Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

History of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!

Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

Charles Wesley is credited with authoring over 3000 hymns. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is one of them. Actually, what he wrote is "Hark how all the welkin rings/Glory to the King of Kings." ("Welkin" means heaven.) Because the verse was alterered, today most people believe the Bible talks of singing angels. Actually, the scripture does not say that! ( "A great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.'" Luke 2:13-14 ) His verses were altered by William Cummings, the English musician who first combined Wesley's lyrics with the music of Felix Mendelssohn in 1885, after both Mendelssohn and Wesley had died. Mendelssohn had written a cantata honoring the the famous printer of the Bible, Johann Gutenburg. Cummings decided it was just the right melody for Wesley's song.

by Bill Drennon, Central Valley Christian School, Visalia, CA

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"A great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.'" Luke 2:13-14

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