1) Three Roma… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least three bands/artists with this name:
1) Three Roman Catholic priests from Ireland.
2) A rock band from New York
3) For the Gothic Metal Washington DC. band, see Priests
1) The Priests are three Roman Catholic priests from Ballyclare and Ballygowan in Northern Ireland who have been singing together since they were children. After signing a $2million record deal with SonyBMG in 2008 they have been recording an album in Ireland, London and have been allowed to record in St. Peter's Basilica, The Vatican.
Their debut album was produced by Mike Hedges who has worked with, amongst others, U2, Dido and Manic Street Preachers, and is released on 24th November by Epic Records. It will be launched simultaneously in 33 countries and precedes an ITV documentary and PBS special in America.
Who they are:
* Father Eugene O’Hagan is of the Parish of Ballyclare and Ballygowan: Church of The Sacred Heart and Church of The Holy Family. Diocese of Down and Connor.
* Father Martin O’Hagan is of the Parish of Cushendun: Church of St. Patrick (Craigagh), Church of St. Mary, The Star of the Sea (Culraney). Diocese of Down and Connor.
* Father David Delargy is of the Parish of Hannahstown: Church of St. Joseph and Church of St. Peter, the Rock , Diocese of Down and Connor.
Record sales of debut album:
The Priests’ eponymous debut album recorded the biggest opening week of sales ever for a classical album.
The Priests, the album, shot into the UK album chart at number five in its first week and also topped the classical chart in its first week of release.
When the album was released in the UK, it was released in 33 countries at the same time and has already topped the charts in Ireland as well as making the top tens in album charts in countries as diverse as Spain, Norway and Sweden.
Around the world, sales of the album – which comprises spiritually inspired tracks such as Pie Jesu, Ave aria as well as great classical arias and traditional Irish - are soaring in the run-up to Christmas.
In the United States, sales are growing fast in anticipation of a coast-to-coast broadcast of a special two hour PBS TV programme about the group.
The trio are also the subject of an ITV documentary to be aired in the UK on December 14 telling the story of their incredible journey over the past 12 months.
The Priests, Fathers Eugene and Martin O Hagan, who are brothers and their schoolfriend of 30 years ago, Father David Delargy, are signed up to Sony BMG's Epic label under a unique deal which stipulates that none of their recording commitments will ever be allowed to stand in the way of their day jobs of parish priests in their neighbouring parishes.
The group is currently performing on tour in Canada and the USA and will be playing to massive audiences on a world arena tour next year. However, they will shortly be stopping all promotional work and other aspects of their recoding career in order to concentrate on the celebration in their parishes of the Christmas season.
They have promised that a substantial proportion of the money made from the sale of The Priests will go to various religious based charities.
Nick Raphael, managing director of the Epic label and the man who spotted The Priests, said: "It is incredible that, in the UK alone, their debut album has taken by storm an album chart in which it is competing with massive acts like The Killers, Guns N Roses, Leona Lewis and Dido.
"It is also an incredible achievement that, in terms of the classical chart, sales of The Priests have outstripped anything that Luciano Pavarotti or more recently Katherine Jenkins shifted in the first week of sales for any of their albums."
2) This State-of-New-York foursome embraces the mythic garage-rock-psych sounds of yesterday while creating the music of tomorrow in their own image. Hypnotic guitar lines, fuzzed-out organ and tribalistic back beats build the foundations of their unusual and original sound.
TALL TALES, the PRIESTS latest release and first for GET HIP was produced by the great TIM KERR in a whirlwind 4 day session at Saxon Studios in Rochester, NY. While maintaining their signature sound, the band has pushed their own boundaries, experimenting with guitar layers, feedback, vocal techniques and time lengths, creating an album destined for greatness. Spread the word.
"The PRIESTS have a sound that positively oozes with snarling, back street toughness driven forward with an infectious, primitive beat. Some garage bands come up with one good song and repeat it over and over again. The PRIESTS avoid this trap by coming up with one great song after another." -Sean Barry/COOL AND STRANGE MUSIC
"This is what rock'n'roll is all about - noisy, angry guitars and a real classic rock and roll look. Can't wait for their next release." -John Holmstrom/PUNK MAGAZINE
Joy to the World
The Priests Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His love
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
The Priests's version of "Joy to the World" is a joyful anthem that celebrates the coming of the Lord. The lyrics suggest that God has come to bring joy and peace to the world, and all of nature is singing in harmony to celebrate this momentous occasion. The song's opening lines are a call to action for people to "receive" their "King" on Earth, implying that the coming of the Lord is not an event that can be ignored or taken lightly.
The following lines suggest that people should "prepare Him room" in their hearts, indicating that true joy and peace can only be found when one has accepted the Lord into their lives. The second verse of the song is a celebration of the Savior's reign on Earth, as all of nature joins together to "repeat the sounding joy." The final verse suggests that God rules the world with "truth and grace" and reminds people of His "love" and "righteousness."
Overall, The Priests's version of "Joy to the World" is a celebration of the coming of the Lord and an invitation to people everywhere to embrace His message of love and joy. It encourages people to open their hearts to the Lord and experience the joy and peace that can only come from Him.
Line by Line Meaning
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let us all celebrate for the Lord has arrived!
Let earth receive her King
All the nations should welcome and accept the King of the world.
Let every heart prepare Him room
Each person needs to ready their hearts for His arrival.
And heaven and nature sing
Even the heavens and the world are rejoicing at His coming.
And heaven and nature sing
Repeat that the heavens and world are both celebrating it.
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing
Joyous sounds echo through the skies and nature.
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns
The Savior is here and now the earth is full of joy!
Let men their songs employ
Men should sing and express their emotions through music.
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
The entirety of the natural world should sing and dance!
Repeat the sounding joy
Let the joyous celebratory spirit echo and continue.
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy
Keep singing and celebrating this joyous occasion.
He rules the world with truth and grace
The King is fair, honest, and just in His rule over the world.
And makes the nations prove
The nations are proven to be good or bad based on how they react and respond to His rule.
The glories of His righteousness
His righteous nature is glorious and stands out.
And wonders of His love
His love for humanity is truly wondrous and beyond measure.
And wonders of His love
The wondrous nature of His love should be repeated.
And wonders, wonders of His love
His love is absolutely phenomenal and must be celebrated.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let us all celebrate because the Lord has arrived!
Let earth receive her King
All the nations should welcome and accept the King of the world.
Let every heart prepare Him room
Each person needs to ready their hearts for His arrival.
And heaven and nature sing
Even the heavens and the world are rejoicing at His coming.
And heaven and nature sing
Repeat that the heavens and world are both celebrating it.
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing
Joyous sounds echo through the skies and nature.
Contributed by Ian L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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HSF
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