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While Humble Shepherds Watched

Author: Nahum Tate Appears in 18 hymnals First Line: While humble shepherds watched their flocks Lyrics: 1 While humble shepherds watched their flocks In Bethlehem's fields by night, An angel sent from heaven appeared And filled the field with light. "Fear not!" said he, for sudden dread Had seized each troubled mind; "Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you and all mankind. 2 To you, in Bethlehem this day, Is born of David's line The Savior, who is Christ the Lord; And this shall be the sign: The heavenly babe you there shall find, To human view displayed, All meanly wrapped in swaddling bands, And in a manger laid." 3 Thus spake the angel, and forthwith Appeared a shining throng Of angels praising God, and thus Addressed their joyful song: "All glory be to God on high, And to the earth be peace; Good will is shown by heaven to men, And never more shall cease!" Topics: Songs Suitable for Juniors; Jesus' Birth; Christmas Used With Tune: [While humble shepherds watched their flocks]
While Humble Shepherds Watched

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WINCHESTER OLD

Meter: 8.6.8.6 Appears in 351 hymnals Tune Sources: Melody from Este's Psalter, 1592 Tune Key: F Major Incipit: 13321 44323 55453 Used With Text: While humble shepherds watched their flocks
WINCHESTER OLD
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CHRISTMAS

Appears in 677 hymnals Composer and/or Arranger: George F. Handel, 1685-1759 Tune Key: D Major Incipit: 34517 65123 34555 Used With Text: While humble shepherds watched their flocks
CHRISTMAS
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[While humble shepherds watched their flocks]

Appears in 300 hymnals Tune Sources: English Traditional Melody Tune Key: e minor Incipit: 32111 73343 45543 Used With Text: While Humble Shepherds Watched
[While humble shepherds watched their flocks]

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While Humble Shepherds Watched

Author: Nahum Tate Hymnal: Children's Hymnal #167 (1957) First Line: While humble shepherds watched their flocks Lyrics: 1 While humble shepherds watched their flocks In Bethlehem's fields by night, An angel sent from heaven appeared And filled the field with light. "Fear not!" said he, for sudden dread Had seized each troubled mind; "Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you and all mankind. 2 To you, in Bethlehem this day, Is born of David's line The Savior, who is Christ the Lord; And this shall be the sign: The heavenly babe you there shall find, To human view displayed, All meanly wrapped in swaddling bands, And in a manger laid." 3 Thus spake the angel, and forthwith Appeared a shining throng Of angels praising God, and thus Addressed their joyful song: "All glory be to God on high, And to the earth be peace; Good will is shown by heaven to men, And never more shall cease!" Topics: Songs Suitable for Juniors; Jesus' Birth; Christmas Languages: English Tune Title: [While humble shepherds watched their flocks]
While Humble Shepherds Watched
Text

Luke 2:8-15: While humble shepherds watched their flocks

Hymnal: Scottish Psalter and Paraphrases #R37 (1800) Meter: 8.6.8.6 First Line: While humble shepherds watched their flocks Lyrics: While humble shepherds watched their flocks in Bethleh’m’s plains by night, An angel sent from heav’n appeared, and filled the plains with light. Fear not, he said, (for sudden dread had seized their troubled mind;) Glad tidings of great joy I bring to you, and all mankind. To you, in David’s town, this day is born, of David’s line, The Saviour, who is Christ the Lord; and this shall be the sign: The heav’nly Babe you there shall find to human view displayed, All meanly wrapt in swaddling-bands, and in a manger laid. 138 Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith appeared a shining throng Of angels, praising God; and thus addressed their joyful song: All glory be to God on high, and to the earth be peace; Good-will is shown by Heav’n to men, and never more shall cease. Scripture: Luke 2:8-15 Languages: English
Luke 2:8-15: While humble shepherds watched their flocks
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While Humble Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

Author: Nahum Tate, 1652-1715 Hymnal: The Cyber Hymnal #8362 Meter: 8.6.8.6 D Lyrics: 1 While humble shepherds watched their flocks In Bethl’hem’s plains by night, An angel sent from Heav’n appeared, And filled the plains with light. "Fear not," he said (for sudden dread Had seized their troubled mind); "Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you, and all mankind. 2 "To you, in David’s town, this day Is born, of David’s line, The Savior, who is Christ the Lord; And this shall be the sign: The heav’nly Babe you there shall find To human view displayed, All meanly wrapt in swaddling-bands, And in a manger laid." 3 Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith Appeared a shining throng Of angels, praising God; and thus Addressed their joyful song: "All glory be to God on high, And to the earth be peace; Good-will is shown by Heav’n to men, And never more shall cease." Languages: English Tune Title: BETHLEHEM
While Humble Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

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Nahum Tate

1652 - 1715 Person Name: Nahum Tate, 1652-1715 Author of "While humble shepherds watched their flocks" in The Hymnal Nahum Tate was born in Dublin and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, B.A. 1672. He lacked great talent but wrote much for the stage, adapting other men's work, really successful only in a version of King Lear. Although he collaborated with Dryden on several occasions, he was never fully in step with the intellectual life of his times, and spent most of his life in a futile pursuit of popular favor. Nonetheless, he was appointed poet laureate in 1692 and royal historiographer in 1702. He is now known only for the New Version of the Psalms of David, 1696, which he produced in collaboration with Nicholas Brady. Poverty stricken throughout much of his life, he died in the Mint at Southwark, where he had taken refuge from his creditors, on August 12, 1715. --The Hymnal 1940 Companion See also in: Hymn Writers of the Church
Nahum Tate

George Frideric Handel

1685 - 1759 Person Name: George F. Handel, 1685-1759 Composer of "CHRISTMAS" in Hymns of the Saints George Frideric Handel (b. Halle, Germany, 1685; d. London, England, 1759) became a musician and composer despite objections from his father, who wanted him to become a lawyer. Handel studied music with Zachau, organist at the Halle Cathedral, and became an accomplished violinist and keyboard performer. He traveled and studied in Italy for some time and then settled permanently in England in 1713. Although he wrote a large number of instrumental works, he is known mainly for his Italian operas, oratorios (including Messiah, 1741), various anthems for church and royal festivities, and organ concertos, which he interpolated into his oratorio performances. He composed only three hymn tunes, one of which (GOPSAL) still appears in some modern hymnals. A number of hymnal editors, including Lowell Mason, took themes from some of Handel's oratorios and turned them into hymn tunes; ANTIOCH is one example, long associated with “Joy to the World.” Bert Polman
George Frideric Handel

Arthur Sullivan

1842 - 1900 Person Name: Arthur Seymour Sullivan, 1842-1900 Arranger of "EVANGEL" in The Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook Arthur Seymour Sullivan (b Lambeth, London. England. 1842; d. Westminster, London, 1900) was born of an Italian mother and an Irish father who was an army band­master and a professor of music. Sullivan entered the Chapel Royal as a chorister in 1854. He was elected as the first Mendelssohn scholar in 1856, when he began his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He also studied at the Leipzig Conservatory (1858-1861) and in 1866 was appointed professor of composition at the Royal Academy of Music. Early in his career Sullivan composed oratorios and music for some Shakespeare plays. However, he is best known for writing the music for lyrics by William S. Gilbert, which produced popular operettas such as H.M.S. Pinafore (1878), The Pirates of Penzance (1879), The Mikado (1884), and Yeomen of the Guard (1888). These operettas satirized the court and everyday life in Victorian times. Although he com­posed some anthems, in the area of church music Sullivan is best remembered for his hymn tunes, written between 1867 and 1874 and published in The Hymnary (1872) and Church Hymns (1874), both of which he edited. He contributed hymns to A Hymnal Chiefly from The Book of Praise (1867) and to the Presbyterian collection Psalms and Hymns for Divine Worship (1867). A complete collection of his hymns and arrangements was published posthumously as Hymn Tunes by Arthur Sullivan (1902). Sullivan steadfastly refused to grant permission to those who wished to make hymn tunes from the popular melodies in his operettas. Bert Polman
Arthur Sullivan

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