Angels We Have Heard On High

Starfield's “Angels We Have Heard On High” is a rendition of the traditional French carol that retells the shepherds' night in Bethlehem. The words are the familiar ones, set to a band arrangement that keeps the old tune recognizable while giving the refrain room to build.

The first verse pictures angels “sweetly singing o'er the plains” while the mountains answer, echoing their joyous strains. Every verse ends on the Latin shout “Gloria, in excelsis Deo,” which means glory to God in the highest, and the song lets that line repeat so listeners can join in. The second verse turns from hearing to going. It invites people to come to Bethlehem and see the newborn King, to adore on bended knee, and to recognize Christ the Lord as the one the angels sing about. The third verse looks at the manger itself, where choirs of angels praise the child, and asks Mary and Joseph to lend their aid while hearts raise their love. The carol is short, and the attention stays on worship over scenery. Congregations can use it at an Advent service, a candlelight evening or a family sing-along, and its familiarity makes it welcome for children as well. Starfield's version is a good pick for anyone who wants the classic text with a modern worship sound.

The angelic chorus is in Luke 2:13-14. The visitors seeking the child are in Matthew 2:1-2, and the manger is in Luke 2:7.