The proper style requires both flexibility and exuberance, neither of which comes easy to me. To make it easier for folks to sing along, I’ve been playing these recordings pretty close to the vest; I’ve continued that with this one. ↩

Sing Along on the Eighth Day of Christmas

John Masey Wright and John Rogers’ illustration of the poem, c. 1841

Happy New Year! The Eighth Day of Christmas is New Year’s Day. You can already guess today’s song, but chances are you’ve never sung the whole thing.

Wikipedia suggests that “‘for auld lang syne,’ as it appears in the first line of the chorus, might be loosely translated as “for the sake of old times.” Usually we only hear the first verse of this song, which makes it seem both more sentimental and less substantial than it actually is. The Scots dialect of the original Robert Burns poem is nearly incomprehensible to us today, but today we’ll sing a pretty nice English version.

The stereotype of Scots is that they are supposed to be thrifty. You’ll notice that in the second stanza, the speaker never offers to actually buy the drink for his “trusty friend.” Nor does he expect his companion to buy for him. They’ll each buy their own, thank you. That “cup o’ kindness” only goes so far.

Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?

     Chorus:
     For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,
     we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

And surely you'll buy your pint cup! And surely I'll buy mine!
And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

     (Chorus)

We two have run about the hills, and picked the daisies fine;
But we've wandered many a weary foot, since auld lang syne.

     (Chorus)

We two have paddled in the stream, from morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared since auld lang syne.

     (Chorus)

And there's a hand my trusty friend! And give me a hand o' thine!
And we'll take a right good-will draught, for auld lang syne.

     (Chorus)

Click here for the recording.

Not sure what this is about? Click here!

Join us at https://lavezzi.us/ on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas to join in this virtual sing-along. Care to be a serial singer? Here you go: