‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’

A detail from "A Christmas Carol in Lucerne," 1887, by Hans Bachmann. Public Domain

Every December at church services throughout the world, congregations come together and sing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” as part of Advent services celebrating Christ’s birth and his second coming. The soulful tune has become one of the Christmas holiday’s most popular contemporary carols.

And each year, when families and worshippers sing the song in unison, they are participating in a sacred tradition more than 1,200 years old.

A Latin Beginning

An illumination of three cantors in front of a lectern, between 1380–1415, by Pseudo-Jacquemart from the Psalter of Duke Berry. National Library of France. Public Domain

The hymn’s origin officially dates all the way back to the ninth century, though some scholars speculate its beginnings are even older. Its lyrics are a paraphrasing of a historic Gregorian chant recited during Roman Catholic church services leading up to the celebration of Christmas. The plainsong chant meant to be sung in harmony is known as “O Antiphons” and is still used during Mass today.

Centered around the celebration of Christ, each poetic stanza of “O Antiphons” relates to a biblical passage. The verses address God directly and honor his wisdom, power, and love.

By the 1600s, the Latin text was being used in German churches thanks to the work of Jesuit hymnists who incorporated the series of chants into their services. A published 1710 edition became the first official documentation of the sacred text reaching Germany, and by the early 1800s, “O Antiphons” had become an integral part of the culture’s worship music.

Advent Antiphons, 1300, from Master of the Dominican Antiphonary Meliacin (Castorepollux (Order of Preachers)/CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED).

Appearing in the Cologne hymnal “Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum,” the first line of the last stanza of “O Antiphons” would stand out as the most impactful. In Latin, it reads, “Veni, veni, Emmanuel!” This monumental phrase would eventually become the first line of the beloved hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

An English Translation

Stained glass window of Rev. John Mason Neale in Chichester Cathedral, UK. (Cropped image from Fr James Bradley/CC BY 2.0 DEED)

While working on an anthology of ancient sacred works, Rev. John Mason Neale stumbled upon the “Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum” hymnal. The English Anglican priest was also a religious scholar and spent time translating ancient Greek and Latin hymns into English. Of all the texts in the historic hymnal, he chose “O Antiphons” as his next task.

In 1851, he released his first series of translations, which included both a Latin edition and the first known English translation. The English version appeared in the collection “Mediaeval Hymns and Sequences.” He continued to tweak his translations over the next 10 years, with a finalized version debuting in 1861 in a renowned and influential collection of works associated with the Church of England, “Hymns Ancient and Modern.”

His original revision caught the eye of composer and chorus director Thomas Helmore. The translated texts were deeply moving, and he felt they needed to be set to music.

Helmore published a melody for the stanzas titled “Veni Emmanuel” in honor of the poignant “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” phrase. He briefly addressed the music when he published the song in the book, “Hymnal Noted.” He attributed the tune to a liturgical book he found in Portugal, but did not list its name. The lack of specifics caused great debate over the coming years, with some even speculating that Helmore wrote the song’s melody himself.

"Veni, veni, Emmanuel," 1907, from "University Hymns." Public Domain

As Neale’s English translation and Helmore’s stirring melody gained popularity, a mystery surrounding the origin story of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” gained traction. It led to a decades-long discussion among clergymen across Europe.

A Surprising Discovery

The long transformation of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” meant that its beginnings were murky. Religious scholars and priests searched for answers, and in 1966, a musicologist finally found a definitive clue.

While conducting research at the Bibliothèque Nationale, a library in France, music scholar and nun Dr. Mary Berry made a surprising discovery. Hidden in the archives of the vast library was a manuscript originally belonging to a group of French nuns associated with the Saint Francis of Assisi religious order. The manuscript dated all the way back to the 15th century, and its pages included religious texts used for various ceremonies. One of those texts included music that mirrored the melody to Helmore’s “Veni Emmanuel.”

"Monks Chanting," circa 1795, by Jean Jacques de Boissieu. Etching and drypoint with roulette. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain

Dr. Berry’s discovery provided a steppingstone connecting the popular Christmas carol to an origin dating all the way back to 15th-century France. But the historic manuscript doesn’t list a composer, so the beloved hymn still retains a wondrous air of mystery today.

A Melodic Bridge

New Standard edition of "Hymns Ancient & Modern." V4nco/CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED

The song’s phrasings, rooted in the ancient tradition of Gregorian chanting, along with its elegant melody, create a beautiful blend that congregations embraced on a worldwide scale. The 1861 inclusion of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” in “Hymns Ancient and Modern” sparked widespread popularity that extended far beyond churches. By the end of the 19th century, over 35 million copies of the book and its various editions had been sold. It was also being used in the majority of churches throughout England.

The melodic beauty of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel'' now emanates from churches and living rooms across Europe and America at Christmas time. The comforting hymn acts as a melodic bridge connecting ancient sacred music to contemporary worship while celebrating Christ and the hopeful message of the holiday.

"A Christmas Carol in Lucerne," 1887, by Hans Bachmann. The Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland. Public Domain

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