Angels We Have Heard on High - A Christmas Music Countdown
“Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!”
“Angels We Have Heard on High” commemorates the story of the birth of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of Luke, in which shepherds outside Bethlehem encounter a multitude of angels singing and praising the newborn child.
The words of the song, according to Wikipedia, are based on a traditional French carol known as “Les Anges dans nos campagnes” (“Angels at our campaigns”) composed by an unknown author in Languedoc, France. That song has received many adjustments or alignments, including its most common English version that was translated in 1862 by James Chadwick, the Roman Catholic bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, England. The carol quickly became popular in the West Country, where it was described as “Cornish” by R.R. Chope, and featured in Pickard-Cambridge's Collection of Dorset Carols.
There is also a Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) translation of the carol which is known as Ainglean chuala sinn gu h-ard (literally, “Angels We Have Heard on High”). This was translated into Gaelic by Iain MacMilan from James Chadwick's English translation.
“Angels We Have Heard on High” is most commonly sung to the hymn tune “Gloria,” as arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes.
“8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby [Bethlehem], keeping watch over their flocks by night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ* the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising god and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:8-15 NIV Bible
No one hears angels telling them to seek out the Lord’s Christ (Greek for “anointed one”; the word Messiah in Hebrew, has the same meaning). Our secular government does everything possible to prevent anyone from spreading the Good News to those whose hands are clamped over their ears and whose eyes are blinded by pride and arrogance.
Missionaries are forbidden from “proselytizing” in Muslim countries. Where they do dare to tread, they’re murdered and persecuted. Chinese Christians must worship in secret. They face long imprisonment for worshipping Jesus. Here in America, in this lst week of Christmas shopping, we’re more apt to be contemplating what to get that difficult relative for Christmas, than what Dec. 25th is all about.
Nobody even knows when Jesus was really born. Some experts say it was in the Spring. Since the early Christians would have been persecuted by the Romans if they celebrated His birth, they shrewdly chose the longest, darkest night of the year, Saturnalia, the winter solstice, a Roman holiday of feasting and drunkeness, to celebrate instead.
The darkest, longest night of the year. When else could the star of hope shine brighter and more keenly, piercing the darkness of our human souls? That’s just when we need it most. Oh, I suppose, there’s nothing wrong with the gift-giving, though we could do it a little less grudgingly to those we don’t get along with so well. The children we give presents to, if we raise them in God’s way, will one day understand the real gift that was given to them, and be charitable and kind to others in their time.
I gave a gift to a co-worker with whom I was not well-pleased (nor she with me). She and another co-worker, in one week’s time, did a credible job of progressing my ulcer to a new state of misery. All over a mere nothing, to demonstrate their power. Yet I gave them their gifts anyway. They aren’t always as bad as they were this past week and Jesus bade us to forgive our enemies even unto the seven and seventieth time.
In fact, I gave gifts to all my co-workers, as I always do. We have a gift exchange every year, so people don’t have to go bankrupt getting everyone else presents. I do it as a test. Can I assess the person correctly and get them a present that will bring them joy? And, can I do this even for the meanest of my co-workers? Can I let past transgressions and arguments go?
When my mother was a schoolgirl, she a nasty little classmate. This girl made fun of my mother’s poverty and was pretty merciless with everyone else, too. When it came time for the class Christmas grab bag, there was no present for this girl (my mother had chosen someone else’s name).
Mom’s gift was homemade and she had made an extra. Some sort of woven or embroidered bookmark, I think it was. The mean girl was in tears. Nobody knew who was supposed to give her the gift. The teacher saw that my mother had made an extra bookmark.
The teacher took her aside and asked her to give it to the little girl for Christmas. My mother protested. “She’s been mean to me and to everyone all year long. Maybe she doesn’t deserve one.”
The teacher told my mother that Jesus’ gift to us was forgiveness. That was the gift he expected us all to return to one another, she said (or words to that effect). The teacher helped my mother wrap it up hastily. The teacher then produced it, saying the gift had been over looked.
At the end of the school year, there was a student awards ceremony. My mother was given a blue ribbon for team spirit (I believe that was the nomination, anyway). Being adult, we don’t need blue ribbons or medals. Our reward is to see the smile on the face of the recipient of our gift.
“Beam me up, Scotty!”
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!”
“Angels We Have Heard on High” commemorates the story of the birth of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of Luke, in which shepherds outside Bethlehem encounter a multitude of angels singing and praising the newborn child.
The words of the song, according to Wikipedia, are based on a traditional French carol known as “Les Anges dans nos campagnes” (“Angels at our campaigns”) composed by an unknown author in Languedoc, France. That song has received many adjustments or alignments, including its most common English version that was translated in 1862 by James Chadwick, the Roman Catholic bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, England. The carol quickly became popular in the West Country, where it was described as “Cornish” by R.R. Chope, and featured in Pickard-Cambridge's Collection of Dorset Carols.
There is also a Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) translation of the carol which is known as Ainglean chuala sinn gu h-ard (literally, “Angels We Have Heard on High”). This was translated into Gaelic by Iain MacMilan from James Chadwick's English translation.
“Angels We Have Heard on High” is most commonly sung to the hymn tune “Gloria,” as arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes.
“8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby [Bethlehem], keeping watch over their flocks by night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ* the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising god and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:8-15 NIV Bible
No one hears angels telling them to seek out the Lord’s Christ (Greek for “anointed one”; the word Messiah in Hebrew, has the same meaning). Our secular government does everything possible to prevent anyone from spreading the Good News to those whose hands are clamped over their ears and whose eyes are blinded by pride and arrogance.
Missionaries are forbidden from “proselytizing” in Muslim countries. Where they do dare to tread, they’re murdered and persecuted. Chinese Christians must worship in secret. They face long imprisonment for worshipping Jesus. Here in America, in this lst week of Christmas shopping, we’re more apt to be contemplating what to get that difficult relative for Christmas, than what Dec. 25th is all about.
Nobody even knows when Jesus was really born. Some experts say it was in the Spring. Since the early Christians would have been persecuted by the Romans if they celebrated His birth, they shrewdly chose the longest, darkest night of the year, Saturnalia, the winter solstice, a Roman holiday of feasting and drunkeness, to celebrate instead.
The darkest, longest night of the year. When else could the star of hope shine brighter and more keenly, piercing the darkness of our human souls? That’s just when we need it most. Oh, I suppose, there’s nothing wrong with the gift-giving, though we could do it a little less grudgingly to those we don’t get along with so well. The children we give presents to, if we raise them in God’s way, will one day understand the real gift that was given to them, and be charitable and kind to others in their time.
I gave a gift to a co-worker with whom I was not well-pleased (nor she with me). She and another co-worker, in one week’s time, did a credible job of progressing my ulcer to a new state of misery. All over a mere nothing, to demonstrate their power. Yet I gave them their gifts anyway. They aren’t always as bad as they were this past week and Jesus bade us to forgive our enemies even unto the seven and seventieth time.
In fact, I gave gifts to all my co-workers, as I always do. We have a gift exchange every year, so people don’t have to go bankrupt getting everyone else presents. I do it as a test. Can I assess the person correctly and get them a present that will bring them joy? And, can I do this even for the meanest of my co-workers? Can I let past transgressions and arguments go?
When my mother was a schoolgirl, she a nasty little classmate. This girl made fun of my mother’s poverty and was pretty merciless with everyone else, too. When it came time for the class Christmas grab bag, there was no present for this girl (my mother had chosen someone else’s name).
Mom’s gift was homemade and she had made an extra. Some sort of woven or embroidered bookmark, I think it was. The mean girl was in tears. Nobody knew who was supposed to give her the gift. The teacher saw that my mother had made an extra bookmark.
The teacher took her aside and asked her to give it to the little girl for Christmas. My mother protested. “She’s been mean to me and to everyone all year long. Maybe she doesn’t deserve one.”
The teacher told my mother that Jesus’ gift to us was forgiveness. That was the gift he expected us all to return to one another, she said (or words to that effect). The teacher helped my mother wrap it up hastily. The teacher then produced it, saying the gift had been over looked.
At the end of the school year, there was a student awards ceremony. My mother was given a blue ribbon for team spirit (I believe that was the nomination, anyway). Being adult, we don’t need blue ribbons or medals. Our reward is to see the smile on the face of the recipient of our gift.
“Beam me up, Scotty!”
posted by Belle | 3:50 PM
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