It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
101 Strings Orchestra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

It came upon the midnight clear
That glorious song of old
From Angels playing near the earth
To touch their harps of gold

Peace on the earth could will two men
From Heaven's all-gracious King
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the Angels sing

And I hear them singing
Sing, I do hear them singing

The first Noel the Angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay




In fields where they lay, they keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 101 Strings Orchestra's song "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" depict the story of how an angelic song was heard on the night of Jesus' birth. The first verse describes the moment when the angels played their harps of gold and sang the "glorious song of old" near the earth. The second verse talks about how this divine message brought peace on earth and goodwill towards men, as proclaimed by Heaven's King. The world was silent and captivated by the sounds of the angels singing.


The chorus "And I hear them singing, Sing, I do hear them singing" emphasizes the message of hope and peace that the angels' song brought. It represents a connection between heaven and earth, a sense of transcendence and a vision of the sacred. The lyrics also mention "The First Noel," which tells the story of how the angels announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds in the field.


Overall, the song is a beautiful expression of the joy and wonder of Christmas, reflecting on the essence of the season and how it brings together the spiritual and the earthly, the divine and the human.


Line by Line Meaning

It came upon the midnight clear
The event happened when it was quiet and still in the middle of the night


That glorious song of old
The beautiful music was a traditional melody from long ago


From Angels playing near the earth
Heavenly beings were close by, making the music with their instruments


To touch their harps of gold
The Angels were playing on golden stringed instruments


Peace on the earth could will two men
The message of peace is so powerful, that it can unite even two enemies


From Heaven's all-gracious King
The King of Heaven, who is kind and benevolent, sent the message of peace


The world in solemn stillness lay
The whole world was silent and peaceful at that moment


To hear the Angels sing
Everyone was listening to the heavenly choir singing


And I hear them singing
The singer is currently listening to the Angels' song


Sing, I do hear them singing
The Angels' song is so beautiful that it cannot be ignored


The first Noel the Angel did say
The Angel announced the first Christmas to a group of humble shepherds


Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
The announcement was made to specific lowly shepherds who were resting outside


In fields where they lay, they keeping their sheep
The shepherds were taking care of their animals in the open fields


On a cold winter's night that was so deep
The night was especially cold, and the darkness was deep and pervasive




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LEROY ANDERSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

LoveTheOConnor

Bravo, Jim!! What a magnificent arrangement, and performance by the 101 Strings! Your pictures are gorgeous! Thanks so much, this made my day!! Have a fabulous weekend, my friend :))

Jymster46

So glad you liked it, Heather! I love the song and I love they way they play it. I'm so glad you enjoyed it too. 'Tis The Season! Thank You So Much For Watching and here's hoping the season is a Happy one for You! Jim

頎頎

Beautiful Christmas Music

littlemisstatertot98

I played this arrangement at a concert in december :)

KW

0:40- Cello part begins, (Im just using this for practice font mind me 😉)

More Versions