Unless stated otherwise, my source for hymn texts and tunes is The Lutheran Service Book.

Monday, October 7, 2019

Messiah: No. 17 Glory to God in the highest

The text is from Luke 2:14:  "'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'"

There are actually two things here that emphasize the distance between "the highest" and "on earth."  The "highest" is at a higher pitch than "on earth," but it's also sung by the higher registers (sopranos and altos [and also tenors]) where "on earth" is sung by the lower registers (tenors and basses).