Hark! a burst of heavenly music

1 Hark! a burst of heavenly music
From a band of seraphs bright,
Suddenly to earth descending,
In the calm and silent night.
To the shepherds of Judea,
Watching in the earliest dawn,
So they bear the joyful tidings,
"Jesus, Prince of Peace is born."

Refrain:
Sweet and clear those angel voices
Echoing through the wintry sky,
As they chant the heavenly music,
"Glory be to God on high."

2 Slumb'ring in a lowly manger
Lies the mighty Lord of all,
And before the holy Stranger
See the trembling shepherds fall.
He has come, the long-expected,
Full of Wisdom, love, and grace,
To redeem His ruined creatures,
To restore our fallen race.

Refrain:
So let angels wake the chorus,
So let ransomed men reply,
Chanting the celestial anthem,
"Glory be to God on high."

3 And this joyful Christmas morning,
Breaking o'er the world below,
Tells again the wondrous story
Shepherds heard so long ago.
Who shall still our tuneful voices,
Who the tide of praise shall stem,
Which the blessed angels taught us
In the fields of Bethlehem.

Refrain:
Hark! we hear again the chorus
Ringing through the starry sky,
And we join the heavenly anthem,
"Glory be to God on high."


Source: The Church Hymnal: containing hymns approved and set forth by the general conventions of 1892 and 1916; together with hymns for the use of guilds and brotherhoods, and for special occasions (Rev. ed) #666

• MIDI file from Carols Old and Carols New: for use at Christmas and other seasons of the Christian year #428
  
• MIDI file from The Cyber Hymnal #10230