Advent Calendar – 6th December, 2021 – Angels from the Realms
Merry Christmas!
Danielle and Dave’s Advent Calendar, 2021
6th December, 2021
Angels From the Realms of Glory
words James Montgomery (1771-1854)
music French traditional arranged by Sir David Willcocks (1919-2015)
The words of this carol were first printed in 1816 appearing on Christmas Eve. They did not however become associated with the French traditional melody which we know today until they appeared with it in 1928 in the Oxford Book of Carols. This melody, called ‘Iris’, had formerly been associated with the words “Angels we have heard on high’.
I used the piano/organ version found in ‘Carols for All ‘for this recording.
Angels from the realms of glory,
wing your flight through all the Earth;
heralds of creation’s story,
now proclaim Messiah’s birth;
Come and worship
Christ the new-born King;
come and worship,
worship Christ the new-born King.
Shepherds in the field abiding,
watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing;
yonder shines the infant light;
Sages, leave your contemplations;
brighter visions beam afar;
seek the great Desire of nations;
you have seen his natal star;
Saints, before the altar bending,
watching long in hope and fear,
suddenly the Lord, descending,
in his temple shall appear;
Though an infant now we view him,
he shall fill his Father’s throne,
gather all the nations to him;
every knee shall then bow down:
All creation, join in praising
God the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising
To th’eternal Three in One:
Harp – Erard Grecian 1830s
https://www.music-ministry.org/hymns/angels-from-the-realms-of-glory/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oxford_Book_of_Carols
Carols for All, arranged by David Willcocks & John Rutter, OUP, Oxford, 1989