Shepherds, Rejoice!

With this sturdy folk carol from The Sacred Harp collection we celebrate the joyful aspect of the Christmas season. I have kept the straightforward feeling of the original setting and added a bit of harmonic variation through the use of canonic textures and the Lydian mode. The changing time signatures help to emphasize important words and syllables, while the refrain ‘rejoice’ gives us time to absorb the message of each verse.

SHEPHERDS, REJOICE!

Shepherds, rejoice! lift up your eyes,
And send your fears away;
News from the regions of the skies,
A Savior’s born today.
Jesus, the God whom angels fear,
Comes down to dwell with you;
Today He makes His entrance here,
But not as monarchs do.

No gold nor purple swaddling bands,
Nor royal shining things;
A manger for His cradle stands,
And holds the King of kings.
Go, shepherds, where the infant lies,
And see His humble throne
With tears of joy in all your eyes,
Go, shepherds, kiss the Son.

Thus Gabriel sang and straight around
The heav’nly armies throng;
They tune their harps to lofty sound,
And thus conclude their song:
“Glory to God who reigns above!
Let peace surround the earth!
Mortals shall know their Maker’s love
At their Redeemer’s birth.”

Isaac Watts (1707)