Hark! the herald angels sing

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 the angelic host proclaim,
'Christ is born in Bethlehem.'

Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of a Virgin's womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see:
hail, the incarnate Deity,
pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.

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.

[Come, Desire of nations, come,
fix in us thy humble home;
rise, the woman's conquering seed,
bruise in us the serpent's head;

now display thy saving power,
ruined nature now restore,
now in mystic union join
thine to ours and ours to thine.]

Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788), 1739;
first two lines altered by George Whitefield (1714-1770), 1753;
and altered by Martin Madan (1726-1790);
Wesley's original is Hark, how all the welkin rings;
The last two verse are not found in most hymnals.

MIDI: Culbach

Meter: 77 77 77 77 77

Hymnal, Year Number Tunes Other comments
Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1861-1874 043 Batchelor, Mendelssohn  
The Anglican Hymn Book, 1868 041 Anglican Hymn Book 41 (Stewart)  
The Sarum Hymnal, 1869 042 Sarum Hymnal 42 (Aylward)  
The Church Hymnal, 1871 (Hall & Whiteley) 017 Culbach  
The Church Hymnal, 1874 (Goodrich & Gilbert) 017 Mendelssohn  
The Church Hymnal, 1874 (Tucker & Rousseau) 017 Eli, Mendelssohn  
The Church Hymnal, 1874 (Hutchins) 017 Mendelssohn  
Church Hymns with Tunes, 1874 080 Mendelssohn  
Church Hymnal (Church of Ireland), 1874 083 Mendelssohn  
Hymns Ancient & Modern, Standard, 1875-1924 060 Mendelssohn  
A Church of England Hymn Book, 1879 112    
The Universal Hymn Book, 1885 139 Mendelssohn  
The Hymnal Companion, 1890 087 Mendelssohn  
The Church Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, 1892 (Darlington) 051 Mendelssohn  
The Church Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, 1892 (Parker) 051 Mendelssohn  
The Church Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, 1892 (Hutchins) 051 Herald Angels, Mendelssohn  
The Church Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, 1892 (Tucker & Rousseau) 051 Eli, Herald Angels, Mendelssohn  
The Church Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, 1892 (Helfenstein) 051 Mendelssohn  
The Church Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, 1892 (Messiter) 051 Mendelssohn, Newcastle  
The Yattendon Hymnal, 1900
      
Church Hymns, New Edition, 1903 088 Mendelssohn  
Hymns Ancient & Modern, New Edition, 1904      
The English Hymnal, 1906 024 Mendelssohn  
The Book of Common Praise, 1908 073 Mendelssohn  
The Hymnal 1916 073 Mendelssohn  
Church Hymnal for the Christian Year, 1917 107 Bethlehem New, Mendelssohn  
Church Hymnal (Church of Ireland), 1919 084 Mendelssohn  
Church Hymnal Revised, 1920
(Hutchins)		 049 Mendelssohn  
The Oxford Hymn Book, 1925 061 Mendelssohn  
Songs of Praise, 1925 049 Mendelssohn  
Songs of Praise, Enlarged Edition, 1931 074 Mendelssohn  
The Book of Common Praise, 1938 077 Mendelssohn  
The Hymnal 1940 027 Mendelssohn  
Hymns Ancient & Modern, Revised, 1950 060 Mendelssohn  
The Mirfield Mission Hymn Book, 1955      
Church Hymnal (Church of Ireland), 1960 061 Mendelssohn  
Anglican Hymn Book, 1965 112 Mendelssohn  
The Hymn Book 1971 407 Mendelssohn  
The Australian Hymn Book / With One Voice, 1977 227 Mendelssohn  
The Hymnal 1982 087 Mendelssohn  
Hymns Ancient & Modern, New Standard, 1983 035 Mendelssohn  
The New English Hymnal, 1985 026 Mendelssohn  
Hymns for Today's Church, second edition, 1988 059 Mendelssohn verses 1-3 only, slightly altered
Church Family Worship, 1988 660 Mendelssohn  
Hymns Old & New, New Anglican Edition, 1996 199 Mendelssohn  
Common Praise (The Anglican Church of Canada), 1998 138 Mendelssohn  
Together in Song: The Australian Hymn Book II, 1999 303 Mendelssohn  
Sing Glory, 1999 352 Mendelssohn  
Complete Mission Praise, 2000 211 Mendelssohn  
Common Praise: Hymns Ancient & Modern, 2000 053 Mendelssohn  
Hymns Old & New, Complete Anglican Edition, 2000 266 Mendelssohn  
Church Hymnal (Church of Ireland), 2000 160 Mendelssohn  

Website compiled by Steve Benner, 2000-2003.