Joy to the World

Joy to the World

for Piano Trio or String Quartet

“Joy to the World” is one of the most joyful Christmas carols ever written, and this vibrant arrangement is a festive addition to your Christmas sheet music library.

Its story is full of surprises. The words were written in 1719 by the English poet Isaac Watts, as a paraphrase of Psalm 98… and they were not meant for Christmas at all.

The melody is often credited to George Frideric Handel, and for good reason: its phrases echo several moments of his “Messiah”, from “Lift up your heads” to “Comfort ye”. Yet the tune has never been found among Handel’s works. It first appeared in English hymn collections around 1830, without a composer’s name. In 1836, the American composer Lowell Mason adapted it “from Handel” and paired it with Watts’s words, creating the carol we sing today.

Inspired by Handel, shaped by Mason, sung all over the world: “Joy to the World” is a perfect festive piece for your ensemble.