Day 14
On Saturdays and Sundays during Advent, we are focussing on playing some Christmas carols that we have recorded during our services in recent years and finding out what they’re actually all about.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
The Christmas carol ‘Hark! the Herald Angels Sing’ was written by Charles Wesley who was one of the most famous hymn writers. Charles Wesley was born just before Christmas in 1707 and he became an English Methodist leader and hymn writer. Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns.
In 1649, the singing of Christmas carols — as we now know them — was abolished in England by the Puritan Parliament which was under the leadership of the famous Oliver Cromwell. As a result of Parliament’s ruling, Christmas hymns and carols were scarce between the late 17th and the early 18th Century in England. Charles Wesley’s “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” was one of the few written during that period that became popular wherever Christians gathered during Advent. After Cromwell died in 1658 and the monarchy was soon restored, the former decision to prohibit the singing of Christmas carols was abandoned. So, hymns written to honour the birth of Jesus began to appear and have continued to this day.
The first line of the hymn originally read, “Hark! how all the welkin rings, Glory to the King of Kings.” Welkin is an old English word that means “vault of heaven.” In 1753, George Whitefield, a famous English preacher, rewrote the first line of the carol into the modern version, “Hark! the herald angels sing — Glory to the newborn King!” And this, of course, is how we sing it today. Despite Whitefield’s presumption that angels sing, the song has remarkable theological accuracy, depth, and richness not often found in carols. Also, if you listen closely to the lyrics you’ll notice that the carol gives a full explanation of the gospel. The first verse describes the good news of Jesus the Saviour’s birth. God has sent the One who will reconcile the sinner back to Himself. Therefore, all the nations should rise and sing and proclaim the good news, which is Christ the King! The next verse speaks to the mysticism of Christ’s coming and the good news in it. The final verse tells of the accomplishment of Christ and the power that it brings. We often sing just three verses of the song, but there is a fourth, lesser known, verse that exists.
However, what this song had in rich lyrics, it greatly lacked in melody. Wesley insisted that his hymn be sung to a slow, somber, and “boring” religious tune. It wasn’t until the words were paired with a more upbeat melody that it became popular.
The current tune for this carol was composed by Mendelssohn, who himself was a Messianic Jew. It is from the second chorus of a ‘cantata’ (a musical composition intended to be sung, as opposed to a sonata which is a composition played instrumentally) he wrote in 1840. The cantata was originally written to commemorate Johann Gutenberg and the invention of the printing press. Mendelssohn strictly warned that his composition was to only be used in a purely secular manner.
However, in 1856, long after both Wesley and Mendelssohn were dead, Dr. William Cummings ignored both of their wishes and joined the lyrics by Wesley with the music by Mendelssohn for the first time. As a result, the modern version of this beautiful, gospel-centred carol was born and generations have been singing it ever since.
Lyrics
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the new-born king
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the new-born king"
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 man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the new-born king"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the new-born king
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the new-born king"
"Glory to the new-born king"
