Shout The Glad Tidings, Exultingly Sing
For Christmas
Alternate Title: Zion, The Marvelous Story Be Telling
Words: William Augustus Mühlenberg, 1826
Music: "Avison," adapted from Charles Avison (circa
1710-1770)
MIDI / Noteworthy
Composer /
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Refrain
Shout the glad tidings, exultingly sing,
Jerusalem triumphs, Messiah is King!
1. Zion, the marvelous story be telling,
The Son of the Highest, how lowly His birth!
The brightest archangel in glory excelling,
He stoops to redeem thee, He reigns upon earth. Refrain
2. Tell how He cometh; from nation to nation
The heart cheering news let the earth echo round;
How free to the faithful He offers salvation,
His people with joy everlasting are crowned.1 Refrain
3. Mortals, your homage be gratefully bringing,
And sweet let the gladsome hosannas2 arise;
Ye angels, the full alleluias3 be singing;
One chorus resound through the earth and the skies.
Shout the glad tidings, exultingly sing,
Jerusalem triumphs, Messiah is King!
Messiah is King! Messiah is King!
Notes:
1. Or: 'How His people with joy everlasting are crown'd.' Return
2. Or: Hosanna. Return
3. Or: Alleluia. Return
Sheet Music from O. Hardwig, ed., The Wartburg Hymnal (Chicago: Wartburg Publishing House, 1918), #114
Sheet Music "Avison" from John Clark Hollister, ed., The Sunday-School Service and Tune Book (New York: E. P. Dutton and Company, 1863, 1865), #6, pp. 20-1.
Sheet Music "Avison" by Charles Avison from Henry Sloane Coffin and Ambrose White Vernon, eds., Hymns of the Kingdom of God. New York: The A. S. Barnes Company, 1910, #40, p. 76.
Notes from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology
Mühlenberg, William Augustus, D.D., son of the Rev. Dr. Mühlenberg, and grandson of Henry Melchior Mühlenberg, the patriarch of Lutheranism in America, was born in Philadelphia Sept. 16, 1796. He graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1814. Entering Holy Orders in 1817, he was successively Assistant Rector of St. James's Lancaster, 1823; Rector of the Church of the Holy Communion, New York, 1843; St. Paul's College, Flushing (1828); St. Luke's Hospital, New York (1855); St. John's and Long Island (1865), were established by him. He died April 6, 1877.
His poetical gift was genuine, but not largely used. In 1826 he contributed four hymns to the Prayer Book Collection (of which he was one of the Committee). His Poems appeared in 1859. He had previously published Church Poetry, 1823; and The People's Psalter, 1858. I would not live alway followed in 1859 (revised in 1871). This last contains 26 pieces, the hymns in the Prayer Book Collection, 1826, with the exception of "I would not live alway," being omitted. The following are his principal lyrics:—
1. Carol, Brothers, Carol. Christmas Carol. "Made for the boys of St. Paul's College—-the Chorus adapted from one of the Rev. [Bishop] A.C. Coxe's Christian Ballads"-—in 1840.
8. Shout the glad tidings, exultingly sing. Christmas. Contributed to the Prayer Book Collection, 1826, No. 46, in 3 st. of 4 1., with the chorus :—
"Shout the glad tidings, exultingly sing,
Jerusalem triumphs, Messiah is King;"
the opening lines, followed by the first stanza, and a repetition of the chorus, and so on to the end. Sometimes the hymn opens with st. i.: "Zion, the marvellous story be telling," or as “Sion the marvellous story be telling," instead of the chorus. Dr. Mühlenberg says that the hymn was written—
"at the particular request of Bishop Hobart, who wanted something that would go to the tune by Avison, then popular, to the words of Moore, ‘Sound the loud timbrel,' &c. He liked the verses I made so well that he had them struck off before the hymns (Prayer Book Collection) were published, and sung in Trinity Church on Christmas day."
-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907), (1892, p. 775)
Note from Wilbur F. Tillett and Charles Sumner Nutter, The Hymns and Hymn Writers of the Church (New York: Eaton & Mains, 1911, 1915), p. 428.
Muhlenberg, William Augustus, an eminent Episcopal minister, was born in Philadelphia September 16, 1796, being the son of Rev. Frederick Muhlenberg, D.D., who was at first a Lutheran clergyman, but entered Congress and became Speaker of the House of Representatives in the first Congress; and was the grandson of Rev. Henry M. Muhlenberg, D.D., who was the revered patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America. He was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1814, and was ordained priest in the Protestant Episcopal Church in 1820. Subsequently he established St. Paul's College at Flushing, Long Island. From 1846 to 1859 he was rector of the Church of the Holy Communion, in New York City. In 1855 he founded St. Luke's Hospital in New York City, and was its pastor and superintendent until his death. He also founded in 1865 St. Johnland, a home for the needy. Dr. Muhlenberg was one of the committee that edited Hymns Suited to the Feasts and Fasts of the Church, 1826. He died April 6, 1871.
Editor's Note: This is a companion volume to The Methodist Hymnal, 1905.
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