Who wrote 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear'?
Originating in USA, this Christmas carol was written in a 1849 by Edmund Sears, pastor of the Unitarian Church in Wayland, Massachusetts.
Today it is popular across the world although it is sung to two different melodies. In the USA it is sung to 'Carol' a tune written for the poem in 1850 by Richard Storrs Willis.
In Commonwealth countries, it is sung to'Noel', which Arthur Sullivan adapted from an English melody.
What is the meaning of the song 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear'?
It is believed Sears was affected by the revolutions of Europe and the Mexican–American War, and that it was these events that inspired the melancholic tones of the poem, which accuses the world of being full of 'sin and strife' and ignoring the Christmas message.
What are the lyrics to 'It came upon the midnight clear'?
It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold: "Peace on the earth, goodwill to men, From heaven's all-gracious King." The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come, With peaceful wings unfurled, And still their heavenly music floats O'er all the weary world; Above its sad and lowly plains, They bend on hovering wing, And ever o'er its babel sounds The blessed angels sing.
Yet with the woes of sin and strife The world has suffered long; Beneath the angel-strain have rolled Two thousand years of wrong; And man, at war with man, hears not The love-song which they bring; O hush the noise, ye men of strife, And hear the angels sing.
And ye, beneath life's crushing load, Whose forms are bending low, Who toil along the climbing way With painful steps and slow, Look now! for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing. O rest beside the weary road, And hear the angels sing!
For lo!, the days are hastening on, By prophet bards foretold, When with the ever-circling years Comes round the age of gold When peace shall over all the earth Its ancient splendors fling, And the whole world give back the song Which now the angels sing.
You can find lyrics to some of your favourite Christmas carols here
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