Westminster Cathedral Choir is widely considered to be one of the finest ch… Read Full Bio ↴Westminster Cathedral Choir is widely considered to be one of the finest choirs in the world.
The establishment of a fine choral foundation was part of the original vision of the founder of Westminster Cathedral, Cardinal Herbert Vaughan. Vaughan laid great emphasis on the beauty and integrity of the new Cathedral’s liturgy, and regarded a residential choir school as essential to the realisation of his vision. Daily sung Masses and Offices were immediately established when the Cathedral opened in 1903, and have continued without interruption ever since. Today, Westminster Cathedral Choir is the only professional Catholic choir in the world to sing daily Mass and Vespers.
Richard Terry, the Cathedral’s first Master of Music, proved to be an inspired choice. Terry was both a brilliant choir trainer and a pioneering scholar, one of the first musicologists to revive the great works of the English and Continental Renaissance composers. Terry built Westminster Cathedral Choir’s reputation on performances of music – by Byrd, Tallis, Taverner, Palestrina and Victoria, among others – that had not been heard since the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and Mass at the Cathedral was soon attended by inquisitive musicians as well as the faithful. The performance of great Renaissance masses and motets in their proper liturgical context remains the cornerstone of the choir’s activity.
George Malcolm consolidated the musical reputation of Westminster Cathedral Choir during his time as Master of Music – in particular through the now legendary recording of Victoria’s Tenebrae Responsories. More recent holders of the post have included Colin Mawby, Stephen Cleobury, David Hill and James O’Donnell. The choir continues to thrive under the current Master of Music, Martin Baker, who has held the post since 2000.
In addition to its performances of Renaissance masterpieces, Westminster Cathedral Choir has given many first performances of music written especially for it by contemporary composers. Terry gave the premières of music by Vaughan Williams (whose Mass in G minor received its liturgical performance at a Mass in the Cathedral), Gustav Holst, Herbert Howells and Charles Wood; in 1959 Benjamin Britten wrote his Missa brevis for the choristers; and since 1960 works by Lennox Berkeley, William Mathias, Colin Mawby and Francis Grier have been added to the repertoire. Most recently four new Masses – by Roxanna Panufnik, James MacMillan, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and Judith Bingham – have received their first performance in the Cathedral. In June 2005 the choristers performed the world première of Sir John Tavener’s Missa Brevis for boys voices.
Westminster Cathedral Choir made its first recording in 1907. Many more have followed, most recently the acclaimed series on the Hyperion label, and many awards have been conferred on the choir’s recordings. Of these the most prestigious are the 1998 Gramophone Awards for both ‘Best Choral Recording of the Year’ and ‘Record of the Year’, for the performance of Martin’s Mass for Double Choir and Pizzetti’s Requiem. It is the only cathedral choir to have won in either of these categories.
The choir’s recordings include two discs of Palestrina on the Hyperion label – the Missa Hodie Christus natus est with motets for Advent and Christmas, and the Missa Dum complerentur with Pentecost motets and plainchant. In addition, the choir has recorded MacMillan's Mass and a complete Mass for Easter Sunday on the Herald label. More recent recordings include a disc of Victoria Marian music and Vaughan Williams’s Mass in G minor which was recorded last July.
When its duties at the Cathedral permit, the choir also gives concert performances both at home and abroad. It has appeared at many important festivals, including Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Salzburg, Copenhagen, Bremen and Spitalfields. It has appeared in many of the major concert halls of Britain, including the Royal Festival Hall, the Wigmore Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. The Cathedral Choir also broadcasts frequently on radio and television.
Westminster Cathedral Choir has recently undertaken a number of international tours, including visits to Hungary, Germany and the USA. The choristers participated in the 2003 and 2006 International Gregorian Chant Festival in Watou, Belgium, where they plan to return to in 2008, and the full choir performed twice at the Oslo International Church Music Festival in March 2006. In April 2005, 2007 and 2008 they performed as part of the “Due Organi in Concerto” festival in Milan.

Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Westminster Cathedral Choir Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconcile.
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic host proclaim,

'Christ is born in Bethlehem'
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.

Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

Hail, the incarnate deity,
Pleased as Man with to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.

Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,

Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the suns of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.

Overall Meaning

The first verse of "Hark! the herald angels sing" begins with the choir proclaiming the good news of the birth of the new King, who brings peace and mercy to the earth, reconciling God and sinners. The announcement is made with joy, calling all nations to join in the celebration of the triumph of the skies with the angelic host proclaiming the arrival of Christ in Bethlehem. The same joyful message is reiterated with a repetition of the opening line in the verse's conclusion. The second verse continues with Christ being adored by the highest heaven as the everlasting Lord. The miraculous event of his birth, coming at a specific time, as the offspring of a virgin's womb is noted, the Godhead veiled in flesh. The people are called upon to hail the incarnate deity, referring to Jesus as Emmanuel, pleased to dwell among men. The verse concludes with a repetition of the opening line of the verse.

In the final verse of "Hark! the herald angels sing," Christ is once again hailed, this time as the heaven-born Prince of peace and the Sun of righteousness, bringing light and life to all through his resurrection with healing in his wings. He comes humbly, laying his glory aside, born so that man may no longer perish but be brought to new life. The chorus is repeated for a final time to proclaim the glory of the newborn King.

Line by Line Meaning

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Listen! The messengers of God are singing,

Glory to the newborn King,
Praise the new King,

peace on earth, and mercy mild,
Peace and mercy to all on earth,

God and sinners reconcile.
God and sinners come together in harmony.

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
All nations, rise in joy,

Join the triumph of the skies;
Celebrate the triumph in the skies;

with the angelic host proclaim,
Proclaim with angelic hosts,

'Christ is born in Bethlehem'
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"

Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, who is worshipped in the highest heaven,

Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Christ, who is the eternal ruler,

Late in time behold him come,
Behold him arriving late in time,