Sunday, December 14, 2008

My Favorite Christmas Hymn

Just a brief history of this hymn:
The words to this hymn were penned by Johann Rist during the middle part of the 1600s. Around the same time that the words were written, Johann Schop composed the music. In 1734, J.S. Bach included it in his Christmas Oratorio and added the harmonization to it.In 1885 a man named John Troutbeck translated this hymn from German into English.

I searched all over youtube for a good recording of this hymn. But I could not find one that did justice to it. So instead, I'm posting the music with the words beneath it. Enjoy!


Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light




1.Break forth, O beauteous heavenly light,
And usher in the morning;
Ye shepherds shrink not with afright,
But hear the angels warning.
This Child now weak in infancy,
Our confidence and joy shall be.
The power of Satan breaking,
Our peace eternal making

2.Break forth, O beauteous heavenly light,
To herald our salvation;
He stoops to earth the God of might,
Our hope and expectation.
He comes in human flesh to dwell,
Our God with us, Immanuel,
The night of darkness ending,
Our fallen race befriending

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