King of Peace and Glory

As many of you know, O readers, I love to sing. I sang with my church choir through elementary school and various choirs in high school, then discovered a vast new world of choral singing in college. As a member of first one, then two, then three choirs, as well as taking voice lessons, I ended up spending more time every week at rehearsal than in the classroom. Ironic, given that I neither majored nor minored in music! (Theater and geology. Just in case anybody’s wondering.)

Since our winter concerts generally fell in early December, we sang a fair amount of Christmas music, and I’ve been pulling from that repertoire to title my holiday collections for several years now. In the Bleak Midwinter from 2013, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day from 2014, and Masters in This Hall from 2015 are all named after carols that I performed in college. So when I needed another title for this year’s collection, back to my old concert CDs I went.

Back of one of my choir CDs, showing “King of Peace and Glory” among others.

A few numbers in, I discovered a piece I hadn’t thought about for years. Entitled “King of Peace and Glory”, it split the difference between ancient chant and modern music in a way I found intriguing. The triple repetition of the “oh” in the refrain, or so we learned while rehearsing it, hints that the tune was originally a hymn in praise of St. Nicholas.

The good saint is associated with the number three because of his best-known legend, in which he threw three bags of gold down a poor family’s chimney, and they landed in stockings hung near the fire to dry. If that sounds familiar, it should. Why do you think Santa Claus slides down chimneys and tucks presents inside stockings?

But of course, besides being Santa, St. Nicholas was also a historical figure: the 4^th century bishop of Myra in modern-day Turkey, and the patron saint of (among many other things) children, sailors, archers, and repentant thieves. Why hello there, perfect inspiration for holiday collection #6!

However, when I sat down to start putting things into words, I ran into a bit of a snag. Judging by what I can, or rather can’t, find online, no one else has ever heard of this carol! I do tend to title my holiday collections after less familiar Christmas carols, but this is a little less familiar than most.

Fortunately, as mentioned, I have a recording of this piece available to me. Thus I can rectify this problem and make those lyrics (and possibly that recording, if people want it) available to you, O readers, and to anyone who might be interested. Here they are:

Sing we now for the birth
Of the Savior on earth;
O’er the sound of our mirth
Lift our hearts to heaven,
Wondrous gift is given.
(Refrain)
Ideo, oh, oh,
Ideo, oh, oh,
Ideo gloria in excelsis Deo!
(Therefore give glory to God in the highest!)

To his mortal domain
Filled with sorrow and pain,
He will come, He will reign;
Little lordly stranger,
Cradled in a manger.
(Refrain)

Wise men came from afar
By the light of a star;
Child of God, where you are,
Lay we down our treasure:
Thou of life the measure.
(Refrain)

Men of earth, let us raise
With the angels our praise;
Through the length of our days
Tell to time his story,
King of peace and glory!
(Refrain)

This carol, and the announcement of this collection, seemed like a good thing to post today, as we remember the tragic events of 16 years ago in New York City, in Washington, DC, and in Shanksville, PA, and with so many people currently suffering from hurricanes, forest fires, and other disasters. As terrible as life can be sometimes, things can and will get better. Please, no matter what’s happening to you right now, never give up hope.