Hark! the herald angels sing (Felix Mendelssohn)

Music files

Please support CPDL with a donation! All major credit cards as well as checks are accepted. Please visit this page for details.

L E G E N D

Disclaimer

How to download

ICON	SOURCE
	Pdf
	Pdf
	Midi
	Midi
	Mp3
	Mp3
	MusicXML
	Capella
	Finale
	LilyPond
	Sibelius
	Web Page
	File details
	Help

In English

• (Posted 2021-02-28)  CPDL #63219:         

Editor: Joseph Knapicius (submitted 2021-02-28).   Score information: Letter, 30 pages, 464 kB   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Arranged by Joseph Knapicius. Arranged for SATB and youth choir, with organ, brass ensemble, and timpani accompaniment. Click

here for detailed performance suggestions.

The route for HARK!

• Measures 1-4, one-handbell player. These four measures can https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php?title=Hark!_The_herald_angels_sing_(Charles_Wesley,_Jr)&action=editbe repeated a few times if needed.
• Measures 5-8 & 9-12, youth angels, one-handbell player. Add the youth choir (angels) in 8, 9-12 can be repeated a few times if needed. The angels sings till the end.
• Measures 13-16, 1st trumpet, youth angels, one-handbell player. Add 1st trumpet, 1st trumpet plays the soprano line.
• Measures 17-36, 1st trumpet, youth angels, one-handbell player. Same as 13-16
• 1st repeat, Measures 17-36, 1st verse SATB, 1st trumpet, youth angels, one-handbell player. Add SATB (1st verse only) singing in parts, 'start singing in measure 36 on the 3rd beat' "take the pickups." This 1st repeat 17-36, can be repeated a few times as they process to the front.
• 2nd repeat, Measures 17-36, 2nd verse SATB, youth angels, one-handbell player. The 1st trumpet drops out and renters on 3rd beat of measure 36, timpani enters (plays all of) measure 36.
• 3rd repeat, Measures 17-36, all brass, timpani, 3rd verse SATB, youth angels. One-handbell player drops out, The 1st trumpet and timpani enters with the pickups.
• 4th repeat, Measures 17-36, all brass, timpani, youth angels. SATB drops out.
• Measure 37-61 all sing, all play. Add all-handbell players, and organ.
• Measure 62-63 all sing. "A-men" Maybe one handbell player(s) hold the C and F and the other(s) hold the G and A, it would look great too!

• (Posted 2020-12-12)  CPDL #61923:       

Editor: Andrew Sims (submitted 2020-12-12).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 47 kB   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: The hymn with four-part harmony and underlaid words in the version published in Hymns Ancient & Modern New Standard.

• (Posted 2020-12-12)  CPDL #61922:       

Editor: Andrew Sims (submitted 2020-12-12).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 129 kB   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: The hymn in the version published in Hymns Ancient & Modern New Standard, melody with words.

• (Posted 2020-01-27)  CPDL #56804: 

Editor: Henk Vogel (submitted 2020-01-27).   Score information: A4, 3 pages   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Another Descant for 'Hark! the herald angels sing' (or in Dutch: 'Hoor, de engelen zingen de eer') with organ accompaniment.

• (Posted 2020-01-27)  CPDL #56803: 

Editor: Henk Vogel (submitted 2020-01-27).   Score information: A4, 3 pages   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Descant for 'Hark! the herald angels sing' (or in Dutch: 'Hoor, de engelen zingen de eer') with organ accompaniment.

• (Posted 2018-07-22)  CPDL #50633:     

Editor: Francis Melville (submitted 2018-07-22).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 34 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes: Arranged by Francis Melville for SATB unaccompanied.

• (Posted 2017-11-20)  CPDL #47598:       

Editor: Andrew Sims (submitted 2017-11-20).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 51 kB   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes:

• (Posted 2010-05-26)  CPDL #21523:          (Sibelius 4)

Editor: Micah Brandhandler (submitted 2010-04-22).   Score information: Letter, 1 page, 37 kB   Copyright: Public Domain

Edition notes: Melody only. Contains two verses only, the second of which varies Wesley's 6 & 5. This version is derived from the 1917 edition of "55 Songs and Choruses for Community Singing".

• (Posted 2008-12-31)  CPDL #18458: 

Editor: Rod Mather (submitted 2008-12-31).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 28 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

• (Posted 2007-07-25)  CPDL #14546:     

Editor: Reinhold Kainhofer (submitted 2007-07-25).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 149 kB   Copyright: Public Domain

Edition notes: Arranged by William Hayman Cummings, 1856.

• (Posted 2006-10-12)  CPDL #12815:      (Finale 2005)

Editor: Charles H. Giffen (submitted 2006-10-12).   Score information: Letter, 2 pages, 114 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes: Double descants (for ST, SS, or TT) by the arranger. Text as given in The Hymnal 1982 of The Episcopal Church. Arranged by Charles H. Giffen. This edition may be freely copied, distributed, performed or recorded. Please inform the arranger of any performances of this work.

• (Posted 2006-05-06)  CPDL #11627: 

Editor: Andrew Hawryluk (submitted 2006-05-06).   Score information: Letter, 2 pages, 53 kB   Copyright: CC BY-NC 4.0

Edition notes: Arranged by Andrew Hawryluk for TTBB voices.

• (Posted 2004-05-20)  CPDL #07047:  PDF and MIDI files available.

Editor: Edward L. Stauff (submitted 2004-05-20).   Score information: Letter, 1 page   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

• (Posted 2000-11-27)  CPDL #01704:  GIF and MIDI files available.

Editor: Christopher R. Baker (submitted 2000-11-27).   Copyright: CC BY 1.0

Edition notes: Arranged by William Hayman Cummings.

In German, "Gott sei Dank, durch alle Welt"

• (Posted 2013-11-07)  CPDL #30509:         

Editor: Johannes Becker (submitted 2013-11-07).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 55 kB   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Arranged by William Hayman Cummings, 1856. German words by Martin Held, 1658.

In Spanish, "Gloria al Niño"

• (Posted 2004-01-14)  CPDL #06480:     

Editor: Jose Miguel Galan (submitted 2004-01-14).   Score information: A4, 2 pages, 65 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

• (Posted 2001-03-23)  CPDL #02355:   

Editor: Abel Di Marco (submitted 2001-03-23).   Score information: Letter, 1 page, 6.64 MB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

In Latvian, "Debespulks dzied apstarots"

• (Posted 2009-01-28)  CPDL #18845:        (Sibelius 3) (Sibelius 5)

Editor: Andris Solims (submitted 2009-01-28).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 91 kB   Copyright: Religious

Edition notes: Latvian title: Debespulks dzied apstarots.

General Information

Title: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Composer: Felix Mendelssohn
Lyricist: Charles Wesley

Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB, TTBB
Genre: Sacred, Carol, Descant   Meter: 77. 77. D with refrain

Languages: English, Spanish, German
Instruments: A cappella or keyboard

First published: 1840
    2nd published: ca. 1885 in Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdys Werke, Ser. 15, Vol. 49
    3rd published: 1983 in Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard, no. 35
Description: Music by Felix Mendelssohn, Part 2 of the Gutenberg Cantata, scored for male chorus with two brass orchestras and timpani. Part 2, beginning "Vaterland, in deinen Gauen", is derived from the Gavotte (movement 3) from Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 4, BWV 1069. Mendelssohn's arrangement contains nearly all the harmonies of following versions. The music was arranged in 19th-century "hymn" style for SATB by William H. Cummings in 1860. Words by Charles Wesley, Hymn for Christmas Day in Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739. Charles Wesley reportedly had wanted music that was more somber in tone. Mendelssohn reportedly had not wanted his music to be used for religious purposes. A descant to the carol can be found here.

See also:

• An arrangement of Gavotte from J. S. Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D which sets the same text and has a very similar melody.
• Christmas Songbook: As with gladness men of old (Hark! the herald angels sing) (Felix Mendelssohn) in an arrangement by M. Ryan Taylor; and Hark! How all the welkin rings (Harry Ellis Wooldridge) (different tune and harmonization, with original Wesley text).
• Vaterland, in deinen Gauen (Felix Mendelssohn), Mendelssohn's original arrangement for male choir and brass orchestra.
  

External websites:

• Free choir training aids for this work are available at Choralia.
• Festgesang zum Gutenbergfest at IMSLP
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Original text and translations

Original text and translations may be found at Hark! the herald angels sing.