Christmas
hymns
As we are fast approaching Christmas, I thought it would be
fun to take a look at the hymns that are especially appropriate for this time
of year. If you have found some others
that fit this category, please let us know!
I have found the following with “Christmasy” tunes or words:
·
9 All
glory be to God on high
·
11 Angels
at the Saviour’s birth
·
23-28 Blest
Christmas Morn
·
72/405 Glory
be to God on high (same tune with slight variations)
·
102/3 Hear
our prayer
·
122 How
blest are they whose hearts are pure (tune: “While shepherds watch their
flocks by night”)
·
123 How
firm a foundation (tune:“O come all ye faithful”)
·
158/9 It
came upon the midnight clear
·
164/5 (also 417) Joy to the world
·
170 Let
every creature hail the morn
·
222/3 O
little town of Bethlehem (words by Phillips Brooks)
·
310 Sing
ye joyous children sing (tune: “Hark the herald”)
·
362 To us
a Child of Hope is born
·
368/9 Watchman,
tell us of the night
·
414 I love
to tell the story
Our Reader mentioned that the alternate tune (hymn 159) is
also lovely, though largely not known to most congregations. I’ve just listened to it (using the program Concord), and it is a pretty tune called
Pentatone. The name comes from its use
of the “old five tone scale”: 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 – which uses the black keys of
the piano. The melody has a certain vertical quality about it for me, like a
delicate little dance. Maybe congregations could take up the challenge of trying
this and other unfamiliar hymns and learning them. Perhaps we could sing them more than once in
a church service so they grow more familiar.
The composer here is Sir H. Walford Davies who composed or arranged the
following hymns:
9 “Carol” – All glory
be to God on high
223 “Christmas Carol” – O
little town of Bethlehem (a tune I’ve never sung; it’s quite pretty)
380 “Courage” – Well for
him who, all things losing (I’ve not sung this one either.)
132 “Etherington” – I am
the way the truth the life (I don’t know this one at all.)
203 “Firmament” – O,
Father, may we bear each hour (This one is very familiar to me.)
316 “Fragment” – Speak
gently, it is better far to rule by love (gorgeous tune)
232 “Hampstead” – O Love,
our Mother, ever near (I think most prefer the 406 tune.)
136 “Heavenward” – I love
Thy way of freedom (This is a gorgeous Irish melody, arranged by Sir
Davies.)
159 “Pentatone” – It
came upon the midnight clear
165 “Plenitude” – Joy to
the world (This tune has not caught on over the years, methinks!)
82 “Purpose” – God is
working His purpose out (He was on to a winner with this one. We used to sing this in Sunday school and it
has stayed a favourite with me.)
344 “St. Andre” – Thou
art the Way (This pretty tune has to compete with the even prettier – to me
– Scottish melody of hymn 343. There is
a third tune for these words – hymn 429.)
278 “Wallog” – Pilgrim
on earth (a lovely tune)
While I’m here, I’ll note that the back of the hymnal has
some most useful information, i.e.
·
Tunes, alphabetical
·
Tunes, metrical
·
Composers and sources
·
Tempo indications
·
Authors and sources
·
First lines
How interesting it all is to the musician and the
non-musician. I met a choral conductor
recently who said he’s always amazed that you can get a bunch of people
together who have had no training in music at all, but when they sing together,
somehow it all comes together. All we
have to do is join together in joyous praise to God and beautiful music can be
the result! Anyway isn’t it great that
we can sing at home, in the car, at the beach, in the shower, and of course at
church. We can sing on our own, with a
friend, or with a bunch of friends (or strangers). It is so thrilling to just sing out and
smile!
Julie Swannell
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