Bach's Christmas Carol (Johann Sebastian Bach)

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  • (Posted 2006-12-26)  CPDL #13294:    (1.9 Mb) (11 Kb)
Editor: Nigel Poole (submitted 2006-12-26).   Score information: A4, 5 pages, 101 kB   Copyright: Personal
Edition notes: adapted from the Gavotte in Orchestral Suite 4, the key has been lowered from D to G and notes redistributed to suit voices, and an introduction added (borrowed from 8 bars before the end), otherwise Bach's music remains intact. The score originally submitted in 2006 has now been replaced by a better quality version uploaded 2023-11-01.

General Information

Title: Bach's Christmas Carol
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Arranger: Nigel Poole
Lyricist: Charles Wesley

Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: SacredCarol

Language: English
Instruments: Piano

First published: 1885 in Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe, Band 31.1
    2nd published: 2006
Opus: BWV 1069 , mvt. 3
Description: After noticing melodic and harmonic similarities between the Gavotte from J. S. Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D and Mendelssohn's popular carol, Hark! the herald angels sing, I suspected Mendelssohn must have subconsciously (or consciously?) borrowed from Bach's Gavotte for this carol. In turn, I thought it would be interesting to create "Bach's own version" of Hark! the herald by setting the words of the carol to Bach's original music, in an arrangement for choir and keyboard. Bach's Christmas Carol is the result. - Nigel Poole, Canberra, Australia, 2006.

Note: New, improved version of score uploaded November 1, 2023.

See also: The popular and anthologised version by Mendelssohn, adapted by William H. Cummings


Original text and translations

English.png English text

Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new born King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"

Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.

Mild he lays his glory by,
born that man no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give them second birth.

Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new born King!"