Day 9 - Popular Christmas Hymns

I always find it interesting to have the story behind the hymn or carol. Sometimes they were written for amazing reasons. So I thought I would share with you the story behind some of the more popular Christmas carols.

P.S. I am just going to apologise now for the small history lesson, I absolutely love history and find this kind of stuff fascinating but I know that not everyone does.

Silent Night

Silent night! Holy Night! 

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin mother and Child

Holy Infant, so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.

This hymn was written by Joseph Mohr in 1818 high up in the Alps. After learning that the church organ was broken Mohr decided that he needed to write a Christmas hymn that could be sung without the organ. After writing the lyrics, Franz Gruber the village schoolmaster and organist wrote the music that would be played on the guitar. So a little song written in the Alps went on to become one of the most well known Christmas carols of all time. 

Hark! The Herald Angel Sings!

Hark! The herald angels sing, 

"Glory to the newborn King;

Peace on earth, and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled"

Joyful, all ye nations, rise

Join the triumph of the skies;

With th'angelic host proclaim,

"Christ is born in Bethlehem"

Hark! The herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King."

This hymn comes from two very well known hymn writer and composer. Charles Wesley, who wrote more than 6 500 hymns, and is also said to be one of the four most popular hymns in the English language. The five verses teach such spiritual truths as the virgin birth, Christ's deity, immortality of the soul, the new birth, and a concern for Christ-like living. As Eric Routley (an English hymnist said) "These hymns were composed in order that men and women might sing their way, not only into experience, but also into knowledge; that the cultured might have their culture baptised and the ignorant might be led into truth by the gentle hand of melody and rhyme." 

Joy to the World!

Joy to the world! The Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room

And heav'n and nature sing

And heav'n and nature sing 

And heav'n and heav'n and nature sing

This carol was also written by another prolific hymn writer: Isaac Watts. A lot of the hymns that he wrote were to combat the mediocre lyrics and songs that were being sung in his day. This hymn was inspired by Psalm 98 which talks about rejoicing at the marvellous ways in which God had protected and restored the Israelites.