Angels We Have Heard on High
Words: Traditional French carol, tr. James Chadwick, 1862 · Tune "Gloria" · Public domain
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Verse 1
GAngels Bmwe have Dheard on Ghigh,
Gsweet-Dly Gsinging o'er D7the Gplains,
Gand the Bmmountains Em7in D7re-Gply
Ge-Dcho-Ging their joy-D7ous Gstrains.
Refrain (after every verse)
GGloria in Cexcelsis GDeo!
GGloria in Cexcel-D7sis GDeo
Verse 2
GShepherds, Bmwhy this Djubi-Glee?
GWhy Dyour Gjoyous strains D7pro-Glong?
GWhat the Bmgladsome Em7ti-D7dings Gbe
Gwhich Din-Gspire your heav'n-D7ly Gsong?
Verse 3
GCome to BmBethle-Dhem and Gsee
Ghim Dwhose Gbirth the an-D7gels Gsing;
Gcome, a-Bmdore on Em7bend-D7ed Gknee
GChrist Dthe GLord, the new-D7born GKing.
Chords in the key of G
- G
- Bm
- D
- D7
- Em7
- C
About this hymn
- Words
- Traditional French carol, author unknown; English paraphrase by James Chadwick, 1862
- Music
- GLORIA, traditional French carol, composer unknown
- Meter
- 7.7.7.7 with refrain
- In
- 277 hymnals
- Scripture
- Luke 2:8-15, Luke 2:1-20, Psalm 103:20-22
The story
This one comes out of French popular tradition, and no composer has ever been identified for the melody. The dating is loose. Hymnary puts the French carol in the eighteenth century, and a related French text turns up in print as early as 1805, so the safe thing to say is a traditional French carol that was in print by the early 1800s. An 1842 printing credits the music only to the initials W. M., and the name scholars float for that would have made him a boy at the time, so I would not lean on it. James Chadwick, a Catholic bishop in England, wrote the 1862 English paraphrase. The long run of notes on the o in Gloria is the whole signature of the thing.
Where it fits in a service
Often used as a Christmas Eve or Christmas Sunday hymn, and as a choir piece where the refrain can be tossed between parts. It works anywhere the service wants a lift near the start.
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