Glory to God
Encyclopedia
"Glory to God" is a Christmas carol
popular among American
and Canadian Reformed churches
that have Dutch
roots. It is translated from the Dutch "Ere Zij God" and is one of the most beloved carols sung in the Protestant churches in the Netherlands
.
Whether the original text is the Dutch
"Ere Zij God" or the German
"Ehre sei Gott", the lyrics are inspired by the words that the angel
s sang when the birth of Christ was announced to shepherds in .
The hymn is thus one of a series that have drawn on that text, including Angels We Have Heard on High
, Angels from the Realms of Glory
, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
, and, by far the most ancient, the Greater Doxology or Gloria in Excelsis Deo
.
The music is attributed to F.A. Schultz, of whom little is known except for references by others that a Franz Albert Schultz wrote a song book while working at a college in Königsberg
in 1731. No copies of this book are extant. Dutch song books indicate the composition date as 1870. The music is grandiose in style, in the A-B-A form, with an extended, flowing double-Amen
ending.
In the highest, in the highest, in the highest!
Peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth
To the people whom God delights in.
Glory to God in the highest, glory to God in the highest!
Peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth
To the people, to the people whom God delights in,
To the people whom God delights in, whom God delights in.
Glory to God! Glory to God!
In the highest, in the highest, in the highest!
Peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth
To the people whom God delights in.
Amen. Amen.
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
popular among American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canadian Reformed churches
Reformed churches
The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations characterized by Calvinist doctrines. They are descended from the Swiss Reformation inaugurated by Huldrych Zwingli but developed more coherently by Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger and especially John Calvin...
that have Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
roots. It is translated from the Dutch "Ere Zij God" and is one of the most beloved carols sung in the Protestant churches in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Whether the original text is the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
"Ere Zij God" or the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
"Ehre sei Gott", the lyrics are inspired by the words that the angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s sang when the birth of Christ was announced to shepherds in .
The hymn is thus one of a series that have drawn on that text, including Angels We Have Heard on High
Angels We Have Heard on High
"Angels We Have Heard on High" is a Christmas carol. The song commemorates the story of the birth of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of Luke, in which shepherds outside Bethlehem encounter a multitude of angels singing and praising the newborn child....
, Angels from the Realms of Glory
Angels from the Realms of Glory
"Angels from the Realms of Glory" is a Christmas carol written by English poet James Montgomery. It was first printed in the Sheffield Iris on Christmas Eve 1816, though it only began to be sung in churches after its 1825 reprinting in the Montgomery collection The Christian Psalmist and in the...
, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
"While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks" is a Christmas carol describing the Annunciation to the Shepherds, with words attributed to Irish hymnist, lyricist and England's Poet Laureate, Nahum Tate....
, and, by far the most ancient, the Greater Doxology or Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Gloria in Excelsis Deo
"Gloria in excelsis Deo" is the title and beginning of a hymn known also as the Greater Doxology and the Angelic Hymn. The name is often abbreviated to Gloria in Excelsis or simply Gloria.It is an example of the psalmi idiotici "Gloria in excelsis Deo" (Latin for "Glory to God in the highest")...
.
The music is attributed to F.A. Schultz, of whom little is known except for references by others that a Franz Albert Schultz wrote a song book while working at a college in Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
in 1731. No copies of this book are extant. Dutch song books indicate the composition date as 1870. The music is grandiose in style, in the A-B-A form, with an extended, flowing double-Amen
Amen
The word amen is a declaration of affirmation found in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Its use in Judaism dates back to its earliest texts. It has been generally adopted in Christian worship as a concluding word for prayers and hymns. In Islam, it is the standard ending to Dua and the...
ending.
Lyrics
Glory to God! Glory to God!In the highest, in the highest, in the highest!
Peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth
To the people whom God delights in.
Glory to God in the highest, glory to God in the highest!
Peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth
To the people, to the people whom God delights in,
To the people whom God delights in, whom God delights in.
Glory to God! Glory to God!
In the highest, in the highest, in the highest!
Peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth
To the people whom God delights in.
Amen. Amen.