Stories of Christmas Carols by Ernest Emurian (Baker Book House\nCo.) is a treasure of history about our favorite Christmas songs. I recommend\nthat every family include a few of these expository readings in their holiday\ntraditions. Charles Wesley, the Methodist theologian, is credited with writing\nthe words to Hark! The Herald Angels Sing as well as some 6500 other songs! The\nReverend George Whitefield, who worked with Wesley, published the words to the\ncarol in 1753. It was Jewish born composer Felix Mendelssohn who was asked to\nset the words to music and composed the popular version we sing today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prolific hymn writer Isaac Watts, the son of an Anglican\nChurch deacon, wrote Joy To The World! This carol has been printed in more\nlanguages than any other. The musical portion was added by George Frederick\nHandel and is part of his most famous work, The Messiah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Silent Night was more than just a song to father Joseph\nMohr, Priest of the Church of St. Nicholas, located in the Austrian Alps; it\nwas an event. Chief musician and organist of the church, Franz Gruber, announced\nthat Christmas Eve Mass (the year was 1818) would be done without music since\nthe old organ in the cathedral was broken. Father Mohr remembered that Gruber\nplayed the guitar and instructed him to play the poem to guitar accompaniment.\nThe song was named only after the two agreed that their \u201csilent night,\u201d the\nmass without an organ, was indeed their best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We Three Kings is the product of Episcopalian rector John\nHenry Hopkins. In his personal notes, Hopkins points out that the three Magi\nmust have come with a large entourage. Important people traveled that way just\nas today. Hopkins also notes that King Herod might not have been as troubled by\nthe presence of three as he was by three large groups of people traveling to\nsee the new Messiah.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"template":"","categories":[126],"tags":[145],"class_list":["post-7900","eutychus-article","type-eutychus-article","status-publish","hentry","category-eutychus","tag-holidays"],"yoast_head":"\n