25 December 2020

Merry Christmas!

In 1719, inspired by Bible verses including Psalms 94-4, Isaac Watts, an English Congregationalist minister, wrote the lyrics to Joy to the World, perhaps the most published Christmas hymn in English speaking North America. According to the Wikipedia, “The tune usually used today is from an 1848 edition by Lowell Mason for The National Psalmist (Boston, 1848).” Joy to the World is one of my family’s favorites. It’s a fitting carole for a Christmas that needs an extra amount of joy.

This performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir features the Psalms’ call for trumpets that “…make a joyful noise before the LORD.”