The lyrics for this carol were written by Massachusetts pastor Edmund Sears and refer to ideas of war and peace. The most common musical setting was adapted from an English melody in 1874 by Arthur Sullivan. Musicologist Cecil Sharp, influential in the folklore revival in England, noted in his 1916 One Hundred English Folksongs that the words are "so corrupt, indeed, that in some cases we can do little more than guess at their original meaning" written by Alfred Hans Zoller, translation by George Cooper in 1890, music by Amanda Kennedy in 1883 The singing of carols was additionally popularised in the 20th century when Oxford University Press published one of the most beloved carol books, Carols for Choirs. The books in the Carols For Choirscompilation came to be viewed as standard choral texts throughout the English-speaking world and were profoundly influential; according to the composer John Rutter, they "changed the whole sound of Christmas for everybody who sings." Our 12 Favorite Christmas Carols Folkehøjskolens Sangbog. Odense: Foreningen for Folkehøjskolen i Danmark. 1989. pp.Numbers 43–69. ISBN 87-7001-189-3.

He is come in peace in the winter's stillness, like a gentle snowfall in the gentle night. He is come in joy, like the sun at morning, filling all the world with radiance and with light. He is come in love as the child of Mary. In a simple stable we have seen his birth. Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo! Hear the angels singing 'Peace on earth'. They could dress a cuddly toy in angel costumes, make their own costumes (after showing them images of the tough manly angels). Kommt und lasst uns Christus ehren" ("Come, let us praise Christ"), from Latin " Quem pastores laudavere" Words: Charles Wesley, adapted by George Whitefield Tune: Vaterland, in deinen Gauen from Festgesang by Felix Mendelssohn This carol represents the moment in the Bible when Angel Gabriel visits Mary, and declares she is to bear the son of God. The text quotes the Gospel of Luke, while the melody is taken from Basque tradition.Very popular in both Spain and LATAM, composed by a religious scholar (allegedly) of Castilian origin [26] Carols were being collected and printed widely by the 19th century. And in 1880, it’s believed the Christmas carol service was invented in Truro by an Edward White Benson, who later became the Archbishop of Canterbury. The ancient practice of Advent--the pre-Christmas season in the liturgical year--has recently had a resurgence among Protestants, who are discovering the beauty of lesser-known, minor-key, melancholy songs expressing the hearts of people who walk in darkness while waiting in hope for the light of Christ (Isaiah 9:2). In recent years, modern Christian songwriters have also made efforts to compose beautiful Christmas worship songs that feel timeless but still give new perspective on the well-known story of Jesus’ birth.

In Britain, this hymn is better known with GLORIA, the French carol tune associated with “Angels We Have Heard on High.” It is often called IRIS, after the newspaper in which Montgomery first published the text. When/Why/How: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t The Christmas Carols of Waddinge and Devereux, Hymns and Carols of Christmas Retrieved from https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/Images/Wadding_Devereux/christmas_carols_of_waddinge_and.htm 11 December 2017 tune: Michael Praetorius (1571–1621) written originally to the lyrics of Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming.

This march-like tune is hundreds of years old, and was used in Medieval liturgy. The melody is devotional and uplifting, with a much more complex melody than was common at the time.