Hark! A Burst of Heavenly Music

Words: Mrs. M. N. Meigs

Music: F. Schilling
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML

Source: Rev. Charles Lewis Hutchins, Carols Old and Carols New (Boston: Parish Choir, 1916), Carol #428

1. Hark! A burst of heav’nly music
From a band of seraphs bright;
Suddenly to earth descending,
In the calm and silent night:
To the shepherds of Judea,
Watching in the earliest dawn,
So they bear the joyful tidings,
"Jesus, Prince of Peace is born."

Sweet and clear those angel voices,
Echoing thro’ the winter’s sky
As they chant the heav’nly music,
"Glory be to God on high."

2. Slumb’ing in a lowly manger
Lies the mighty Lord of all,
And before the holy Stranger
See the trembling shepherds fall.
He has come, the great expected,
Full of wisdom, love and grace,
To redeem His ruined creatures,
To restore our fallen race.

So let angels wake the chorus,
So let ransom’d men reply,
Chanting the celestial anthem,
"Glory be to God on high."

3. And the joyful Christmas morning
Breaking o’er the world below,
Tells again the wondrous story,
Shepherds heard so long ago.
Who shall still our tuneful voices,
Who the tide of praise shall stem
Which the blessed angels taught us
In the fields of Bethlehem

Hark! We hear again the chorus,
Ringing thro’ the starry sky,
And we join the heavenly anthem,
"Glory be to God on high."

Sheet Music from Charles L. Hutchins, Carols Old and Carols New (Boston: Parish Choir, 1916), Carol #428

Sheet music from A. B. Goodrich, ed., A New Service And Tune Book For Sunday Schools (New York: Gen. Prot. Episc. S. S. Union and Church Book Society, 1863, New Edition, Enlarged, 1866), #152, p. 141.

If you would like to help support Hymns and Carols of Christmas, please click on the button below and make a donation.

Related Hymns and Carols