Scripture Verse

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14

Introduction

Words: Eb­en E. Rex­ford, in Good Will, ed­it­ed by T. Mar­tin Towne & Jai­rus M. Still­man (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Flem­ing H. Re­vell, 1878), page 35.

Music: Mar­sa­la W. Irv­ing Harts­horn, 1878 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Harts­horn (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Eben E. Rexford (1848–1916)

Lyrics

When up in Heav’n the an­gels sing,
In praise of Je­sus Christ our king,
And all the bells for glad­ness ring,
In the hap­py Christ­mas morn­ing.

Refrain

O sing, my heart, for glad­ness sing,
In praise of Je­sus Christ our king;
What an­gels sing on Christ­mas still,
Be peace on earth, to men good will.

Be hap­py as the an­gels are,
While no rude dis­cord comes to mar
The sons that wel­come Beth­le’m’s star
In the hap­py Christ­mas morn­ing.

Refrain

Be more like Christ than we have been,
And sing again, and yet again,
Be peace on earth, good will to men,
In the hap­py Christ­mas morn­ing.

Refrain