The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a large choir of The Church of Jesus Christ … Read Full Bio ↴The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a large choir of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons). Since July 15, 1929, the choir has performed a weekly radio broadcast called Music and the Spoken Word which is the longest-running continuous network broadcast in the world. The show has been televised since the early 1960s and is now broadcast worldwide through some 1,500 radio, television, and cable stations.

Called "America's Choir" by U.S. President Ronald Reagan, 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.

Angels We Have Heard on High
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Angels we have heard on high
Singing sweetly through the night
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their brave delight

Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why these songs of happy cheer?
What great brightness did you see?
What glad tiding did you hear?

Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord, the new born king

Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo

See Him in a manger laid
Whom the angels praise above
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid
While we raise our hearts in love

Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo

Overall Meaning

The song "Angels We Have Heard on High" is a traditional Christmas carol that tells the story of the angels announcing the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in Bethlehem. The lyrics describe how the angels sang sweetly through the night and that the mountains echoed back their message of joy. The Latin phrase "Gloria in excelsis Deo" is repeated throughout the song, which means "Glory to God in the highest." It is a song that invites the listener to join in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The second verse of the song specifically addresses the shepherds who were visited by the angels. It asks them why they are so jubilant and what they saw that brought them such happiness. The answer, of course, is the news of the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem. The third verse of the song encourages listeners to go to Bethlehem to see the newborn king and adore him on bended knee. The final verse asks Mary and Joseph to assist in raising their hearts in love as they worship the newborn king.

Line by Line Meaning

Angels we have heard on high
We have heard angels singing beautifully through the night.

Singing sweetly through the night
They are singing in a pleasant and melodious way during the night.

And the mountains in reply
The mountains echo back their joyful sounds.

Echoing their brave delight
The mountains are joyfully repeating the angel's song.

Gloria in excelsis Deo
Glory to God in the highest.

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Shepherds, why are you so celebratory?

Why these songs of happy cheer?
Why are you singing such happy songs?

What great brightness did you see?
What amazing, bright light did you witness?

What glad tidings did you hear?
What good news did you receive?

Come to Bethlehem and see
Come to Bethlehem and witness.

Him whose birth the angels sing
See the one whom the angels are singing about, who was born.