Scripture Verse

A multitude of the heavenly host praising God. Luke 2:13

Introduction

portrait
Milton W. Hanchett (1822–1904)

Words: Mrs. F. E. Platt, in The Cas­ket of Sun­day School Me­lo­dies, Com­plete, by Asa Hull (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Asa Hull, 1869).

Music: Se­go­via Mil­ton W. Han­chett (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know Platt’s full name, or where to get a good pho­to of her (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Children, sing a Christ­mas car­ol;
Sing how shin­ing angels came,
Once in glo­ri­ous white ap­par­el,
Jesus’ com­ing to pro­claim;
How the dist­ant hills re­sound­ed,
Echoing back th’an­gel­ic song!
How the shep­herds were as­tound­ed,
As the mu­sic rolled along!

Ah! no more the low­ly man­ger
Pillows that dear sac­red head;
Beams no more that star­ry stra­nger
That the east­ern sag­es led;
But we’ll tell the pleas­ing sto­ry
To the ag­èd and the young,
And we’ll sing that Glory! Glory!
That the her­ald an­gels sung.

Tho’ no sud­den light burst o’er us,
Such as shone on Beth­le­hem’s plain,
We can join the heav­en­ly chorus,
Peace on earth, good-will to men;
Sing we then the glad ho­san­na,
Sing of Him who reigns above;
Praise to Je­sus for His ban­ner
O’er the child­ren waves in love.