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Felix Mendelssohn, 1840 (words 1739). Excerpt, written out for reading practice.
Charles Wesley wrote the words in 1739. Just over a century later, Felix Mendelssohn wrote a cantata celebrating the printing pioneer Johannes Gutenberg (1840), and in 1855 the English musician William H. Cummings fitted Wesley’s words to one of its choruses. The pairing has been sung every Christmas since.
This is the first half of the verse, in G major. It sets out in confident quarter notes with a dotted rhythm on the third beat of each line, and reaches up to D5 for “Glory to the newborn King”.
The first verse is printed under the notes and lights up as the music plays. Words by Charles Wesley, in the public domain.
Hark! the herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King; Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”
Read the piece through once without playing, naming the starting note and looking for patterns and repeats. Then press Play and follow the notes as they light up. When you are ready, choose Practice this piece: it opens in the practice tool, where you can slow it down, play along on the on-screen piano, a MIDI keyboard or your voice, and have every note checked.