Songs for the Season

Songs for the Christmas Season Matthew 2:10-11 - O Come, All Ye Faithful has been attributed to various authors, including St. Bonaventure in the 13th century or King John IV of Portugal in the 17th, though it was more commonly believed that the text was written by German, Portuguese or Spanish monks. The earliest printed version is in a book published by John Francis Wade. Wade, an English Catholic, lived in exile in France and made a living as a copyist of musical manuscripts which he found in libraries. He often signed his copies, possibly because his calligraphy was so beautiful that his clients requested this. In 1751 he published a printed compilation of his manuscript copies. This is the first printed source of “O Come All Ye Faithful,” which was in Latin. Its English title didn’t appear for another hundred years and it was originally titled, "Ye Faithful, Approach Ye" in 1852. Regardless of whoever wrote it or with all the people who contributed to the version we have today, it is one of the most favorite, universal carols of Christmas. (Sing) Luke 1:26-38 - What Child Is This? is a Christmas carol with lyrics written by William Chatterton Dix in 1865. Actually, the three stanzas came from a carol called "The Manger Throne" later to be paired with the music from "Greensleeves," a traditional English folk song in 1871. The first verse poses a rhetorical question, (What child is this, who, laid to rest on Mary's lap, is sleeping; whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping?) with the response coming in the chorus. The second verse contains another question, (Why lies He in such mean estate, where ox and ass are feeding?) that is answered, in a universal appeal to everyone urging them "to accept Christ." The questions posed were what the shepherds were possibly asking themselves when they encountered Jesus, with the rest of the carol providing a response to their questions. (This, this is Christ the King.) At the time he was writing the lyrics in 1865, William Chatterton Dix was working as the manager of an insurance company. He was afflicted by an unexpected and severe illness that resulted in him being bedridden and suffering from severe depression. His near-death experience brought about a spiritual renewal in him while he was recovering. During this time, he read the Bible extensively and was inspired to author hymns like "Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!” and "As with Gladness Men of Old" along with “What Child Is This?” (Sing) Luke 2:13-14 - Angels We Have Heard on High is a Christmas carol to the hymn tune "Gloria" from a traditional French song with paraphrased English lyrics by James Chadwick. Question: who is the “we?” (The Shepherds) The song is about the birth of Jesus Christ as narrated in the Gospel of Luke, specifically the scene in which shepherds outside Bethlehem encounter a multitude of angels singing and praising the newborn child. 2 The lyrics are inspired by a traditional French carol known as "The Angels in Our Countryside" first published in 1843. In 1862, James Chadwick, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, England, paraphrased the lyrics and title from the French rendition. The carol quickly became popular and has since been translated into many other languages. The chorus "Gloria in excelsis Deo" is Latin for "Glory to God in the Highest" which is the first line of the angels’ song in the Gospel of Luke. So we could say that the angels wrote this song over 2000 years ago. (Sing) Matthew 2:9-10 - There’s a Song in the Air was written as a poem in 1872 by Josiah Holland. Skip forward 30+ years to the summer of 1904, with Karl Harrington assembling the new Methodist Hymnal. It was his job to comb through all the offerings of the day and select the songs that would line the back of the pews. He went through hundreds of familiar hymns from a range of hymnals and songbooks. As you can imagine, he had to include music that could be sung by huge church choirs in places like Boston and by small congregations in places like Rome and North Orwell, PA. Every pastor and song leader would be depending upon the songs he included. Other than the Bible itself, his project would be the most important tool found in most churches. He was up to the task. He was a skilled organist. He had studied music around the globe, written numerous hymns, and was a Wesleyan University music professor. Despite his gifts, it was still a daunting task. To relax, Harrington would read the poetry of American poet and novelist Josiah Holland. Josiah was the founder of Scribner's magazine, published from January 1887 to May 1939. He wrote the poem for a Sunday School Journal. Harrington was reading Holland’s Christmas poem and decided it should be set to music. He sat as his organ, studied the words to “There's a Song in the Air” and as he read them aloud, formed a tune around each phrase. As his fingers touched the keyboard, a melody came to life. In 1905, in The Methodist Hymnal the words and music became one and were sent to churches around the world. “There’s a Song in the Air” is a melody of anticipation and celebration for the Christ child who would come into our midst. (Sing) Isaiah 9:6-7 – Hark! the Herald Angels Sing by Charles Wesley, George Whitefield and Felix Mendelssohn first appeared in 1739. Wesley had written the original version as "Hymn for Christmas-Day.” His original hymn began with the line "Hark how all the Welkin rings." Question: “What’s a welkin?” (The vault of the sky, the firmament, the celestial abode of God, heaven.) Whitefield changed it to “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing.” So, what does “hark” mean? (Listen, pay close attention.) So let all of heaven and earth sing…