[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 201 (Wednesday, December 6, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H6149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CELEBRATING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Carter) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as Christmastime approaches, I rise 
to share the history of another of our most beloved Christmas carols: 
``Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.''
  Felix Mendelssohn once commented that the music he wrote to 
commemorate Johannes Gutenberg and the invention of the printing press 
would not be suitable for hymn or church music. How wrong he turned out 
to be.
  Formerly, the words of this hymn were: ``Hark, how are all the welkin 
[heaven] rings! Glory to the King of Kings.''
  The hymn's composer, Charles Wesley, didn't originally intend this as 
a Christmas hymn but perhaps as a hymn for Easter.
  Wesley, the cofounder of the Methodist Church, wrote more than 4,000 
hymns over the course of his life. George Whitefield, Wesley's friend, 
later added the first two lines we now sing.
  An organist named W.H. Cummings decided to adapt Mendelssohn's music 
to Wesley's hymn. He arranged the 10-line stanza that we sing today, 
which was published as a carol in 1856.
  The words of the carol are as follows:

     Hark! The herald angels sing,
     ``Glory to the newborn King;
     Peace on Earth, and mercy mild,
     God and sinners reconciled!''
     Joyful, all ye Nations rise,
     Join the triumph of the skies;
     With th'angelic hosts proclaim,
     ``Christ is born in Bethlehem!''
     Hark! The herald angels sing,
     ``Glory to the newborn King!''
     Christ, by highest Heaven adored;
     Christ the everlasting Lord;
     Late in time, behold Him come,
     Offspring of a virgin's womb.
     Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
     Hail, th'incarnate Deity,
     Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
     Jesus our Emmanuel.
     Hark! The herald angels sing,
     ``Glory to the newborn King!''
     Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace!
     Hail the Sun of righteousness!
     Light and life to all He brings,
     Ris'n with healing in His wings.
     Mild He lays His glory by,
     Born that man no more may die.
     Born to raise the sons of Earth,
     Born to give them second birth.
     Hark! The herald angels sing,
     ``Glory to the newborn King!''

  Mr. Speaker, I hope the history of this beautiful song will remind 
you of the Christmas season, of what it is all about and what the 
history is of this hymn.
  On behalf of all the people of central Texas and all of Texas, I wish 
you a merry Christmas and a happy Hanukkah.

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