Quote of the Day : Hark! The Herald Angels Sing & Birth of Christ

December 23, 2021 QUOTE OF THE DAY

Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth, and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful, all ye nations, rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With th’ angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Har, the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Hark! the herald angels sing

Origins of the Quote

A traditional carol, which has the right mix of reverence, serenity, and warmth to celebrate the Nativity. It’s warming of the heart every time it is heard.

With lyrics written by Charles Wesley, and set to a tune by Mendelssohn, this carol was always going to be one of the most recognizable and popular.

The Person Behind the Words

Charles Wesley was born in Epworth, Lincolnshire in 1707. His father was an Anglican cleric and poet – Samuel Wesley, his wife was Susanna. He was a younger brother of Methodist founder John Wesley and Anglican cleric Samuel Wesley the Younger, and he became the father of musician Samuel Wesley and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley.

Charles studied at Oxford University, where his brothers had also studied, and he formed the “Holy Club” among his fellow students in 1729. John Wesley later joined this group, as did George Whitefield. He followed his father and brother into the church in 1735, and he traveled with John to Georgia in America. He returned a year later.

Following their evangelical conversions in 1738, the brothers journeyed throughout Britain, converting followers to the Methodist revival through preaching and hymn-singing. In 1749, he married Sarah Gwynne, daughter of a Welsh gentleman who had been converted to Methodism by Howell Harris. From 1756 he ministered in Bristol, and later London, where he remained.

Some Final Thoughts

Hark the Herald Angels Sing embodies the spirit of Christmas. The solemn reverence that it brings and a yearning to be near the Divine and celebrate the Divine. The soulful melody is one that is established permanently once one hears it sung. A hymn that brings peace and comfort to the mind and the soul.

Check out our Quote of the Day archive where we bring you quotes hand picked by me, Divvya Nirula. Sharing the stories, people, moments behind the inspiration and thought provoking words.

Have you ever wondered how intense tragedy creates the greatest works of Art, be it at a personal, communal, social, or then national and global level. It is this very linkage that brings me to explore and present to you the connection between Art & War. From the Greeks to present day Contemporary Artists – there is a curiosity and a preoccupation for many with this subject. Perhaps because it calls to our very innate nature of self, calling into question our mortality and our purpose. The violence of war and the after-effects are always felt across generations on both sides, for the victors as well as for the vanquished, subjugated and conquered. We see this manifest in the glorification of the subjects of war, and at times the very opposite – a rejection or a challenge of the war itself. Some visual representations take on a narrative style, whilst others explore it in a more abstract manner. Both types often directly or indirectly use symbols of war, or even the military objects themselves to represent support and/or dissent. This nature of the creative human spirit to seek an outlet for these victories and tragedies is seen time and time again across civilisations, cultures and social landscapes. This month I’d like to share not only some key artworks that have been left behind for us to look at our histories of violence, suffering and alternatively our histories of triumph and fortitude.