Luke 2:15-18
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.
What do an 18th century cleric/calligrapher, the 1925 massed choir of the Glee Clubs of America, and Bing Crosby have in common?
In 1745, John Francis Wade, a Catholic Priest and music historian, fled from England to France to seek refuge from the cultural war between the Church of England and the Catholic Church. Wade became immersed in the ancient church music he had been translating and preserving. His studies led to inspiration for his composition, Adeste Fideles. It wasn’t until 1841 that “O Come, All Ye Faithful” was translated from Latin to English, but Wade’s name was removed as composer.
Men’s Glee Clubs were so popular in the 1920s that thousands attended the 1925 Associated Glee Clubs of America convention in New York. Columbia Records had invited 5,000 men to perform “O Come, All Ye Faithful” at the Met. The production was to be live on radio, while the new Western Electric’s microphone system recorded the sound for disc record copies. The sound and emotion of the music was astounding. Sales of the record skyrocketed and continued strong for ten years.
Bing Crosby was heard on the radio in the 1930s and 1940s as he sang “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” During this period historians discovered that Wade should have original credit for the song.
Why is this hymn so enduring that it survived through the centuries? The music, pulled from ancient manuscripts, is strong, encouraging, and rhythmic. The 6 stanzas I found encapsulate the eternal glory of the true God. Several lines jumped out as I read and listened. Three translations from verse 2 follow: “Lo, he shuns not the virgin’s womb”; “born of a Virgin, a mortal he becomes”; “Word of the Father, Now in flesh appearing”. The Nicene Creed is echoed. Angels sing, people adore Him, earth and heaven exalt, and we come on joyful footsteps. The emotion of the fifth stanza is so moving that I can hardly sing “… for us sinners poor and in the manger … Who would not love thee, loving us so dearly?”
We are in the manger with Jesus, born, loved, and renewed. Sing loudly together!
Contributed by Carol E. Van Scyoc