Who wrote and composed 'While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks'?
It is believed Irish hymn writer and Poet Laureate Nahum Tate wrote 'While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks' in the late 17th century and it first appeared in the Tate and Nicholas Brady's 1700 supplement to their New Version of the Psalms of David of 1696.
In the UK and Commonwealth it is usually sung to the tune 'Winchester Old', which dates to the late 16th century and was adapted from chapter VIII of composer Christopher Tye's Acts of the Apostles in 1553. In the USA it is often sung to a a variation on a Handel aria arranged by Lowell Mason.
What are the lyrics to 'While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks'?
1. While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground, an angel of the Lord came down, and glory shone around.
2 'Fear not,' said he for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind 'glad tidings of great joy I bring to you and all mankind.
3 'To you, in David's town, this day is born of David's line a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord; and this shall be the sign:
4 'The heavenly babe you there shall find to human view displayed, all simply wrapped in swaddling clothes and in a manger laid.'
5 Thus spoke the angel. Suddenly appeared a shining throng of angels praising God, who thus addressed their joyful song:
6 'All glory be to God on high, and to the earth be peace; to those on whom his favour rests goodwill shall never cease.'
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