There are (at least) two settings for this lyric by Edmund H. Sears; I’ve always preferred this lovely one by Richard S. Willis (1819-1900). Once again I’ve used the classic Alfred Deller recording as a springboard. My version uses samples from the Hammond Novachord and the Moog Multimoog alongside more modern textures from Native Instruments Massive and AAS String Studio.
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear by tobiastinker
“One of the first Christmas hymns written by an American writer and published in the Christian Register in 1849, “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” emphasizes the social implications of the angels’ message: achieving peace and good will toward our fellowmen in the midst of social difficulty. The writing of this text occurred at a time in American history when there was much unrest, including the foreboding of the tensions between the North and Southern States, social upheaval due to industrial revolution, and the time of the “Forty-niner” gold rush.”
- 101 More Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications (1982)
