This edition was prepared by Edmund Gooch — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Behold that splendour: hear the shout
Staff Notation • Sacred, Christmas
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Behold that splendour: hear the shout by William Knapp — Lyrics
Behold that splendour: hear the shout!
Heav'n opens; angels issue out
And throng the nether sky.
What solemn tidings do they bring?
Rapt at th'approach of Israel's King,
They speak the Monarch nigh.
Why does the King approach our land?
Comes he with thunder in his hand,
The merit of our crimes?
Shepherds, be glad: he comes with peace,
Not wrath, but universal grace,
To bless ev'n distant climes.
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About Behold that splendour: hear the shout
William Knapp's sacred Christmas carol, Behold that splendour: hear the shout, is set for SATB choir and sung in English. The text depicts the Nativity scene, with angels announcing the birth of Christ. It contrasts the King's heavenly splendour with his humble earthly arrival in a manger, born to die for humanity's sins. The carol emphasizes that Christ's coming brings peace and universal grace, offering gain to humankind through his sorrows and pain. It culminates in a plea for the 'mighty King' to dwell in the hearts of his people, drawing a parallel between his first stable dwelling and his spiritual presence.
