Words: Anonymous, before 1923.

Music: Gloria, old French car­ol. A slight­ly dif­fer­ent ar­range­ment is used by An­gels We Have Heard on High.

If you know the au­thor


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.

On the plain, the simple shepherds
Watched their flocks the long night through;
From on high they heard the voices,
Sounding through the heavenly blue.

Refrain

See, within the manger lowly,
Wide the Christ Child spreads His arms.
Raise to Him your joyful voices,
Sing we all Noel, Noel.

Refrain