Sharing Christmas Carol Histories

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as Christmas approaches, I rise to share the histories behind the most beloved Christmas carols.

My wife found a book, and I started reading it at breakfast one morning. I thought it was really interesting to know where Christmas carols came from. I thought I would come up here and share this with my colleagues and with the rest of the country that cares.

I have done three of these now, and I have 30 minutes to do a bunch more. Today, we are going to talk about a lot of them.

The first one is ``It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.'' It was written and composed by two men from similar backgrounds who never met.

Edmund Hamilton Sears was a Unitarian minister and graduate of Harvard Divinity School. Sears, who preferred a quiet life among his New England congregation, emphasized Jesus' message of peace on Earth, good will towards men. The words to ``It Came Upon the Midnight Clear'' first appeared in print in 1850 in the Christian Registry.

By contrast, composer Richard S. Willis led a very public life as an editor and critic with the New York Tribune. Willis composed carols while acting as a vestryman at The Little Church Around the Corner in New York City.

The music of the carol was matched with Sears' words years later, and here are the results. I can't sing, so don't ask me to sing. I am going to read them, although I sing them in church. It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the Earth to touch their harps of gold: ``Peace on the Earth, good will to men, from Heaven's all-gracious king.'' The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing. Still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled, and still their heavenly music floats o'er all the weary world; above its sad and lowly plains, they bend on hovering wing, and ever o'er its Babel sounds the blessed angel sing. For lo! the days are hastening on, by prophet seen of old, when with the ever-circling years shall come the time foretold when peace shall over all the Earth its ancient splendors fling, and the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing.

The lyrics of ``Joy to the World'' are based on Psalm 98, which reads: Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the Earth Make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise Make a joyful noise to the Lord, the king.

In 1719, English minister Isaac Watts wrote more than 600 hymns for children and adults, many of which are still sung today. Among his many admirers was Benjamin Franklin.

The music's composer was Lowell Mason, the father of American church music. He devoted his life to music education, eventually composing more than 1,600 religious works. Mason called his composition ``Antioch,'' a reference to the Syrian city where Jesus' Disciples first came to be called Christians. Here are the words of the song: Joy to the world, the Lord is come Let Earth receive her king Let every heart prepare Him room And Heaven and nature sing And Heaven and nature sing And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing Joy to the Earth, the Savior reigns Let all their songs employ While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains Repeat the sounding joy Repeat the sounding joy Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness And wonders of His love And wonders of His love And wonders, wonders, of His love

There is a great deal of myth and conjecture around ``O Come, All Ye Faithful.'' Until about 1900, people believed that this hymn could be traced back to the 13th century and that St. Bonaventure possibly composed the original Latin words.

A clergyman named Dom John Stephan researched the original manuscript and discovered that John Francis Wade wrote it. Wade, a Roman Catholic, lived in Douai, France, where he earned his living copying and teaching music. Composed between 1740 and 1744, the hymn became quite well known locally.

Here are the words to the song: O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him, born the King of angels. O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord. Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation; Sing all ye citizens of Heaven above: Glory to God in the highest. O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord. Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be glory given; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing. O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.

The next one is one I like a lot. As Phillips Brooks approached the village of Bethlehem on Christmas Eve, 1866, he imagined the holy family on their journey nearly 2,000 years before. The holy land was still singing in his soul when he wrote ``O Little Town of Bethlehem'' for a children's Sunday school class 2 years later. O little town of Bethlehem How still we see Thee lie Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting light The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in Thee tonight For Christ was born of Mary And gathered all above While mortals sleep, the angels keep Their watch of wondering love O morning stars together Proclaim Thy holy birth And praises sing to God the king And peace to men on Earth O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin and enter in; be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

My wife is Dutch, and she learned this song in German where it was originally written. When we sing it in church, she throws me off a little by singing in German, but it is still the same song.

``Silent Night'' possesses a simple dignity and power like the alpine setting where it was written. Popular legend states that Joseph Mohr, the carol's composer, a village priest in the little Austrian town of Oberndorf, penned the words to ``Silent Night'' on Christmas Eve. He became distraught when the organ in his church broke down and couldn't be repaired in time for Christmas services. He enlisted a friend, a musician, Franz Gruber, to compose a guitar accompaniment for the song.

The image of a starry night, the little church, and the lone guitar is one of enduring humility and quiet beauty. Mohr wrote several arrangements for ``Silent Night.'' Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin, Mother and Child, Holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, holy night, Shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from Heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia; Christ the Savior is born; Christ the Savior is born. Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light, Radiant beams from Thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth; Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.

The first written record of ``The First Noel'' appeared in William Sandys' 1833 edition of ``Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern.'' Folk songs enjoyed a revival in 19th century England, and there are several collections like Sandys that include this carol. The first noel, the angel did say, Was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay; In fields where they lay keeping their sheep, On a cold winter's night that was so deep. Noel, noel, noel, noel, Born is the king of Israel. They looked up and saw a star, Shining in the east beyond them far; And to the Earth it gave great light, And so it continued day and night. Noel, noel, noel, noel, Born is the king of Israel. And by the light of that same star Three wise men came from country far; To seek for a king was their intent, And to follow the star wherever it went. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the king of Israel. This star drew nigh to the northwest; O'er Bethlehem it took its rest, And there it did stop and stay Right over the place where Jesus lay. Noel, noel, noel, noel, Born is the king of Israel.

The melody of ``Greensleeves'' is so old that it is impossible to date. We know that Queen Elizabeth I danced to the melody and that Shakespeare mentioned it in ``The Merry Wives of Windsor.''

As with other carols, traditional music made a late marriage to sacred words. The English hymn writer William Dix composed these words under the title ``The Manger Throne.'' What child is this, who, laid to rest On Mary's lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with voices sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the king Whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, haste, to bring Him praise, The babe, the Son of Mary. Why lies He in such mean estate Where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christian, fear for the sinners here, The silent Word is pleading. This, this is Christ the king, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, haste to bring him praise, The babe, the Son of Mary. So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh, Come peasant king to own Him. The king of kings, salvation brings, Let loving hearts enthrone Him. This, this is Christ the king Whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, haste, to bring him laud, The babe, the Son of Mary.

It is my hope that you will enjoy these histories and think about them as you celebrate the holiday season.

On behalf of the people of my district in central Texas, I wish each of you a merry Christmas and a happy Hanukkah.

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