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Hark the Herald Angels SingO Little Town of Bethlehem
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Music to touch your
spirit. . .
"I might
not be a religious man myself but I know good music when I hear it, and this is very
good! . . . I don’t think that I have ever given such high
ratings to so many songs before. But
the fact is that they are well deserved because the
music is amazing. Simply wonderful religious ballads and they
really get to your heart. . .everytime."
Fredrik Cole: Trax In Space
Hark the Herald Angels
Sing
Download a free chord chart of this praise song
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 heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come, offspring of the virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the God-head see; hail th’ incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark, the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn 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 newborn King.”
Arrangement Copyright © 2000 Don Wigton
The lyrics of this beloved Christmas
hymn are some of the most powerful praises to God ever written. This instrumental
arrangement of this song, with its dynamic, percussive piano accentuated by smooth melodic
strings captures the joy of Christmas. This rendition will certainly inspire you to lift
your praises to the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Song Story
The author of this beloved Christmas
praise hymn, Charles Wesley, wrote over six thousand hymn texts. This is his best. It is
no wonder, therefore, that it has become a common staple among Christians during the
Christmas season. The lyrics powerfully state the reason why Christ came to earth as a
child in a manger: so that we would not have to face eternal death; so that He could raise
us up with Him; so He could regenerate us into children of God. It is no wonder,
therefore, that the calls upon Christians to praise Him declaring, “Glory to the
newborn King!” The music was written by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840 as part of a cantata honoring printer
Johann Gutenberg, who invented the printing press.
For this rendition I wanted to come up with a celebrative arrangement that would bring the
listener into ecstatic praise of Christ our Savior. Chronologically it follows “O
Come O Come Emmanuel” in the Wigtune Christmas CD “O Come Let Us Adore
Him.” However, originally this wasn’t the case. The arrangement of “O come
O Come Emmanuel” is very somber and I had originally had “O Little Town of
Bethlehem” following it. However, in previewing the CD “O Little Town of
Bethlehem” just didn’t add the lift that I desired at that point. I liked where
every other song sat in the CD, so it wasn’t possible to move things around to solve
the problem.
It was when I looked up the history of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” that I
noticed it was written by Charles Wesley, noting that it was one of his best hymns. In
addition, when my oldest boy in his early talking years, he would sing this song in the
most amusing way. For these reasons it seemed that this song just belonged on the album.
With three kids we live a very busy life, so I hadn’t intended to add a tenth song to
the CD. However, in this case I am glad I did. This arrangement, with its percussive piano
and melodic strings, certainly was an addition to the CD, and it very adequately took care
of the problem that I was trying to resolve.
Vanessa was sick in bed the day I arranged the piece, which had allowed me the time to
work on it. (Otherwise, we would have been Christmas shopping). When she finally returned
from the dead I played it for her. Her first comment was that the rendition was very
joyous. We sincerely pray that it will elevate you to dedicated praise as you think of the
wonder of Christ’s birth.
O Little Town of Bethlehem
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 in Mary, and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering 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 given!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.
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 in us, our Lord Emmanuel!
Arrangement Copyright © 2000 Don Wigton
The preacher, Phillips Brooks was so
impressed with a Christmas Eve Service at Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity that he
was inspired to later write this praise hymn for the children’s service in his
church. This instrumental arrangement features Don on the piano laying sweet licks to
compliment an acoustic guitar and melodic orchestral melodies. As the song progresses into
a pastoral mood you will be carried away in rapture as you praise God for sending His Son.
Song Story
Though “O Little Town of
Bethlehem” is considered a song for children, it was written by a giant of a man,
Phillips Brooks, who was a prince of a preacher. Brooks
was pastor of the Holy Trinity Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The words
were inspired by his trip to the Holy Land three years earlier, which he said was
“still singing in my soul.” While in the Holy Land in 1865
Phillips visited Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity on Christmas eve. This church
stands on the traditional site of Jesus’ birth and celebrates Christmas eve with a
wonderful service. The great Episcopal pastor was greatly enthused by the spectacle.
Three years later he needed a Christmas song for the children’s service at his church
in Philadelphia. He loved children. So, inspired by his experience in Bethlehem, Phillips
wrote this marvelous hymn of praise.
“St. Louis,” Lewis Henry Redner wrote the
music. Redner was Brooks’ organist
at Holy Trinity Church. The tune came to him on Christmas Eve, and was first sung
the next day.
Brooks certainly touched the youth in his church. After he died it is said that one
five-year-old girl was upset because she hadn’t seen him recently. Upon inquiry her
mom said that the bishop had gone to heaven. Happily the girl responded, “Oh, Mama,
how happy the angels will be.”
Indeed all heaven rejoices with us as we praise the Lord. Not only did the angels
celebrate upon Phillips’ arrival in heaven, they continue to rejoice even as we sing
his wonderful song of praise every year in celebration of God becoming man. This
instrumental arrangement focuses on eliciting this very praise from those who hear it.
In order to capture that children’s atmosphere of this song I began it with a simple
guitar as a flute plays the melody. Even as the wispy piano joins in during the second
verse, an oboe accompanies the flute in the melody.
I wanted the Wigtune Christmas CD to embody an arrangement that included a time of
reflection. I decided that “Away in a Manger” would be the piece that would
fulfill this mission. So, I borrowed an idea that I used in the Wigtune Revelation musical
“Before His Royal Throne.” This was inserted right after the second verse as a
chorus of strings enters in with in a pastoral mood. This thicker sound continues through
the next two verses to finally culminate with the same reflective chorus which concludes
the song.
We pray that this arrangement does indeed inspire meditation regarding the importance of
that supernatural act of God when Christ was born in Bethlehem.
is a subsidiary of Wigtune Company, formed as a
service to the body of Christ. Our vision is to encourage scriptural worship in the
Church by offering free praise music and hymns performed in a contemporary manner along
with a free on-line worship study book for personal devotions, Bible study groups, Sunday
schools, pastors, music ministers and ministry training. The worship study
book lends theological and historical support to the use of traditional Christian
hymn-singing in conjunction with praise chorus singing. Click on one of the links below to
enter into the Wigtune resource that interests you !
Vision Statement
Wigtune Story
Free On-Line Worship Studybook
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Testimonials: What they are saying
about Wigtune Music
Bible Study
Helps, a Multitude of Christian Links and Other Goodies
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Copyright © 1999 Don Wigton. All rights reserved.
Patriotic Hymns 1
| Patriotic Hymns 2
Christmas Hymns
1 | Christmas Hymns 2 | Christmas
Hymns 3 | Christmas Hymns 4
Hymns 1 | Hymns 2 | Hymns 3 | Hymns
4 | Hymns 5 | Hymns 6 | Hymns 7 | Hymns 8 | Hymns
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