Joy to the World
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Music to touch your
spirit. . .
"I might
not be a religious man myself but I know good music when I hear it, and this is very
good! . . . I don’t think that I have ever given such high
ratings to so many songs before. But
the fact is that they are well deserved because the
music is amazing. Simply wonderful religious ballads and they
really get to your heart. . .everytime."
Fredrik Cole: Trax In Space
Joy to the World
Download
free MP3 audio file of the Christmas Carol Joy to the World
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Carol Joy to the World on live Internet Radio
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Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! the Savior 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.
Arrangement Copyright © 2000 Don Wigton
Download a free chord
chart of the Christmas carol Joy to the World.
Isaac Watts based this jubilant Hymn
on psalm 98 which declares, “Shout for joy to the Lord. ..burst into jubilant song
with music.” This melodic instrumental by Don with its lighthearted acoustic guitars
and delicate piano with a touch of joyous strings captures the excitement of this ecstatic
praise. We pray that you will filled with joy to the Lord as you experience the thrill of
praise to God that is captured in this piece.
Download
free MP3 audio file of the Christmas Carol Joy to the World
Listen to the Christmas
Carol Joy to the World on live Internet Radio
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featuring Wigtune hymn arrangements and praise songs
Song Story
Isaac
Watts is no doubt the greatest of all English hymn writers. Son of Nonconformist imprisoned twice for his religious views,
Watts learned Greek, Latin, and Hebrew under Mr. Pinhorn, rector of All Saints, and
headmaster of the Grammar School in Southampton. Isaac’s taste for verse
showed itself in early childhood, and his promise caused a local doctor and other friends
to offer him a university education, assuming he would be ordained in the Church of
England. However, Isaac declined and instead entered a Nonconformist Academy at Stoke
Newington in 1690, under the care of Mr. Thomas Rowe, pastor of the Independent
congregation at Girdlers’ Hall; Isaac joined this congregation in 1693.
Watts left the Academy at
age 20 and spent two years at home; it was during this period that he wrote the bulk of
his Hymns and Spiritual Songs. They were sung from manuscripts in the Southampton
Chapel, and published 1707-1709.
The next six years of his
life were again spent at Stoke Newington, working as tutor to the son of eminent Puritan
Sir John Hartopp. The intense study of these years is reflected in the theological and
philosophical material he subsequently published.
Watts preached his first
sermon at age 24. In the next three years he preached frequently, and in 1702 was ordained
as pastor of the Independent congregation in Mark Lane. At that time he moved into the
house of a Mr. Hollis in the Minories. His health began to fail the next year, and Samuel
Price was appointed as his assistant in the ministry. In 1712, a fever shattered his
constitution, and Price became co-pastor of the congregation, which had moved to a new
chapel in Bury Street. It was at this time that Isaac became the guest of Sir Thomas
Abney. He lived with Abney (and later Abney’s widow) the rest of his life, mainly at
Theobalds in Herts, then for 13 years at Stoke Newington.
In 1728, the University of
Edinburgh awarded Watts a Doctor of Divinity degree.
Watts based the lyrics of his song
“Joy to the World” on the last half of psalm 98. “Shout for the joy of the
Lord, all the earth,” the Scripture reads, “burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with
trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn -- shout for joy before the Lord, the
King.”
“Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let
the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before
the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and
the peoples with equity.”
Though neither this psalm nor Watt’s “Joy to the World” mention the birth
of Christ, this has become a favorite Christmas song. Indeed, a shout of celebrative
praise is appropriate when reflecting on the birth of Christ. This hymn lauds God’s
involvement with His people which began in a stable in Bethlehem and will culminate in His
Second Coming as psalm 98 speaks of. All of us, when thinking of the wonder of God
becoming man should “Shout for joy to the Lord. .” and “burst into jubilant
song with music.” This exciting hymn does exactly that.
When I started to arrange this hymn I had several different directions that I thought I
might go. I thought of creating a grandiose version of it complete with powerful strings,
ecstatic piano over a driving rhythm section. I considered just a piano version. Finally,
I opted for something in between with light-and-airy guitars with a piano floating above.
The result was a “Baroque feel” that enchanted Vanessa to such a degree that I
decided that the style should permeate the entire Wigtune Christmas instrumental CD
“O Come Let Us Adore Him.”
This turned out to be an exciting arrangement of this joyous praise hymn that I’m
certain you will consider to be very unique. (Vanessa says it reminds her of Vivaldi) In
addition, the venerate tone will most certainly lift your spirits to praise as you dwell
on the miracle of Christ’s virgin birth and His eventual return to earth as King of
kings and Lord of lords.
Download
free MP3 audio file of the Christmas Carol Joy to the World
Listen to the Christmas
Carol Joy to the World on live Internet Radio
More Internet Radio Stations
featuring Wigtune hymn arrangements and praise songs
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Wigtune Company, formed as a service to the body of Christ. Our vision is to
encourage scriptural worship in the Church by offering free praise music and hymns
performed in a contemporary manner along with a free on-line worship study book for
personal devotions, Bible study groups, Sunday schools, pastors, music ministers and
ministry training. The worship study book lends theological and historical
support to the use of traditional Christian hymn-singing in conjunction with praise chorus
singing. Click on one of the links below to enter into the Wigtune resource that interests
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Copyright © 1999 Don Wigton. All rights reserved.
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