Scripture Verse

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14

Introduction

Words: Ano­ny­mous, in Christ­mas Min­strel­sy, by Jo­seph Will­iams (Lon­don & Man­ches­ter, Eng­land: No­vel­lo & Brem­ner, 1864), num­ber 14, alt.

Music: Glor­ia in Ex­cel­sis Hen­ry J. Gaunt­lett, 1864 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know the au­thor, or where to get a good pic­ture of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Henry J. Gauntlett (1805–1876)
National Portrait Gallery

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Lyrics

illustration
Gloria in Excelsis Deo
A Record of Fifty Years’ Work
Daziel Brothers, 1901

Cold was the night in win­ter wild,
When in her arms the maid­en mild,
Enfolds her first, the Hea­ven born Child;
And whilst the mo­ther over Him hung,
This ca­rol from the an­gels’ tongue,
In strange mys­te­ri­ous tones is sung:

Refrain

Gloria in ex­cel­sis Deo;
Et in ter­ra pax ho­mi­ni­bus;
Bonæ bonæ vo­lun­ta­tis.

The stars sit still in deep amaze,
In so­lemn si­lence stead­fast gaze,
While list­en­ing to th’an­gel­ic lays;
Then waft­ed high, in joy­ous time,
The songs in loud har­mo­ni­ous chime,
To Hea­ven’s bright em­py­re­an climb.

Refrain

And doth this stall, in shad­ed gloom,
Contain the fruit of Ma­ry’s womb,
For whom the world could not make room?
O grace, all praise of men above,
O Son, be­yond all depth of love,
How do these our all pass­ions move!

Refrain

On thro’ the bright­est day of days,
We, with its choir, our voic­es raise,
Sing ju­bi­lee in thank­ful praise;
To God on high be glo­ry meet,
To earth­born Son—to Pa­ra­clete—
In this good­will, in mu­sic sweet.

Refrain