Joy to the World is one of the most popular songs at Christmas. It began as a poem and is reflective of Christian interpretation of Psalm 98, written by English poet and minister Isaac Watts.
There were two additional people who collaborated to get us to the Joy to the World version we enjoy today. The second collaborator, George Frederic Handel was a German born composer. Handel, provided the tune for the North America version.
Finally, in the 1830s, Lowell Mason a Boston music educator began his work on the tune to Joy to the World. The tune usually used today is from an 1848 edition by Lowell Mason for The National Psalmist (Boston, 1848). Mason was by that time an accomplished and well-known composer.
“Joy to the World” has four verses, however the fourth verse is sometimes omitted.
Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let Earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
The ability and art of sharing music is wonderful. The talents of individuals and gifts they are blessed with fill my heart with joy. One of the best shows I have enjoyed watching shares from their set “Joy to the World” and I hope it fills you with joy!