{"id":985,"date":"2009-12-24T03:01:41","date_gmt":"2009-12-24T03:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/12\/hark-the-herald-angels-sing-the-carol-that-shouldnt-exist-part-2.html"},"modified":"2009-12-24T03:01:41","modified_gmt":"2009-12-24T03:01:41","slug":"hark-the-herald-angels-sing-the-carol-that-shouldnt-exist-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/12\/hark-the-herald-angels-sing-the-carol-that-shouldnt-exist-part-2.html","title":{"rendered":"\u201cHark! The Herald Angels Sing\u201d \u2013 The Carol That Shouldn\u2019t Exist, Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 3 of series: Christmas Carol Inspiration
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nIn yesterday\u2019s post I explained that the beloved carol, \u201cHark! The Herald Angels Sing\u201d was originally penned with a different opening line, \u201cHARK how all the welkin rings.\u201d The author\u2019s original was changed and published by a friend, though without his blessing. If Charles Wesley, who preferred his own \u201cwelkin\u201d line, had had his way, we\u2019d never be harkening to angels singing \u201cGlory to the newborn King.\u201d
\nOddly enough, the composer of the tune we associate with \u201cHark! The Herald Angels Sing\u201d did not intend it for such a sacred use. In fact, he specifically noted that this song should not be used for anything having to do with God.
\nIn 1840, Felix Mendelssohn wrote a song for the Gutenberg Festival in Leipzig, Germany. His \u201cFestgesang\u201d celebrated the invention of movable type and printing some 400 years earlier. Mendelssohn recognized the potential popularity of his tune, and advised his publisher concerning its potential use. According to Mendelssohn, in a letter to Mr. E. Buxton, if the right words were written for his song,<\/p>\n

I am sure that piece will be liked very much by the singers and the hearers, but it will never<\/em> do to sacred words. There must be a national and merry subject found out, something to which the soldier-like and buxom motion of the motion of the piece has some relation, and the words must express something gay and popular, as the music tries to do. (The Musical Times<\/em>, Vol 38).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I must admit that before I read this quotation from Mendelssohn, I had never before associated the music of \u201cHark! The Herald Angels Sing\u201d with the words \u201cnational\u201d \u201cmerry\u201d \u201csoldier-like\u201d \u201cbuxom\u201d \u201cgay\u201d and \u201cpopular.\u201d Nevertheless, I understand clearly that the composer, who was born Jewish and converted to Christianity, did not envision a sacred use for his composition, and, in fact, counseled against such usage.
\nBut in 1855, William H. Cummings, the organist at Waltham Abbey in England, who later became a leading English musician, adapted Mendelssohn\u2019s \u201cFestgesang\u201d to the lyrics of \u201cHark! The Herald Angels Sing.\u201d Previously, this piece had been sung to different tunes. Originally, it was sung to the tune EASTER HYMN, which we use for \u201cChrist the Lord is Risen Today\u201d (or \u201cJesus Christ is Risen Today\u201d), another of Charles Wesley\u2019s hymns. But when Cummings\u2019 version was published, it quickly became the standard tune for the carol. Soon it was being sung with this tune, not only in England, but also in the United States as well.
\nSo, by the late 18th century, the lyrics that the original writer, Charles Wesley, rejected were being sung to a tune that the composer said should never be used for sacred music. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is, indeed, the carol that shouldn’t exist.
\nAnother Version of the Familiar Carol<\/strong>
\nJust for fun, I thought I\u2019d check out my collection of old hymnals to see if I could find a version of \u201cHark! The Herald Angels Sing.\u201d I did indeed find a version in one of my oldest hymnals, Village Hymns for Social Worship<\/em>, by Asahel Nettleton (New York, 1836). (Nettleton was an influential reformed theologian and preacher in the 19th century. The name NETTLETON, in honor of Asahel Nettleton, was given to the hymn tune we associated with \u201cCome, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.\u201d) The hymnal appears in the photo to the right. Notice how small it is, approximately 2\u00bd by 3\u00bd inches. And the font is a killer. I wonder how people could ever have used that hymnal!
\nHymn #104 is clearly a version of carol we sing today, though with different lyrics:<\/p>\n

HARK! \u2013 the herald angels sing,
\n\u201cGlory to the new-born King!
\nPeace on earth, and mercy mild,
\nGod and sinners reconcil\u2019d.\u201d
\nMild, he lays his glory by;
\nBorn, that man no more may die;
\nJoyful, all ye nations, rise,
\nJoin the triumph of the skies.
\n\u201cGlory to the new-born King\u201d \u2013
\nLet us all the anthem sing \u2013
\n\u201cPeace on earth, and mercy mild,
\nGod and sinners reconcil\u2019d.\u201d [Repeat.]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Nettleton suggests two tunes for this hymn: Redemption and Hampton.
\nIf you\u2019re unfamiliar with the history of church music, you may be surprised to learn just how much variety there was in the early years of some of our most familiar and beloved hymns and carols. Slight changes in hymns in contemporary hymnals can get people pretty upset. Often they\u2019ll say something like, \u201cWe should sing the hymns the way they were written!\u201d Little do they know that, often, what they consider to be original is not original at all. Wouldn\u2019t they be surprised if, instead of \u201cHark! The Herald Angels Sing,\u201d we sang \u201cHARK All the Welkin Rings\u201d to the tune of EASTER HYMN?!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 3 of series: Christmas Carol Inspiration Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series In yesterday\u2019s post I explained that the beloved carol, \u201cHark! The Herald Angels Sing\u201d was originally penned with a different opening line, \u201cHARK how all the welkin rings.\u201d The author\u2019s original was changed and published by a friend, though…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christmas-carols"],"yoast_head":"\n\u201cHark! The Herald Angels Sing\u201d \u2013 The Carol That Shouldn\u2019t Exist, Part 2 - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/985\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}