Angels We Have Heard on High

Christmas Carols Explained, #12

I’ll throw this one to Groban and McKnight, who really rub some butter on those prolonged, macaronic notes. (I told you that word was gonna come back.)

This song was originally written in French, which means it was most likely conquered by the Germans and then liberated by the Americans. The French composer is unknown, the English translator was James Chadwick, a bishop.

The drawn-out singing of “Gloria, In Excelsis Deo” is meant to evoke the soaring of an angel, as one would do. The phrase means “glory to God in the highest.”

Personally I love the endurance test of the chorus. The few times I’ve participated in Christmas choirs, I’ve always looked forward to the tenor part of this song. It’s very sturdy, and makes me feel like I’m carrying something heavy over a long distance. There’s satisfaction in accomplishing it.