The words were written by English hymn-writer and poet James Montgomery (1771 – 1854).
With meter of 87.87.87, it is most commonly sung to the tune:
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story
Now proclaim Messiah's birth:
Refrain - original text:
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Refrain - when used with the IRIS ("Angels we have heard...") tune:
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo.
Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant light:
Sages, leave your contemplations
Brighter visions beam afar,
Seek the great Desire of nations,
Ye have seen his natal star:
Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear;
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear.
Sinners, wrung with true repentance,
Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence,
Mercy calls you, break your chains.
Though an infant now we view him,
He shall fill his Father's throne,
Gather all the nations to him,
Every knee shall then bow down:
All creation, join in praising
God the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising,
To eternal Three in One:
With meter of 87.87.87, it is most commonly sung to the tune:
- REGENT SQUARE - in the USA, using the original chorus
- IRIS - in the UK: using the chorus from "Angels we have heard on high" instead of the original.
Downloads
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Examples
Organ with choir and congregation, tune REGENT SQUARE:
Solo singer with band and effects. Tune ISIS.
Contemporary arrangement - praise band. Tune: REGENT SQUARE
Lyrics
Angels from the realms of gloryWing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story
Now proclaim Messiah's birth:
Refrain - original text:
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Refrain - when used with the IRIS ("Angels we have heard...") tune:
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo.
Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant light:
Sages, leave your contemplations
Brighter visions beam afar,
Seek the great Desire of nations,
Ye have seen his natal star:
Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear;
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear.
Sinners, wrung with true repentance,
Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence,
Mercy calls you, break your chains.
Though an infant now we view him,
He shall fill his Father's throne,
Gather all the nations to him,
Every knee shall then bow down:
All creation, join in praising
God the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising,
To eternal Three in One:
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