The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is made up of some 360 men and women, all of whom are volunteers. There are many husband-wife combinations and many families have participated in the choir for generations. Choir members are currently limited to twenty years of participation, allowing new members to join the choir on a regular basis.
The choir was founded in August 1847, one month after the Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. The choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to support their organization. Choir members are not paid for their participation or performances.
Although the choir has traditionally been recognized for its sound quality, the most recent director, Craig Jessop, a student of Robert Shaw, has made changes designed to improve the overall quality of the choir. Jessop's efforts to add vitality to the choir's sound include the formation of The Orchestra at Temple Square, the 2005 addition of The Bells on Temple Square (a hand bell choir), and continual refinement of the choir's tone, enunciation, and repetoire. The minimum age for participation has been reduced from 30 to 25. In addition, new choir members participate in The Temple Square Chorale training choir, a combination music theory/performance school led by associate director and composer/arranger Mack Wilberg.
Good King Wenceslas
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel
"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."
"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather
"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing
The lyrics of Good King Wenceslas describe a scene of King Wenceslas of Bohemia looking out on the Feast of Stephen, which is December 26th. The song tells the story of the king's journey to bring food, wine, and wood to a poor man in order to alleviate his suffering in the harsh winter weather. Despite the brutal cold and snow, the king enlists a page to accompany him on his mission, encouraging him to follow in his footsteps in order to avoid freezing.
The song is a call to kindness and generosity, highlighting the importance of helping those less fortunate in times of need. The mention of Saint Agnes' fountain and the reference to Christian men at the end of the song suggest that this is a Christian hymn, although it has become a popular Christmas carol in secular contexts as well.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
The King named Wenceslas looked outside his window.
On the feast of Stephen
It was the day after Christmas when this occurred.
When the snow lay round about
The snow was covering everything around the area.
Deep and crisp and even
The snow was deep, fresh and had a uniform level.
Brightly shone the moon that night
Despite the cold, the moon illuminated the surroundings with its brightness.
Though the frost was cruel
The weather was very cold and harsh.
When a poor man came in sight
A destitute individual was spotted by the King.
Gath'ring winter fuel
The poor man was on a mission to gather firewood for warmth.
"Hither, page, and stand by me
The King called his page to join him near the window.
If thou know'st it, telling
He asked the page if he knew who the poor man was.
Yonder peasant, who is he?
He pointed out the poor man in the distance and asked about his identity.
Where and what his dwelling?"
The King asked where and how this poor man lived.
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
The page informed the King that the poor man lives some distance away.
Underneath the mountain
The poor man's abode is located under a towering mountain.
Right against the forest fence
His dwelling is adjacent to the fence of the nearby forest.
"By Saint Agnes' fountain."
The poor man lived near the fountain of Saint Agnes, a Christian martyr.
"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
The King requested the page to bring meat and wine along with him.
Bring me pine logs hither
He also requested the page to bring some pine logs for firewood.
Thou and I will see him dine
The King and his page will dine with the poor man once they've met him.
When we bear him thither."
They will carry the provisions to the poor man's dwelling themselves.
Page and monarch forth they went
The page and the King then proceeded to leave on this journey.
Forth they went together
The King and his page were together on their journey.
Through the rude wind's wild lament
They walked through the howling, harsh winter winds.
And the bitter weather
They walked through the icy cold weather bravely.
"Sire, the night is darker now
During their journey, the page informed the King that it's now night and the sky has become even darker.
And the wind blows stronger
The wind has gotten even stronger than before.
Fails my heart, I know not how,
The page was losing hope, feeling scared and unsure if he could go on.
"I can go no longer."
The page reached his limit and was not sure if he can proceed any longer.
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
The King encouraged the page to watch his footprints closely.
Tread thou in them boldly
In order for the freezing snow to be trespassed courageously, he must follow the King's exact path.
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
By doing so, enduring the winter won't be as harsh.
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
He won't feel as cold or be in as much danger as he would have been otherwise.
In his master's steps he trod
The page followed his master's steps carefully.
Where the snow lay dinted
He walked where the snow was already packed from his master's footsteps.
Heat was in the very sod
Even on the coldest ground, they could feel warmth.
Which the Saint had printed
This heat they felt was due to the footprints that were recently left by someone holy.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
So all the people listening, especially the Christians, remember this message well.
Wealth or rank possessing
Regardless of one's status or net worth.
Ye who now will bless the poor
Whoever now provides for the poor, financially or otherwise.
Shall yourselves find blessing
Will themselves be blessed with more than they expect.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID ROSE, DAVID D. ROSE, TRADITIONAL, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maren Denison
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel
"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."
"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather
"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
Grayson Cooke
I love watching this in the middle of June, let alone at Christmas. Jane Seymour is SUCH a great choice to narrate, and it's an absolutely fantastically put together musical retelling of this story. 100% magnificent
Trev Mac
+Grayson Cooke
did you know she was one of the main characters in an old James Bond movie
T5 L
I was in the Audience for this performance. It was magical, when the snow drifted down. All around Perfection. A memory I treasure as I was with my Mother and Husband. Merry Christmas!
MIKE BARKETT
Heard it for the first time this Christmas day Dec 25 2019 on the radio ,had to Google it and was overwhelmed by the narration and the Tabernacle Choir ,beautifully done
Walter The Musician
I love this! It is one of the Choirs most memorable performances. Jane Seymour... thank you so much! I've put this at the top of my Youtube Christmas Music playlist. I've looked forward to seeing it every year since it was broadcast. This is one of the best things on Youtube! Before I forget... Merry Christmas to everyone around the world!
BonnieDragonKat
This was my favorite hymn as a child. I grew up in a Polish/Irish family. Well done!
Gail Richardson
This has always been one of my favorites as well, and I'm also from a Polish/ Scotch-Irish family.
Daniel Romney Pyper
I just love the song of Good King Wenceslas, and this version has pictures too!! Merry Christmas to all
Art Heis
This is a near perfect spectacle of theatrical perfection. Well done to all. It's hard to believe this is all volunteers.
Makenna Adamson
Watching this now I always end up in tears 😭 the true meaning of Christmas within these stories is wonderful