Heaken All, What Holy Singing

Representative Text

1 Hearken, all! What holy singing
Now is sounding from the sky!
’Tis a hymn with grandeur ringing,
Sung by voices clear and high.

Refrain:
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

2 On the plain, the simple shepherds
Watch'd their flocks the long night thro';
From on high they heard the voices,
Sounding thro' the heavenly blue. [Refrain]

3 See, within the manger lowly,
Wide the Christ child spreads His arms.
Raise to Him your joyful voices,
Sing we all Noel, Noel. [Refrain]

Source: The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal: official hymnal of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church #87

Author: Anonymous

In some hymnals, the editors noted that a hymn's author is unknown to them, and so this artificial "person" entry is used to reflect that fact. Obviously, the hymns attributed to "Author Unknown" "Unknown" or "Anonymous" could have been written by many people over a span of many centuries. Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Hearken all, what holy singing
Title: Heaken All, What Holy Singing
Author: Anonymous
Meter: 8.7.8.7 with refrain
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Gloria in excelcis Deo
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

GLORIA (French)

GLORIA is the French noel tune traditionally associated with this text. The popularity of this carol stems from its refrain–all those cascading phrases in which human beings imitate the angels' chorus. Try using the refrain by itself as a short choral introit during the Christmas season, perhaps w…

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Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #2233
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Instances

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The Cyber Hymnal #2233

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The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #87

Include 5 pre-1979 instances
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