O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!
Come, and behold Him, born the King of angels!
John Francis Wade (English); Translator: Frederick Oakeley (1841)
Merchandising America has pushed forward the beginning of the holidays so cash registers have more time to ring. We'll be taking advantage this year of the few extra weeks of seasonal good cheer (ushered in by Black Friday!) to present a special series, Carols and Countries, where we'll match artworks of the Christmas story from around the world to the lyrics of carols from their country of origin. We begin with Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful), a Christmas classic many believe dates from the age of medieval Gregorian chants because of its original Latin text, but the music-loved carol is most often attributed to an 18th century English Roman Catholic hymnist living at the time of its composition in exile in France. The wood engraving of common folk summoned to the Manger by an angel trumpeter is the work of English Artist Eric Gill (John Kohan)