The other tune, FOREST GREEN is an English folk tune transcribed and arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1903. Though the origin of the name of the tune is unclear, it was probably named after the composer by the publisher of The Church Porch of 1874, where this hymn was first published (with “Lewis” altered to “Louis”). Brooks nor I ever thought the carol or the music to it would live beyond that Christmas of 1868.” However, this tune and text pairing has lasted over one hundred forty years, and is one of the best-loved American Christmas hymns. Redner delayed composing the tune until the night before it was to be sung for the first time, on December 27, 1868. LOUIS was commissioned by Brooks for the text in 1868 from the organist for Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Lewis Redner. There are two tunes in common use with this text, and some hymnals include both. The final stanza is a prayer that Christ would come and transform our lives. The heraldic chorus of angels is minimized in the lines “While mortals sleep, the angels keep The hymn focuses on the relative silence of the birth of Christ – Bethlehem was just a little town, and only a few people paid attention to the event. It was originally written in five stanzas, but the fourth is usually omitted. That year, he commissioned a tune for it from his church organist so that it could be sung at the Sunday school service at his church for Christmas on December 27, 1868. This hymn was probably inspired by this journey, but Brooks did not complete the hymn until 1868. At that time, Brooks was rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. He rode on horseback through the fields around Bethlehem, and attended the Church of the Nativity on Christmas Eve. In 1865, Phillips Brooks spent some time in Israel, and was in Bethlehem for Christmas.
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