Angels We Have Heard on High

Christmas Carol Lyrics

Angels we have heard on high,
Singing sweetly through the night,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their brave delight.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why these songs of happy cheer?
What great brightness did you see?
What glad tiding did you hear?  Refrain

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord, the new-born King.  Refrain

See him in a manger laid
Whom the angels praise above;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While we raise our hearts in love.  Refrain

About This Carol

Angels We Have Heard on High is a joyful and majestic carol that celebrates the angelic announcement of Christ’s birth to the shepherds. Its most memorable feature is the sweeping refrain of “Gloria in excelsis Deo,” a Latin phrase meaning “Glory to God in the highest.” The carol invites singers and listeners to echo the heavenly chorus that first rang out over Bethlehem.

The lyrics were originally written in French as Les Anges dans nos campagnes (“Angels in Our Countryside”), a traditional hymn from 18th-century France. The English version was translated and adapted in the mid-19th century by James Chadwick, a Roman Catholic bishop in England. His adaptation retained the joyful spirit of the original while shaping it into the version most English-speaking congregations sing today.

The melody is bright and grand, perfectly suited for choral harmonies and powerful organ accompaniment. Its refrain is particularly beloved for its long, cascading “Glo-o-o-o-o-o-ria” that seems to rise and float like the voices of angels themselves.

Whether sung in churches, concert halls, or around the piano at home, Angels We Have Heard on High is a celebration of light, wonder, and divine glory - one that continues to lift hearts each Christmas season.

Performance Video

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