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Brightest and Best/Star of the East
Shape-Note Gospel by Kathy Mattea on Good News from Southern Harmony 1835;
ARTIST: Brightest and Best (Star of the East) by Kathy Mattea on Good News
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/walker/harmony/files/hymn/Star_in_the_East.html
Tim Erikson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-SbqHjqNsk
CATEGORY: Traditional Shape-Note Gospel;
DATE: 1811; Southern Harmony 1835
RECORDING INFO: Brightest and Best
Us - Star in the East
Ritchie, Jean. Carols of All Seasons, Tradition TLP 1031, CD (1959), trk# 6
Kathy Mattea on Good News
OTHER NAMES: "Happy Land"
SOURCES: Southern Harmony; Smithsonian Folkways
NOTES: "Brightest and Best" or "Star in the East" comes from Kathy Mattea on her CD, Good News. Below are two standard versions, Mattea's version uses the 1835
Southern Harmony lyrics which are slightly different.
BRIGHTEST AND BEST OF THE SONS OF THE MORNING- “Reginald Heber (1783-1826)
Words: Reginald Heber, 1811. Heber originally wrote this hymn for the Feast of the Epiphany. It was first published in the Christian Observer in 1811, but did not appear in hymnals until after Heber’s death.
Music: Morning Star, James P. Harding, 1892, the tune was written to be used at the Gifford Hall Mission in London. Alternate tunes: Epiphany (Thrupp), Joseph F. Thrupp, in Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship, by Turle, 1853; Epiphany (Wesley), Samuel S. Wesley, in Kemble’s Selection, 1864 Liebster Immanuel, Himmels-Lust, 1679; adapted by Johann S. Bach; St. Ninian, John B. Dykes, 1866;
Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are shining;
Low lies His head with the beasts of the stall;
Angels adore Him in slumber reclining,
Maker and Monarch and Savior of all!
Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion,
Odors of Edom and offerings divine?
Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine?
Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
Vainly with gifts would His favor secure;
Richer by far is the heart’s adoration,
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
Star in the East- Southern Harmony no. 16
First Line: Hail the blest morn, see the great Mediator
Source: Baptist Harmony, p. 35
Meter: 10, 11
1. Hail the blest morn, see the great Mediator,
Down from the regions of glory descend!
Shepherds, go worship the babe in the manger,
Lo, for his guard the bright angels attend.
Refrain: Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
2. Cold on his cradle the dewdrops are shining;
Low lies his bed with the beasts of the stall;
Angels adore him, in slumbers reclining,
Wise men and shepherds before him do fall.
3. Say, shall we yield him, in costly devotion,
Odors of Eden and offerings divine?
Gems from the mountain, and pearls from the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest, and gold from the mine?
4. Vainly we offer each ample oblation;
Vainly with gold we his favor secure;
Richer by far is the heart's adoration;
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
BRIGHTEST AND BEST- Kathy Mattea on Good News
1. Hail the blest morn, see the great Mediator,
Down from the regions of glory descend!
Shepherds, go worship the babe in the manger,
Lo, for his guard the bright angels attend.
Refrain: Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
2. Cold on his cradle the dewdrops are shining;
Low lies his bed with the beasts of the stall;
Angels adore him, in slumbers reclining,
Wise men and shepherds before him do fall.
Refrain:
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