Angels From the Realms of Glory

View this hymn using FlexPresent: Hymnary.org's free tool provides this hymn's music notationand lyrics synchronized with its audio

Angels from the realms of glory, Wing your flight over all the earth

Author: James Montgomery (1816)
Tune: REGENT SQUARE (Smart)
Gospel Acclamation Songs
Published in 765 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF
Playable presentation: Lyrics only, lyrics + music
Audio files: MIDI, Recording

Song available on My.Hymnary

Representative Text

1 Angels from the realms of glory,
wing your flight o'er all the earth;
ye who sang creation's story
now proclaim Messiah's birth:

Refrain:
Come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn king.

2 Shepherds, in the field abiding,
watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing;
yonder shines the infant light: [Refrain]

3 Sages, leave your contemplations,
brighter visions beam afar;
seek the great Desire of nations;
ye have seen his natal star: [Refrain]

United Methodist Hymnal, 1989

Author: James Montgomery

James Montgomery (b. Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, 1771; d. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, 1854), the son of Moravian parents who died on a West Indies mission field while he was in boarding school, Montgomery inherited a strong religious bent, a passion for missions, and an independent mind. He was editor of the Sheffield Iris (1796-1827), a newspaper that sometimes espoused radical causes. Montgomery was imprisoned briefly when he printed a song that celebrated the fall of the Bastille and again when he described a riot in Sheffield that reflected unfavorably on a military commander. He also protested against slavery, the lot of boy chimney sweeps, and lotteries. Associated with Christians of various persuasions, Montgomery supported missio… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Angels from the realms of glory, Wing your flight over all the earth
Title: Angels From the Realms of Glory
Author: James Montgomery (1816)
Meter: 8.7.8.7.8.7
Place of Origin: Scotland
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Come and worship, come and worship
Notes: Spanish translation: See "Angeles de alta gloria" by George Paul Simmonds
Copyright: Public Domain
Liturgical Use: Gospel Acclamation Songs

Notes

Scripture References:
st. 1-3 = Luke 2, Matt. 2
st. 4 = Joel 3:2, Phil. 2:10

A writer of many Christian hymns, James Montgomery (PHH 72) composed this Christmas and Epiphany text and published it on Christmas Eve, 1816, in the Sheffield Iris, a newspaper he edited. Montgomery based the text in part on the French carol "Angels We Have Heard on High" (347); it was sung to that tune for over fifty years. Entitling it "Good Tidings of Great Joy to All People," Montgomery republished the text with small alterations in his Christian Psalmist (1825).

Perhaps because he knew the psalms so well, Montgomery expresses a cosmic sense in this text: he reaches from Christ's incarnation to the final great day. The text successively incorporates all creatures–the angels (st. 1), the shepherds (st. 2), the wise men (st. 3), all nations (st. 4), and all people (st. 5)–in the call to “come and worship Christ, the newborn King!”

The text was originally in five stanzas, although many hymnals now delete the fifth stanza. Stanzas 1-3 are from Montgomery's text, which was inspired by the Christmas stories in Luke 2 and Matthew 2. Stanza 4 comes from another Montgomery carol inspired by Philippians 2. Stanza 5 is a doxology (not written by Montgomery) from the Salisbury Hymn Book (1857).

Liturgical Use:
Christmas Day worship service; during the Christmas season and Epiphany (not only for the Christmas story, but also for the hymn's obvious mission focus in stanza 4).

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook
=====================
Angels from the realms of glory. J. Montgomery. [Christmas.] This hymn, which ranks as one of the most popular of the author's compositions, first appeared in his Iris newspaper [Sheffield], Dec. 24, 1816, in 5 stanzas of 6 lines, and entitled "Nativity." In the 8th edition of Cotterill's Selection, 1819, it was repeated without alteration, and again in the 9th ed., 1820. On its republication by Montgomery in his Christian Psalmist, 1825, No. 487, the title was, "Good tidings of great joy to all people," and the following changes were introduced:—

stanza ii. line 2, “flock" to "flocks”.
stanza iv. line 2, “Waiting" to "Watching”.
stanza v. line 3, "repeals " to revokes”.

These changes (together with the new title) were retained in his Original Hymns, 1853, No. 239; and must be regarded as the authorised text. By many compilers the closing stanza:—

"Sinners, wrung with true repentance,
Doom'd for guilt to endless pains," &c.

has been, in some instances, omitted, and in others a doxology has been substituted. That given in A Hymn Book for the Services of the Church, &c, by the Rev. Isaac Gregory Smith, 1855, reads:—

"Lord of heaven, we adore Thee,
God the Father, God the Son,
God the Spirit, One in glory,
On the same eternal throne.
Hallelujah!
Lord of heaven, Three in One."

Another found in the Salisbury Hymn Book, 1857, and others, including the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Church Hymns and Thring's Collection is:—

"Saints and angels join in praising
Thee; the Father, Spirit, Son!
Evermore their voices raising
To the eternal Three in One.
Come ye, worship;
Worship Christ, the new-born King."

Of the first four stanzas a rendering into Latin:—“Angeli, sancta regione lucis," by the Rev. R. Bingham, appeared in his Hymnologia Christiana Latina, 1871, pp. 79-81.
The use of this hymn in various forms in English-speaking countries is extensive, abbreviations being the rule. Amongst American Hymnals, the Hymns of the Church, 1869, and the Baptist Praise Book, 1871, give the full revised and authorised text of 1825 and 1853.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

REGENT SQUARE (Smart)

Henry T. Smart (PHH 233) composed REGENT SQUARE for the Horatius Bonar (PHH 260) doxology "Glory be to God the Father." The tune was first published in the English Presbyterian Church's Psalms and Hymns for Divine Worship (1867), of which Smart was music editor. Because the text editor of that hymna…

Go to tune page >


Timeline

Media

You have access to this FlexScore.
Download:
Are parts of this score outside of your desired range? Try transposing this FlexScore.
General Settings
Stanza Selection
Voice Selection
Text size:
Music size:
Transpose (Half Steps):
Capo:
Contacting server...
Contacting server...
Questions? Check out the FAQ

A separate copy of this score must be purchased for each choir member. If this score will be projected or included in a bulletin, usage must be reported to a licensing agent (e.g. CCLI, OneLicense, etc).

This is a preview of your FlexScore.
Baptist Hymnal 1991 #94
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
The Book of Common Praise: being the hymn book of The Church of England in Canada (revised 1938) #81b
The Cyber Hymnal #44
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #354
  • Full Score (PDF, XML)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
Timeless Truths #158
  • Angels_from_the_Realms_of_Glory.pdf (PDF)
  • Angels_from_the_Realms_of_Glory.xml (XML)
The United Methodist Hymnal #220
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
Worship and Rejoice #189

Instances

Instances (201 - 300 of 765)
Page Scan

Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (2nd ed.) #127

Page Scan

Hymn book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (4th ed.) #127

Hymn Service No.2 #d4

Page Scan

Hymn Tunes #6

Page Scan

Hymn Tunes #14

Page Scan

Hymnal and Canticles of the Protestant Episcopal Church with Music (Gilbert & Goodrich) #24a

Page Scan

Hymnal and Canticles of the Protestant Episcopal Church with Music (Gilbert & Goodrich) #24b

Tune InfoPage Scan

Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church #86

Page Scan

Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church #164

TextPage Scan

Hymnal and Order of Service #23

Page Scan

Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book with Accompanying Tunes (Second Edition) #72a

Page Scan

Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book with Accompanying Tunes (Second Edition) #72b

Page Scan

Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book #26a

Page Scan

Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book #26b

Page Scan

Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book #72a

Page Scan

Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book #72b

Page Scan

Hymnal for American Youth #73

Hymnal for children #d12

Hymnal for Christian Worship #d20

TextPage Scan

Hymnal for Church and Home #274

TextPage Scan

Hymnal for Church and Home (2nd ed.) #274

Page Scan

Hymnal for Colleges and Schools #51

Hymnal for Colleges and Schools. 3rd ed. #d16

Hymnal for Juniors in Worship and Study #d9

Hymnal for Sunday School and Social Worship #d10

Hymnal of the Church of God #87

Hymnal of the Evangelical Church. Word ed. #d32

Page Scan

Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #189

Page Scan

Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #189

Hymnal of the Reformed Episcopal Church, adopted in General Council, Chicago, May 1879 #d14

Page Scan

Hymnal with Music for Children #224

Page Scan

Hymnal with Music for Children #224

Hymnal, a Teacher's Manual. Vol. 1 #d5

Hymnal, Church of the Brethren #d23

Text

Hymnal #24

TextPage Scan

Hymnal #24

Page Scan

Hymnal #23

Hymnbook for Christian Worship #124

Page Scan

Hymni Ecclesiae #62

Hymns Ancient and Modern (Standard ed.) #482

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Edition #65

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard Edition #39

Hymns Ancient and Modern, Revised #64

Hymns Ancient and Modern #387

Page Scan

Hymns and Carols for Church and Sunday-school #22

Page Scan

Hymns and Offices of Worship #34

Hymns and Psalms #92a

Hymns and Psalms #92b

Page Scan

Hymns and Songs for Social and Sabbath Worship #163

Page Scan

Hymns and Songs for Social and Sabbath Worship. (Rev. ed.) #163

Page Scan

Hymns and Songs for the Sunday School #63

Page Scan

Hymns and Songs of Praise for Public and Social Worship #181

Hymns and Tunes for Children of the Church #d13

Page Scan

Hymns and Tunes for Schools #70

Page Scan

Hymns and Tunes #32

TextPage Scan

Hymns for a Pilgrim People #125

Page Scan

Hymns for Children and Grownups to Use Together #149

Page Scan

Hymns for Christian Melody #86

Page Scan

Hymns for Church and Home #65

Hymns for Public Worship in the Diocese of Fredericton. 2nd ed. #d5

Page Scan

Hymns for the Church of Christ (3rd thousand) #232

Page Scan

Hymns for the Church of Christ. (6th thousand) #232

Hymns for the Family of God #190

Page Scan

Hymns for the Living Age #117

TextPage Scan

Hymns for the Living Church #110

Page Scan

Hymns for the Sanctuary and Social Worship #225

Hymns for the Use of the Brethren in Christ #d26

Page Scan

Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. ed. #119

Hymns for the Vestry and the Fireside #d14

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #77

Hymns for Use in Divine Worship ... Seventh-Day Adventists #d49

Hymns of Devotion #d8

TextPage Scan

Hymns of Faith #124

Hymns of Faith and Life #119

Hymns of Glorious Praise #d25

Text

Hymns of Glory, Songs of Praise #324

Hymns of Grace #511

Page Scan

Hymns of Praise and Patriotism #23

Page Scan

Hymns of Praise Number Two #192

Page Scan

Hymns of Praise Numbers One and Two Combined #424

Page Scan

Hymns of Praise with Tunes #227

Page Scan

Hymns of the Ages #352

Page Scan

Hymns of the Ages #352

Hymns of the Christian Life #d18

Hymns of the Christian Life #d17

Page Scan

Hymns of the Christian Life #62

Page Scan

Hymns of the Christian Life #114

Hymns of the Christian Life #63

Page Scan

Hymns of the Christian Life. No. 3 #170

Hymns of the Christian Life. Rev. ed. #d22

Hymns of the Christian Life. Rev. ed. #63

Page Scan

Hymns of the Church, Ancient and Modern #22

Page Scan

Hymns of the Church #133

Page Scan

Hymns of the Faith with Psalms #60

Page Scan

Hymns of the Faith #57

Page Scan

Hymns of the Kingdom of God #37

Page Scan

Hymns of the Kingdom of God #37

Page Scan

Hymns of the Kingdom of God #47

Page Scan

Hymns of the Living Church #118

Hymns of the Saints #231

Pages

Exclude 658 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us
It looks like you are using an ad-blocker. Ad revenue helps keep us running. Please consider white-listing Hymnary.org or getting Hymnary Pro to eliminate ads entirely and help support Hymnary.org.