"Hark the Herald Angels Sing", Christmas choir recordings and live performances that are sure to get you singing and clapping right where you are: The joy and excitement with singing in a choir during the holiday, and a Tribute to Duranice Pace.

Ever wondered about the profound significance behind some of your favorite Christmas hymns? Prepare to embark on a journey with us, your hosts Greg Thomas and Dorian Johnson, as we unearth the theological truths embedded in the beloved "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." We dive deep into its history, tracing its origins back to Charles Wesley in 1739 and its later transformation by George Whitfield. Along the way, we experience the wonderful arrangement by Samuel Tolbert and Greg Thomas. 

Greg takes us on a musical journey with full length versions of some great choir Christmas recordings and live performances that are sure to get you singing and clapping right where you are. We take a moment to recognize and experience those  spontaneous occurrences in church worship services, particularly during Christmas services, that have left indelible marks on our hearts. We share a heartrending performance by the late Duanice Pace, whose music continues to reverberate even after her passing. 

Looking ahead, we are eager to delve into the unique singing style found in gospel music. So, come, join us in preserving the beautiful tradition of choir and corporate singing, one hymn at a time, one choir song selection at a time. We're excited for this journey and always welcome your thoughts and ideas for future episodes. Let the singing begin!

Glory to the New Born King, Samuel Tolbert and Gregory L. Thomas - Christmas In Times Square, TSC Music
https://open.spotify.com/album/0mOtAPENy9wZOFuIuUzddv
https://music.apple.com/us/album/christmas-in-times-square/358722014
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Times-Square-TSC-Music/dp/B003HHTFC2
For CD copy email: [e-mail]

Samuel Tolbert, Sound of Joy Music Services
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChtJU18FQNHvHf5DZuSyv0w/videos

The Session Singers - TSC Music
O Holy Night, Broadway Inspirational Voices, Joseph Joubert & Michael McElroy
https://www.shazam.com/track/54170991/o-holy-night#:~:text=O%20Holy%20Night%20%2D%20The%20Broadway,Joseph%20Joubert%20%26%20Michael%20McElroy%20%7C%20Shazam

That Day, Clay Bogan - Christmas In Times Square, TSC Music
https://open.spotify.com/track/7LD3BfBWmaYvvXqW78TBDM
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/tsc-music/358722017
For CD copy email: [e-mail]

Live Worship with Gregory Thomas - Times Square Church
https://music.apple.com/us/album/lord-i-thank-you/394073884?i=394073951
https://music.apple.com/us/album/jesus-what-a-wonderful-child/394073884?i=394074049

Duranice Pace - A King Is Born, Christmas Celebration 2019

The First Noel - Clay Bogan - Christmas In Times Square, TSC Music

Send all inquiries to [e-mail]

Perpetuating and Promoting the Christian and Positive Idea Through the Medium of Music and Other Arts.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the choir room, season 1, episode 30 of
the Choir Room podcast.
Welcome to the choir room.
I'm Greg Thomas, your host, andI'll soon be joined by my
co-host, dorian Johnson.
Welcome to the choir room, beit a stance of farar and who we

(00:21):
like to call the fourth wheel,coleman Smacht.
This podcast is a production ofMetro Music and Arts, whose
purpose is to perpetuate andpromote the Christian and
positive idea through the mediumof music and other arts, and
this podcast exists to promoteand encourage two longtime
traditions in our society thatseem to be dwindling away, and

(00:42):
that is choir and corporatesinging.
We hope to revive theexcitement and joy experienced
with singing in a choir, as wellas inform and educate the
listener on all things singingand all things choir.
Now you can subscribe to thechoir room anywhere you listen
to your favorite podcast, and ifyou'd like to stay informed on
what's happening with MetroMusic and Arts, you can do so by

(01:02):
sending the word subscribe inthe subject field in an email to
mail at metro music dash artsdot com.
You've been listening to us andwe've been listening to you.
We've received your emails,your comments, your engagement
with our questions online, theCRQs, and we want to say thank
you for your participation andknow that we are in the process

(01:23):
of making some changes to thepodcast in the coming year.
Now, this first season was anopportunity for us to test the
waters, engage our conversation,get your feedback and find out
a little more about what it isthat you're looking for in terms
of choir room content, andwe're glad to say that your
input and our ideas have beenpretty parallel, and we're

(01:43):
looking forward to the changesin the coming year.
So stay tuned as we share someof these new ideas for the
coming year over the next fewweeks.
Now, before we do any of thatright now, dorian is going to
come with our hymn of the week.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Thanks, greg.
This week's hymn of the week isHark the Herald Angels Sing by
Charles Wesley in GeorgeWhitfield Charles Wesley's oh,
four Thousand Tongues to Singwas a past hymn of the week and
that hymn was a hymn written in1739, upon the first anniversary

(02:17):
of his conversion.
And this Christmas hymn wasalso written by Wesley in the
year after his conversion andwas written and inspired by the
bells he heard on his way tochurch in London on a Christmas
morning.
The original opening of thehymn began Hark how all the

(02:37):
welkin ring, glory to the kingof kings.
You might say.
What is a welkin?
Well, that is an old word whichmeans sky or heavens.
George Whitfield, the famousevangelist who was a friend of
Wesley's, actually changed thelyrics of the opening verse to
what we sing today Hark theherald angel sang and added the

(03:01):
newborn king lyrics as well.
In writing this hymn that takeslargely from the Luke narrative
of Jesus' birth, wesley declaresmany theological truths of who
Christ is and the purpose of hisincarnation or his coming in
the flesh.
In Luke 2, in verse 8, we readand in the same region there

(03:23):
were shepherds out in the fieldkeeping watch over their flock
by night and an angel of theLord appeared to them and the
glory of the Lord shone aroundthem and they were filled with
great fear.
The angel said to them Fear not, for behold, I bring you good
news of great joy that will befor all the people, for unto you
is born this day, in the cityof David, a Savior who is Christ

(03:45):
the Lord, and this will be asign for you.
You will find a baby wrapped inswaddling claws and lying in a
manger.
And suddenly there was, with anangel, a multitude of the
heavenly hosts praising God andsaying Glory to God in the
highest and on earth, peaceamong those with whom he is

(04:05):
pleased.
And so these verses in Luke 2,along with 2 Corinthians 5, 19,
which says that in Christ Godwas reconciling the world to
himself, not counting theirtrespasses against them, are the
basis for verse 1 of the hymnwhich we talk.
The herald angel sing glory tothe newborn king, peace on earth

(04:27):
and mercy.
Mild God in sinners reconciled,joyful.
All ye nations rise, join thetriumph of the skies with the
angelic host, proclaim Christ isborn in Bethlehem.
In verse 2 we read Christ byhighest heaven adored Christ,

(04:48):
the everlasting Lord, late intime.
Behold him come offspring ofthe virgin's womb.
And that phrase late in timedoes not mean that somehow Jesus
was late in his coming.
No, it means that after sometime when, after the promise had
been given of his coming for weread in Galatians 4 4 but when

(05:09):
the fullness of time had come,got sent forth his son, born of
woman, born under the law, toredeem those who are under the
law, so that we might receiveadoption as sons.
And the second half of theverse refers to John 114, which
tells us that the word becameflesh and dwelt among us.
When it says veiled and fleshedthe Godhead, sea hailed

(05:31):
incarnate deity, pleased as manwith men to dwell Jesus, our
Emmanuel, meaning God with us.
And then the last verse themesfrom many verses are included.
We sing hail the heaven born,prince of peace, pointing to the
prophecy in Isaiah 9 6.
Hail the son of righteousness,light and life to all he brings.

(05:55):
Risen with healing in his wings, pointing to the prophecy in
Amalekai 4, 2.
But for you who fear my name,the son of righteousness shall
rise with healing in its wings.
Mild he lays his glory bypointing to Christ emptying of
himself, taking the form of aservant that we read of in
Philippians 2, 7, and born thatman no more may die.

(06:20):
Born to raise the sons of earth,born to give them second birth,
all pointing to 1st Peter, 1, 3, which says blessed be the God
and father of our Lord, jesusChrist.
According to his great mercy,he has caused us to be born
again to a living hope, with aresurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead.
Indeed, during this season whenwe remember our Savior's birth,

(06:45):
we can truly say hark, theherald angels sing, and we
indeed should give glory to thenewborn king.

(07:10):
Father and mercy, mild God andsinners, make us smile joyful.
All the patience rise, join thetriumph of the skies when

(07:37):
angelic pose, proclaim Christ isborn in Bethlehem.
Hark, the herald angels singglory to the newborn king.
Joy, the herald angels singglory to the newborn king.

(08:06):
Father and mercy, mild God andsinners, make us smile joyful.
All the patience rise.
Join the triumph of the skieswhen angelic pose, proclaim

(08:31):
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Hark, the herald angels singglory to the newborn king.

Speaker 3 (08:57):
Glory to the newborn king, glory, glory, glory to the
newborn king, christ, the everlasting Lord, may in time behold

(09:42):
him.
Come all spring of the virgin'swomb.
Meld in flesh, the Godhead, seeMeld in kindness, he and he.
He has met with men to dwell.
Jesus has been manuel Hark.

(10:06):
The herald angels sing glory tothe newborn king.
Glory to the newborn king.

(10:34):
Glory to the newborn king,jesus Christ.

(10:54):
King of the glory to thenewborn king greet him and
Christmas Carol Hark.

Speaker 1 (11:11):
The Herald Angels Sing.
The official title of thisarrangement is Glory to the
Newborn King, recorded by yourstruly and the TSC Music team on
the project Christmas in TimesSquare, and you can find that
pretty much on all digital musicplatforms.
Now, if you're interested in aphysical copy, a CD version of
that recording they are inlimited supply but you can get

(11:33):
one before Christmas if youemail us at thequireroom at
metro music dash arts dot comagain, thequireroom at metro
music dash arts dot com.
Now, sam Talbert and I workedtogether in the late 80s, early
90s in Harlem and I believe wewere preparing for a Christmas
production at the time and askedhim if he had any music that he

(11:55):
wanted to consider.
Now, I wasn't necessarilylooking for anything original or
an arrangement, but I rememberhearing the introduction and
hearing him go through the songand thinking, sam, we have got
to do this song.
And in typical Sam Talbertfashion he humbly just said, hey
, do what you want to do with it.
Now, we did it that year and Ihave subsequently done it every
year with probably every groupI've ever worked with since then

(12:17):
, every Christmas, and I'vearranged it a little further.
That's the arrangement you justheard with TSC Music, so I
wanted to give a shout out toSam Talbert Sam Talbert with
Sound of Joy Music Services, andyou can find him on Facebook
and on YouTube.
Now, remaining in the Christmasspirit, I'd like to give a
shout out to a few more people,but before I call their names,

(12:37):
I'm going to let you hear themsing.
Now.
They are unofficially known asthe Sessions Singers.

Speaker 3 (13:09):
So this dB когоzzi began early, but Did it go that
way?
Long lay the world.
It's in an era of pining Tillhe appeared and the soul felt

(13:35):
his word A clear of hope.
A weary world rejoices.
You are on the brakes.
A new and glorious mind Walk onon your knees.

(14:01):
Only the angels present O night, o night, o night when Christ

(14:25):
was born, o night, o night,divine, oh oh, O night, divine.
Walk on on your knees.

(14:53):
Only the angels present O night, o night, o night when Christ

(15:16):
was born, o night, o night,divine, divine, divine, oh, oh,
oh.
Holy night, o night, divine,divine.

(15:54):
It was a holy night, o night, onight.

Speaker 1 (16:03):
O night, o night O night divine, ginny Pena, j

(16:28):
Marie Lopez and Cheryl Rochester.
Now I'm sure you're askingyourself why did I mention all
of those names?
Well, ratings, of coursethey're all famous.
Okay, none of them are famous,but they are special people.
And, as we are in this Christmasholiday, I was going through
some files and cleaning up somehard drives and making space for
some new projects and I beginto reminisce on the time and the

(16:53):
energy and the effort and thecommitment this group of people
had shown that year.
As I watched this live recordingof them Not professional
singers, but certainlyprofessional in their attitude
and their approach to what theywere doing, and as I watched
this video, I was reminded ofhow much trust that each of
those singers put in me to allowme to pull out of them what

(17:15):
some of them thought theycouldn't do.
So I don't take it for grantedwhenever myself or Dorian or
Mietta or Coleman say on thispodcast hey, you should be
singing.
It requires great trust for youto do that which you ordinarily
wouldn't do on a daily basis.
So allowing your choir directorto pull out of you what's in
you or allowing your worshipleader to lead you in song that

(17:36):
takes great trust and we don'ttake it for granted.
And so to that group formerlyknown as the Session Singers,
merry Christmas to you andthanks for the trust.

Speaker 4 (18:06):
The Messiah, the Prince of Peace from glory, the
pride of heaven, born to us thatday from the right hand of God,
to the arms of the Virgin andto the hearts of the people, the

(18:30):
rejected and the lost.
God gave His only Son that day.
He was a gift of us so we canbe saved, heaven on earth that

(18:56):
day.
And now we are changed.
We are saved.
The Messiah, the Prince ofPeace from glory, the pride of

(19:16):
heaven, born to us that day fromthe right hand of God, to the
arms of the Virgin and to thehearts of the people, the
rejected and the lost.
He gave His only Son that day.

(19:48):
He was a gift for us so we canbe saved, heaven on earth that
day.
And now we are changed.

(20:10):
We are saved For what time hehas for us.
New mercies have unfolded fromthe day that he was born and
rejected for something specialthis Christmas.

Speaker 3 (20:30):
I'll remember my first gift was on that day it
was a gift for us, so we can besaved heaven on earth that day.

(20:50):
Now we are changed, we aresaved.
He gave His only Son that day.

(21:20):
He was a gift for us, so we canbe saved, heaven on earth that
day.
Now we are changed, we aresaved.
You're in the choir room.

Speaker 1 (21:43):
That day on the same project, christmas in Times
Square, written by my dearfriend Clay Bogan.
You know, sometimes in choir,especially in church services,
things can be very spontaneousIn fact I like it when they're
spontaneous and there aremoments when the musicians don't
know what's coming, the choirdoesn't know what's coming, the
congregation is just in themoment, but they don't know

(22:05):
what's coming either.
But they can all testify to thefact that there is something
happening in the spirit or inthe atmosphere at that moment.
Now here is one of those suchmoments, unplanned, unscripted,
and there's a witness in theroom that's evidenced by the joy
that breaks out amongst2,000-plus people at the moment
still in the Christmas spirit.

Speaker 3 (22:50):
Oh, so holy.
You're beautiful, my love.
Oh, who told you that I wasgood?
Welcome to the angel's dance.
Shining glory, glory, glory,glory to the moon.
Oh, sing it, jesus, jesus,jesus, jesus.

(23:55):
Oh sing it, jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus, Jesus, jesus,
jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus,jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus.

Speaker 1 (24:06):
Would you welcome Dorena's pace.
Oh, go tell it off the mountain, over the hill.
That is the river.
Go tell it off the mountain andbe the right one.
Go tell it off the mountain,over the hill.

(24:31):
That is the river.
Go tell it off the mountain andJesus Christ is born.
Go tell it off the mountain,over the hill.
That is the river.
Go tell it off the mountainthat Jesus Christ is born.

(24:57):
Go tell it off the mountain,over the hill.
That is the river.

Speaker 4 (25:14):
Go tell it off the river, over the hill that is the
river.
Oh, I want to call you baby.

(25:37):
To the angels' praise, glory,glory, glory to the new born

(25:59):
king.
He was here, all by an angel,born in a lonely man.
The Virgin Mary was his mother,the Virgin Joseph was his
father, and three wise men camefrom afar.

(26:20):
They were guided by a sunnystar, just to see King Jesus
where he'd reign in a majorfield with a hand.
Jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus.
Oh, wonderful child, wonderfulchild, yeah, jesus, jesus, jesus

(26:43):
, jesus, oh, holy angel, oh,like the whole church.
Glory, glory, glory to the newborn king.
Jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus,Jesus.

(27:08):
The doctor and the sick room,face the and the fall, o, jesus,
jesus, jesus.

Speaker 1 (27:22):
Jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus, Jesus, to
the way we RS, jesus, Jesus,jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus,
jesus, jesus, Jesus, jesus,jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus, you
the very best, jesus, jesus,jesus.
You get you out of your midst.

(27:44):
Oh, Jesus, jesus, heal you,jesus, you live you, jesus.
Glory to the newborn king.
Glory to the newborn king.
Glory to the newborn king.
Glory, glory, glory, glory.

(28:04):
Glory to the newborn king.
Glory to the newborn king.
Glory to the newborn king.
Glory to the newborn king.
Glory to the newborn king Intypical gospel singing fashion.
That's the voice of Duranus Pace, who was with us in 2019 for

(28:27):
Christmas production, and wewould lose her to health
complications in January of 2021, about a year later.
Now let me tell you she couldsing this way all night and not
lose her voice.
There's an art to this kind ofsinging.
We have uncovered this methodof singing in the podcast and
it's clearly the contrast ofwhat you've been hearing from

(28:47):
our vocal coaches so far.
But we intend to cover thisstyle and the methodologies
behind it in the coming year,but right now, I want you to
look past the technique and pastthe methodology and experience
the electrifying and contagiousjoy as she and the choir sing
together with the people Music.

(29:27):
As we've stated in the past, wewelcome your comments, your
suggestions, your thoughtsregarding the content you want
to hear on this podcast, andwe've received quite a few of
them over the past severalmonths via Facebook, email and
other methods, and we want youto know that it hasn't fallen on
deaf ears.
We've used this first season tokind of feel our way through

(29:47):
and try to get a good handle onwhat the demand and the need is
from our listening audience, andwe think we have that.
In the coming weeks you'regoing to hear more about some of
the changes coming to the ChoirRoom podcast.
You will get to hear morechoirs singing church choirs,
school choirs, colleges anduniversities, community choirs
and more.
The podcast will also becomemore interactive, where you'll

(30:10):
be able to participate indiscussion with our hosts, guest
contributors and with oneanother.
So stay tuned to the Choir Roomas things begin to change in
the coming 2024 season.
You're probably wondering whereMieta is with our CRQ and where
Coleman is with our Thought ofthe Week.
Well, it's a busy season for allof us.
During the holiday we'reinvolved in music productions

(30:31):
and events and special services,and so we hope that sharing
some of this music tonight hashelped to get you in the
Christmas spirit.
So maybe now you're singing inthe car, or you're singing
around the office, or you'resinging while you're putting up
the tree, or just singing aroundthe house, but singing
nonetheless, and that you areexperiencing the joy and the
excitement that comes withsinging and a choir and comes

(30:54):
with singing period.
Make it a point to sing throughthis holiday.
If you can't sing out loud oryou're not comfortable singing
out loud, sing in your heart andit'll change your day.
I guarantee it.
I know that I'm better when I'msinging.
Enjoy this last song and besure to join us again next week
here in the choir room, as allof our hosts will be back and
we'll have some special guestswith us on next week sharing the

(31:17):
joy of singing during theholiday.

Speaker 4 (31:44):
Step one 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Speaker 5 (32:10):
Hey, ohh, ohh, hey.
You looked up and saw a starshining in these, beyond them,

(32:41):
afar.
And to the earth it gave greatlife, and so it continued both
day and night.
Noel, noel, noel, noel Born isthe King of Israel.

(33:14):
Noel, noel, noel, noel Born isthe King of Israel.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, oh, oh,the Messiah has come.

(33:52):
Lift your voices and sing.
Let us all, in one accord, givepraise to the King.
Oh, oh, oh.

Speaker 3 (34:08):
Yes, he has.
Lift your voices and sing.
Let us all, in one accord, givepraise to the King, the Messiah
.
Lift your voices and sing.
Let us all, in one accord, givepraise to the King, oh oh, oh,

(34:39):
the Messiah has come.
Lift your voices and sing.
Let us all, in one accord.

Speaker 5 (34:49):
Give praise to the King.
Born is the King.

Speaker 3 (35:03):
Born is the King.

Speaker 5 (35:09):
Born is the King of Israel.

Speaker 1 (35:19):
And remember, if ever we put the messenger before the
message, we have failed topresent an unblemished gospel.
I'm Greg Thomas.
Join us again next week righthere in the choir room.

Speaker 3 (35:55):
Thank you for watching.