It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" is another commonly-used nativity song created by American composer, Richard Storrs Willis, who wrote the melody to an excerpt by Edmund Sears in 1859. Interestingly enough, the composer was a student of Felix Mendelssohn, composer of the melody for "Hark the Herald Angels Sing."

The song is played in 3/4 time, meaning that each bar uses a three beat count, as opposed to the more common four. There are two sections, but many of the same chords are used throughout, including basic chords and slight variations (D7, G7 and E7) of basic chords.

Use a downstroke strumming pattern to match the video. From there, you can experiment with other strumming styles. The G chord can be played in different ways to make transitions easier, as well as the F chord, which can be played in the three-finger position.

"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" uses the following chords:















Sing and Play!

- Played in the key of C major with a moderate 3/4 waltz feel -

   C          F        C    F      C
It came upon a midnight clear,
         F            D7         G7
That glorious song of old,
          C         F            C      F    C
From angels bending near the Earth,
     F                 G7          C
To touch their harps of gold:
             E7                           Am
"Peace on the Earth, goodwill to men
          G             D7               G
From heaven's all gracious King!"
       C            F          C   F      C
The world in solemn stillness lay
     F             G7       C
To hear the angels sing.

      C                   F         C       F      C
Still through the cloven skies they come,
         F            D7          G7
With peaceful wings unfurled;
        C            F             C   F   C
And still their heavenly music floats
        F        G7       C
O'er all the weary world:
  E7                         Am
Above its sad and lowly plains
         G            D7           G
They bend on hovering wing,
        C      F         C  F    C
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
       F            G7       C
The blessed angels sing.

   C       F                 C  F       C
O ye beneath life's crushing load,
             F              D7         G7
Whose forms are bending low,
        C      F            C    F      C
Who toil along the climbing way
         F         G7             C
With painful steps and slow;
         E7                          Am
Look now, for glad and golden hours
           G         D7       G
Come swiftly on the wing;
     C          F            C   F  C
Oh rest beside the weary road
        F            G7       C
And hear the angels sing.

      C          F            C   F          C
For lo! the days are hastening on,
     F              D7         G7
By prophets seen of old,
          C            F      C  F      C
When with the ever-circling years
         F              G7          C
Shall come the time foretold,
                 E7                       Am
When the new heaven and Earth shall own
       G             D7                G
The Prince of Peace, their King,
C           F                            C       F   C
And the whole world send back the song
           F            G7       C
Which now the angels sing.