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Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Charles Wesley’s words (1739, opening lines by George Whitefield) to Felix Mendelssohn’s melody from 1840: the whole first verse, which reaches its highest notes in the closing “Hark! the herald angels sing.”
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing sets Charles Wesley's words from 1739, with the opening lines George Whitefield gave them in 1753, to a melody Felix Mendelssohn wrote in 1840 for a festival celebrating the printing press. William H. Cummings fitted the words to it in 1855. You sing the whole first verse, 76 notes in about 50 seconds. Almost every line opens with a leap, the two middle lines share one melody, and the closing “Hark! the herald angels sing” climbs to the highest notes of the tune.
How to do it
- Wait for the two count-in clicks; the piano plays the first phrase alone, then plays along.
- Sing the two-note “sing” and “mild” as one smooth step down.
- After the low “reconciled,” jump an octave to “Joyful” and keep its three repeated notes even.
- In “Christ is born” and the last “Glory,” sing the quick two-note “is” and “-ry” lightly, then hold the long note after it.
Coach's tip: Hear the fourth from “Hark” to “the” before you start. In the last line, start “Hark” on the top note with plenty of air and keep the repeated notes at one height.
What to watch out for
The opening fourth and the octave before “Joyful” are easy to undershoot; hear the top note first. The three repeated high notes of “Hark! the herald” in the last line tend to sag, so keep them at one height with steady air. The dotted notes on “herald” and “sinners” like to even out; keep them long-short. The tune is festive, but sing it at a medium volume rather than pushing the top.
Who it's for
Level 2, for singers who can handle a range of a ninth and want a festive, full-voiced carol. Warm up with Interval: perfect fourth and Interval: octave. No program lists it. The daily training brings it up more often if you chose the Classical & choir style. A good closing song for a session.
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