"Angels we have heard on high” is a song of invitation from Christians to others to come celebrate Christ’s birth with them. The carol begins in a festive spirit, but then, in the second stanza, asks why there is a celebration. In the third stanza, an invitation to is given to join the celebration. The fourth stanza concludes the carol with the observation of Christ’s birth and the Christian’s joyful response.
Angels We Have Heard on High commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of Luke. The song focuses on the shepherds encounter with the angels foretelling of the birth of the newborn child.
Reports say that in 129 A.D. Pope Telesphorus ordained that the “Gloria” be sung at the Christmas Eve midnight mass. The phrase became known as the “Angels Hymn” and considered one of the earliest known Christmas hymns.
The “Gloria” is believed to have inspired the chorus in Angels We Have Heard on High. The tune is believe to be inspired by an unknown tune that was arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes in the early 1900s. French legend indicates that in medieval times on Christmas Eve, the shepherds would sing and call to one another from one hillside to another.
The “Gloria” is believed to have inspired the chorus in Angels We Have Heard on High. The tune is believe to be inspired by an unknown tune that was arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes in the early 1900s. French legend indicates that in medieval times on Christmas Eve, the shepherds would sing and call to one another from one hillside to another.
“They would call “Gloria in excelsis Deo” which means “glory to God in the highest” in Latin. It was how they would spread their holiday message and cheer from points far away to one another. From hillside to valley, the shepherd’s song must have truly sounded like angels calling to one another in celebration of the birth of Christ for the Christians living in nearby regions. Also, the song reflects the shepherd’s joy that the time of the holiday season has arrived yet again.”
“Angels we have heard on high” is a perfect song to accompany the French tradition of the crèche. Handmade nativity scenes are not only common in homes, but also in town squares. Little clay figures, traditionally made in the south of France, are called “santons” (“little saints”). Fine craftsmanship characterizes the production of these figures, and they are a source of local pride for the communities that produce them. It is interesting that “crèche” is also the French term for a nursery for young children during the day.
This tradition is particularly strong in Provence, the south of France, with a crèche that includes the Holy Family, the Magi, the shepherds, and the animals, along with additional local figures, such as the mayor, the little drummer boy, or a peasant dressed in traditional attire. In some villages, people dress as the shepherds and join in a procession to the church. Children often contribute to domestic crèches by bringing small stones, moss, and evergreens to complete the scene. Then everyone sings carols!
The tune has also undergone some changes. Austin C. Lovelace harmonized the French carol in 1964. The 1935 Methodist Hymnal uses an earlier harmonization, which is anonymous. Technically, this is a macaronic carol because it uses two languages: the local vernacular and Latin. The carol uses the effect of a refrain and is one of the few texts that congregations sing regularly in Latin: “Gloria in excelsis Deo!” It is unusual for congregations to sing a long melisma (many notes on one syllable) and enjoy it. The melisma on the refrain adds to the joyful, celebratory feel of the entire hymn.
No comments:
Post a Comment