Known for its exceedingly high vocal standard, the choir has worked with musicians including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Caldara, Antonio Salieri, Heinrich Isaac, Paul Hofhaimer, Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Johann Joseph Fux, Christoph Willibald Gluck, and Anton Bruckner.
The choir is the modern-day descendant of the boys' choirs of the Viennese Court, dating back to the late Middle Ages. The choir was, for practical purposes, established by a letter written by Maximilian I on 7 July 1498. In the letter the Emperor instructed court officials to employ a singing master, two basses and six boys. A Slovene, Jurij Slatkonja, became the director of the ensemble.
The role of the choir (numbering between fourteen and twenty) was to provide musical accompaniment to the church mass. The boys received a solid musical education, which in most cases had a significant impact on the rest of their lives, as many went on to become professional musicians. Composers Jacobus Gallus, Franz Schubert, and conductors Hans Richter, Felix Mottl and Clemens Krauss were members of the choir.[1]
In 1920 the Hofkapelle (court musicians) was disbanded. However, the rector at the time, Josef Schnitt, sought a continuation of the tradition. In 1924 the "Vienna Boys' Choir" was officially founded and has extended into being a professional music group. Since 1948 the Palais Augarten has served as their rehearsal venue and boarding school which goes from kindergarten level up to middle school level.
The choir is a private, not-for-profit organization. There are approximately 100 choristers between the ages of ten and fourteen. The boys are divided into four touring choirs, which perform about 300 concerts each year in front of almost 500,000 people. Each group tours for about nine to eleven weeks.
Dr. Eugen Jesser became the choir's president in 2001 and its director in 2003. Gerald Wirth became the choir's artistic director in 2001.
Angels We Have Heard on High
Vienna Boys Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweetly singing o'er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echos in their joyous strains
Glor-or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or-ria
In excelsis Deo!
Glor-or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or-ria
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your gladtime strain prolong?
Say what may the tidings be?
Which inspire your heavenly song?
Glor-or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or-ria
In excelsis Deo!
Glor-or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or-ria
In excelsis De-e-o!
Come to Bethl'em, come and see
Whose birth the angels sing
Come, adore on bended knee
The infant Christ, the newborn King
Glor-or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or-ria
In excelsis Deo!
Glor-or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or-ria
In excelsis De-e-o!
The Vienna Boys Choir's rendition of "Angels We Have Heard On High" is a classic holiday tune that evokes feelings of warmth and joy. The song begins with the image of angels singing sweetly over the plains, and the mountains echoing back their joyous strains. The repetition of "Glor-or-or-or-or-or" and "Or-or-or-or-or" creates a sense of awe and wonder, as if the listener is right there among the celestial choir. This section of the song is especially important as it features the refrain "In excelsis Deo," which is Latin for "Glory to God in the highest," a phrase that has been synonymous with Christmas for centuries.
The second verse features shepherds wondering about the cause of the jubilee they hear in the distance. The question "Say what may the tidings be?" is immediately answered through the joyful refrains of the angels. They invite the shepherds to go to Bethlehem and witness the great event that is unfolding. The third and final verse directly invites the listener to come and see the newborn king, emphasizing the humility of Christ's birth as something to be adored on bended knee.
Overall, the song is a joyful ode to the birth of Christ and the role played by the heavenly hosts in announcing the event to the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Angels we have heard on high
We have heard the angels sweetly singing over the plains
Sweetly singing o'er the plains
The angels were singing delightfully over the plains
And the mountains in reply
The mountains replied with echoes to the angels' joyous strains
Echos in their joyous strains
The mountains echoed the joyful songs of the angels
Glor-or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or, Or-or-or-or-or-ria
Glory to God in the highest!
In excelsis Deo!
Praise be to God in the highest!
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why are the shepherds so joyous?
Why your gladtime strain prolong?
Why do you continue to sing such a happy song?
Say what may the tidings be?
What is the news that inspires your heavenly song?
Which inspire your heavenly song?
What is the inspiration for your joyful song?
Come to Bethl'em, come and see
Come to Bethlehem and see for yourself
Whose birth the angels sing
The angels are singing about a special baby's birth
Come, adore on bended knee
Come and worship on your knees
The infant Christ, the newborn King
Worship the newborn King, the infant Christ
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: . TRADITIONAL, WILLIAM GOLDENBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind