It Came upon a Midnight Clear
Encyclopedia
"It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" (sometimes rendered as "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear") is a poem and Christmas
carol
written by Edmund Sears
, pastor of the Unitarian Church
in Lancaster, Massachusetts
. Sears' lyrics are most commonly set to one of two melodies: "Carol," composed by Richard Storrs Willis, or "Noel," adapted from an English melody.
composed the five-stanza
poem in 1849. It first appeared on December 29, 1849 in the Christian Register in Boston
. Sears is said to have written these words at the request of his friend, William Parsons Lunt, pastor of United First Parish Church, Quincy, Massachusetts
.
, wrote the melody called "Carol." This melody is most often set in the key of B-flat major in a six-eight time signature
. "Carol" is the most widely known tune to the song in the United States.
In the United Kingdom the tune called "Noel", which was adapted from an English melody in 1874 by Arthur Sullivan
, is the usual accompaniment. This tune also appears as an alternate in The Hymnal 1982
, the hymnal
of the United States Episcopal Church
.
and Lutheran Book of Worship
, omit stanza three, while others (including The Hymnal 1982) omit verse four. Several variations also exist to Sears' original lyrics.
Alternative renderings:
covered this song in his Billboard Top 40 album The Heart of Christmas (Cuor' Di Natale). In 2006, a recording of the song by Daryl Hall & John Oates hit number one on the Billboard
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
chart. Kutless
also recorded it for WOW Christmas: Green
(2005).
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
carol
Carol (music)
A carol is a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance-like or popular character....
written by Edmund Sears
Edmund Sears
Edmund Hamilton Sears was an American Unitarian parish minister and author who wrote a number of theological works influencing 19th century liberal Protestants. Sears is known today primarily as the man who penned the words to "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" in 1849...
, pastor of the Unitarian Church
American Unitarian Association
The American Unitarian Association was a religious denomination in the United States and Canada, formed by associated Unitarian congregations in 1825. In 1961, it merged with the Universalist Church of America to form the Unitarian Universalist Association.According to Mortimer Rowe, the Secretary...
in Lancaster, Massachusetts
Lancaster, Massachusetts
Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County...
. Sears' lyrics are most commonly set to one of two melodies: "Carol," composed by Richard Storrs Willis, or "Noel," adapted from an English melody.
History
Edmund SearsEdmund Sears
Edmund Hamilton Sears was an American Unitarian parish minister and author who wrote a number of theological works influencing 19th century liberal Protestants. Sears is known today primarily as the man who penned the words to "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" in 1849...
composed the five-stanza
Stanza
In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
poem in 1849. It first appeared on December 29, 1849 in the Christian Register in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Sears is said to have written these words at the request of his friend, William Parsons Lunt, pastor of United First Parish Church, Quincy, Massachusetts
United First Parish Church, Quincy, Massachusetts
United First Parish Church in Quincy, Massachusetts, is a Unitarian Universalist congregation, established as the parish church of Quincy in 1639. The current building was constructed in 1828 to designs by Alexander Parris...
.
Melody
In 1850, Richard Storrs Willis, a composer who trained under Felix MendelssohnFelix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Barthóldy , use the form 'Mendelssohn' and not 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians gives ' Felix Mendelssohn' as the entry, with 'Mendelssohn' used in the body text...
, wrote the melody called "Carol." This melody is most often set in the key of B-flat major in a six-eight time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
. "Carol" is the most widely known tune to the song in the United States.
In the United Kingdom the tune called "Noel", which was adapted from an English melody in 1874 by Arthur Sullivan
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer of Irish and Italian ancestry. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado...
, is the usual accompaniment. This tune also appears as an alternate in The Hymnal 1982
The Hymnal 1982
The Hymnal 1982 is the hymnal of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. It is one in a series of 7 official hymnals of the Episcopal Church, including The Hymnal 1940...
, the hymnal
Hymnal
Hymnal or hymnary or hymnbook is a collection of hymns, i.e. religious songs, usually in the form of a book. The earliest hand-written hymnals are known since Middle Ages in the context of European Christianity...
of the United States Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
.
Lyrics
The full song comprises five stanzas. Some versions, including the United Methodist HymnalUnited Methodist Hymnal
The United Methodist Hymnal is the hymnal used by The United Methodist Church. It was first published in 1989 as the first hymnal for The United Methodist Church after the 1968 merger of The Methodist Church with The Evangelical United Brethren Church...
and Lutheran Book of Worship
Lutheran Book of Worship
Lutheran Book of Worship is a worship book and hymnal used by several Lutheran denominations in North America. It is often referred to by its initials as the LBW, and in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America the LBW is sometimes called the "green book" as opposed to With One Voice, a...
, omit stanza three, while others (including The Hymnal 1982) omit verse four. Several variations also exist to Sears' original lyrics.
Alternative renderings:
- 1Peace on the earth, goodwill to all
- 2Beneath the heavenly hymn have rolled
- 3And warring humankind hears not
- 4The tidings which they bring
- 5O hush the noise and cease your strife
- 6And you, beneath life's crushing load
- 7By prophets seen of old
- 8Shall come the time foretold
- 9When the new heaven and earth shall own
- The prince of Peace their King
- 10And all the world give back the song
Recordings
This song has been included in many of the Christmas albums recorded by numerous singers (and many types of singers) in the modern era. For example, in 1965 Sergio FranchiSergio Franchi
Sergio Franchi was an Italian tenor.Franchi was born in Cremona, Italy. His father wanted him to become an electrical engineer, so he studied both music and engineering simultaneously. The family moved to South Africa in 1952, where Sergio worked part-time as a draftsman, while continuing to study...
covered this song in his Billboard Top 40 album The Heart of Christmas (Cuor' Di Natale). In 2006, a recording of the song by Daryl Hall & John Oates hit number one on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart. Kutless
Kutless
Kutless is a Christian rock band from Portland, Oregon formed in 1999. Since their formation, they have released six studio albums including their latest, It Is Well. The band has also released a live album, Live from Portland. Currently, they have sold almost 2 million records.-Biography:Formed in...
also recorded it for WOW Christmas: Green
WOW Christmas: Green
WOW Christmas: Green is the second release in the WOW Christmas series. It is the follow-up to the platinum-selling WOW Christmas: Red album. The double-disc album features 15 new tracks that are exclusive to this release. The album peaked at #54 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2005, and at #2 on...
(2005).