Hark! the herald angels sing (Felix Mendelssohn)

See also: An arrangement of Gavotte from J. S. Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D which sets the same text and has a very similar melody.

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In English

See also:

• Christmas Songbook
• As with gladness men of old (Hark! the herald angels sing) (Felix Mendelssohn) in an arrangement by M. Ryan Taylor.
• Hark! How All the Welkin Rings (H. E. Wooldridge) (different tune and harmonization, with original Wesley text)

CPDL #21523:    Sibelius 4

Editor: Micah Brandhandler (submitted 2010-04-22).   Score information: Letter, 1 page, 37 kB   Copyright: Public Domain

Edition notes: Melody only. Contains two verses only, the second of which varies Wesley's 6 & 5. This version is derived from the 1917 edition of "55 Songs and Choruses for Community Singing".

• CPDL #18458: 

Editor: Rod Mather (submitted 2008-12-31).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 28 kB   Copyright: Public Domain

Edition notes:

• CPDL #14546:  LilyPond

Editor: Reinhold Kainhofer (submitted 2007-07-25).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 149 kB   Copyright: Public Domain

Edition notes: Arrangement by William H. Cummings, 1856

• CPDL #12815:  Finale 2005

Editor: Charles H. Giffen (submitted 2006-10-12).   Score information: Letter, 2 pages, 114 kB   Copyright: Personal This edition may be freely copied, distributed, perfomed or recorded. Please inform the arranger of any performances of this work.

Edition notes: Double descants (for ST, SS, or TT) by the arranger. Text as given in The Hymnal 1982 of The Episcopal Church

Arranger: Charles H. Giffen

• CPDL #11627: 

Editor: Andrew Hawryluk (submitted 2006-05-06).   Score information: Letter, 3 pages, 108 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes: arranged for TTBB voices.

Arranger: Andrew Hawryluk

• CPDL #07047:  PDF and MIDI files available.

Editor: Edward L. Stauff (submitted 2004-05-20).   Score information: Letter, 1 page   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

• CPDL #01704:  GIF and MIDI files available.

Editor: Christopher R. Baker (submitted 2000-11-27).   Copyright: CC BY 1.0

Edition notes: adapted by William H. Cummings

In Spanish, "Gloria al Niño"

• CPDL #06480:  PDF and Finale 2003 files available.

Editor: Jose Miguel Galan (submitted 2004-01-14).   Score information: A4, 2 pages, 65 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes: Spanish version of 'Hark the herald angels sing'. Click on link 'Repertorio de Música Clásica-Moderna. (a partir de 1750)' then search alphabetically by title. Finale file also viewable via SmartViewer.

• CPDL #02355: 

Editor: Abel Di Marco (submitted 2001-03-23).   Score information: Letter, 1 page, 6.64 MB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

In Latvian, "Debespulks dzied apstarots"

• CPDL #18845:  Sibelius 3 Sibelius 5

Editor: Andris Solims (submitted 2009-01-28).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 91 kB   Copyright: Religious

Edition notes: Latvian title: Debespulks dzied apstarots

General Information

Title: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Composer: Felix Mendelssohn, adapted by William H. Cummings
Lyricist: Charles Wesley (1707-1788) ('Hymn for Christmas Day' in Hymns and Sacred Poems), 1739

Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
, TTBB
Genre: Sacred, Carol, Descant

Languages: English, Spanish
Instruments: a cappella or Keyboard
Published: 1840

Description:

External websites:

• Cyber Hymnal™ entry for Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Original text and translations

English text

The Charles Wesley text given is that of Hymn For Christmas Day from the fourth (1743) edition of Hymns and Sacred Poems by John and Charles Wesley. The Hark, the herald angels sing variation seems to have originated from Martin Madan (1760), but it has undergone other amendations, most notably by George Whitfield (1753). Sometimes the original fifth stanza is given with four lines in reverse order, and it is also the case that the stanzas have sometimes been reordered (both evident in The Hymnal 1982 of The Episcopal Church).

The original text was set in ten 77. 77 meter stanzas, the now traditional setting is in meter 77. 77. D with refrain (taken from the first two lines of the typical variation).

Charles Wesley (1743)	Typical hymnal version
1. Hark, how all the welkin rings "Glory to the King of kings; Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconcil'd!"	1. Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King; Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!"
2. Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies; Universal nature say, "Christ the Lord is born to-day!"	Joyful, all ye nations, rise. Join the triumph of the skies. With th' angelic hosts proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
"Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King."
3. Christ, by highest Heaven ador'd, Christ, the everlasting Lord: Late in time behold him come, Offspring of a virgin's womb!	2. Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting lord Late in time behold Him come, Off-spring of the Virgin's womb
4. Veil'd in flesh, the Godhead see, Hail th' incarnate Deity! Pleas'd as man with men to appear, Jesus, our Immanuel here!	Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail, the incarnate deity Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.
"Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King."
5. Hail, the heavenly Prince of Peace, Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, Risen with healing in his wings.	3. Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace, Hail, the Sun of Righteousness Light and life to all he brings, Risen with healing in his wings.
6. 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.	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."
7. Come, desire of nations, come, Fix in us thy humble home; Rise, the woman's conquering seed, Bruise in us the serpent's head.	4. Come, desire of nations come, Fix in us thy humble home; Oh, to all thyself impart, Formed in each believing heart!
8. Now display thy saving power, Ruin'd nature now restore; Now in mystic union join Thine to ours, and ours to thine.	Now display thy saving power, Ruined nature now restore; Now in mystic union join Thine to ours, and ours to thine.
"Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King."
9. Adam's likeness, Lord, efface, Stamp thy image in its place. Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in thy love.	5. Adam's likeness, Lord, efface, Stamp thine image in its place: Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in thy love.
10. Let us thee, though lost, regain, Thee, the life, the inner man: O, to all thyself impart, Form'd in each believing heart.	Let us thee, though lost, regain, Thee, the life, the inner man: O, to all thyself impart, Formed in each believing heart.
"Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King."

Italian translation

(incomplete)

Cantan gli Angeli nei cieli, Gloria Gloria al Redentor,

sopra gli uomini e le cose, sia la pace del Signor,

I confini della terra, sian segnati dall'Amore,

non fuggire dal suo Amor, Egli è venuto anche per te.

Dutch translation

Hoor, de eng'len zingen 'd eer van de nieuw geboren Heer!

Vreed' op aarde, 't is vervuld: God verzoent der mensen schuld.

Voegt u, volken, in het koor, dat weerklinkt de hemel door,

zingt met algemene stem voor het kind van Bethlehem!

Hoor, de eng'len zingen d'eer van de nieuwgeboren Heer!

Hij, die heerst op 's hemels troon, Here Christus, Vaders Zoon,

wordt geboren uit een maagd op de tijd die God behaagt.

Zonne der gerechtigheid, woord dat vlees geworden zijt,

tussen alle mensen in, in het menselijk gezin.

Hoor de eng'len zingen d'eer van de nieuwgeboren Heer!

Lof aan U die eeuwig leeft en op aarde vrede geeft,

Gij die ons geworden zijt taal en teken in de tijd,

al uw glorie legt Gij af ons tot redding uit het graf,

dat wij ongerept en rein nieuwgeboren zouden zijn.

Hoor de eng'len zingen d'eer van de nieuwgeboren Heer!