Mariah Carey - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing / Gloria (In Excelsis Deo) Lyrics

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing / Gloria (In Excelsis Deo) centers on the announcement of Christ’s birth and the praise that follows it. The opening lines present the newborn Jesus as King, joining peace and mercy with reconciliation between God and sinners. Nations are summoned to rise in joy, while the angelic host proclaims Bethlehem as the place of the Messiah’s birth.

The Latin refrain, meaning glory to God in the highest, connects the hymn’s celebration to the angels’ song in Luke’s nativity account. Its repetition interrupts the narrative with direct praise, turning the announcement into worship. The words also place reconciliation at the center of Christmas: divine mercy answers human estrangement through Christ. By combining a familiar carol text with the Gloria refrain, the arrangement moves between proclamation and adoration. The result is a concise confession of Jesus’ kingship, the peace associated with his coming, and the glory due to God.