Considering Carols At Advent – No.2

I have a wee surprise for you dear readers, this second installment of “Considering Carols At Advent” is a guest post! I have asked some friends if they would like to participate in this series, one of those was my good friend and brother in Christ David Duncan. I am so thankful for brethren in the Lord such as David, they truly are a blessing to my heart.

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

Luke 2:13-14 (NASB)

Of the thousands of Christmas carols written since the birth of Christ, have you ever wondered why some endure, while others do not?

“It Came Upon The Midnight Clear” was written and set to music over 170 years ago, yet it’s still being sung and recorded today!  Why?

One reason is, this carol has great lyrics that are set to a wonderful melody. Poets and composers call this “prosody,” and it simply means the words and music fit like “hand and glove.”

As often the case, the lyrics and tune for It Came Upon The Midnight Clear were a collaboration between two different people.  

The words were written by a New England pastor named Edmund Sears, in 1849, in the aftermath of a personal crisis. Sears had been a successful clergyman but suffered a nervous breakdown and was serving a church part-time. It was also a season of strife and uncertainty in the world—with revolution in Europe and America’s recent war with Mexico. As a result, the carol is not directly about Bethlehem, but about how the birth of Christ frames current events. 

The music was written by Richard S. Willis, who was a student of the famous composer Felix Mendelssohn. He called the tune simply, “Carol,” and the melody and setting (in 6/8 meter) fit beautifully with Sears’ words. 

I love this classic carol because it reminds us how God’s “peace shall over all the earth it’s ancient splendors fling, and the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing.” Despite the perils, of the late 19th century and today, the peace of God still prevails.  Amen!