The author, Charles Coffin, published the Latin original of this hymn in his book llymni Sacri (Sacred Hymns), 1736, and that same year in the Paris Breviary, marked to bc sung during the morning prayers in the Advent season of the Christian year, A Frenchman, Charles Coffin was born in 1676 at Buzancy, north France, and educated at the University of Paris. After years as a teacher and principal at the College of Dormans, Beauvais, he became rector of the University of Paris. He is considered to be the outstanding Latin author to come from France. Two volumes of his poems were published in Paris in 1755. He died in Paris on June 20, 1749. His other hymn in SDAH is No. 333, “On Jordan’s Banks the Baptist’s Cry. “

The translation by John Chandler appeared in his Hymns of the Primitive Church, 1837. His text has been altered many times.

John Chandler was born June 16, 1806, in the parsonage at Witley, Surrey, England. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and was ordained in the Church of England in 1 831. When his father retired, he took over as pastor at Witley, and served there for most of his life. It was his opinion that “modern” hymns were unsuitable to sing along with the ancient prayers that were a part of the service, so he translated older hymns from the Latin. In addition to the book mentioned above, he published Hymns of the Church Most Primitive in 1841 , the hymns for which were in large part taken from the Paris Breviary. Chandler died at Putney on July l, 1876. He also translated SDAH 333, “On Jordan’s Banks the Baptist’s Cry.

The name FESTAL SONG comes from the tune’s first wedding to the text “Awake and Sing the Song” in John Ireland Tucker’s The Hymnal with Tunes Old and New, 1 872 (Episcopal). But after the first time it was used with Merrill’s “Rise Up, O Men of God” (see SDAH 615), that combination of words and music seemed to be inseparable, The SDAH Committee thought FESTAL SONG to be also eminently suitable for this stirring text.

William Henry Walter was born on July 1, 1825, in Newark, New Jersey. As a boy he was organist in both the Presbyterian 1825, in Newark, and EpiscopNewal churches of that city. At age 17 he went to New York City, and had an outstanding career as organist in the Church of Epiphany, St. John’s Chapel’ St, Paul’s Chapel, Trinity Chapel, and at Columbia University, where he received the DMus. in 1864. His compositions include Masses, services’ and anthems. He published A Manual Of Church Music, 1860; Chorals and Hymns; Hymnal With Tunes Old and New, and other books of church music. He died in New York City in the year 1893.