O Come, All Ye Faithful: the words, the Latin, and the tune
O Come, All Ye Faithful is a Latin hymn, Adeste Fideles, that an English Catholic copied out in the 1740s and an Anglican priest translated in London a century later. Most British carol services sing it, and many end with it. This guide prints the English words, explains where the Latin came from, and covers the descant and the verse kept for Christmas morning.
Who wrote O Come, All Ye Faithful? The Latin original, Adeste Fideles, survives in manuscripts copied by John Francis Wade, an English Catholic musician, from about 1743; he may have written it, though that is disputed. Frederick Oakeley translated it in 1841 for Margaret Chapel, Marylebone, and his version, revised in 1852, is the one British churches sing.
We supply the choir and the organist for church carol services, from £1,150 for four singers in Greater London, and carol singers for offices, hotels, and parties.
The words of O Come, All Ye Faithful
These are the four verses of Frederick Oakeley’s translation as first printed in Murray’s Hymnal (1852), with the refrain after each. Some hymn books add three more verses from other translators. Oakeley died in 1880, so the words are free to print.
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him
Born the King of Angels:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
God of God, Light of Light,
Lo, he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Very God, begotten, not created:
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God
In the highest:
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
Text: Latin attributed to John Francis Wade (c. 1743), translated by Frederick Oakeley (1841, revised 1852), from “O Come, All Ye Faithful”, Wikipedia, checked against Wikisource. The refrain is sung after each verse.
A Latin hymn in an English Catholic’s hand
The earliest copies of Adeste Fideles are in the hand of John Francis Wade, an English Catholic who lived at Douai, in northern France, and earned a living copying plainchant for Catholic chapels and families. His manuscripts of the hymn date from about 1743, and his collection Cantus Diversi of 1751 is its first printed source. Whether Wade wrote the words and tune or copied something older is still argued over.
Wade’s Latin had four verses. Later writers added four more, about the shepherds, the Magi, and the child in the manger, and English hymn books draw on both sets.
In London the hymn was sung at the chapel of the Portuguese Embassy, where Vincent Novello was organist, and by 1795 it had become popular there. That is why older books call the tune “the Portuguese Hymn”.
Sources: “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “John Francis Wade”, Wikipedia; “Adeste Fideles”, Wikisource.
Oakeley’s translation began “Ye faithful, approach ye”
Frederick Oakeley was the incumbent of Margaret Chapel, on the site of the present All Saints, Margaret Street, and a leader of the Oxford Movement. He translated the hymn in 1841 for his congregation, opening “Ye faithful, approach ye”. He became a Roman Catholic in 1845. By the time his translation reached print, in Murray’s Hymnal of 1852, the first line had become “O come, all ye faithful”.
Dozens of English translations of Adeste Fideles exist. Oakeley’s outlasted the rest because it keeps the Latin’s shape: the long first line, and the threefold “O come, let us adore him” built on Venite adoremus.
The second verse is a piece of the Nicene Creed set to music. “God of God, Light of Light” and “Very God, begotten, not created” are the creed’s words, and very means true, from the Latin verus. “Lo, he abhors not the Virgin’s womb” means he did not shrink from being born a human child.
The last verse is for Christmas Day
“Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning” belongs to Christmas morning. Many churches sing it only at the Christmas Day services and either leave it out at carol services in December or change the line to one that fits a December service. If your service is on 14 December, decide which you want before the order of service goes to print, and tell the choir.
The tune, also called Adeste Fideles, is in a comfortable range and builds through the three repetitions of “O come, let us adore him”. The third is the climax, and organists often add a stop for each one.
How a choir sings O Come, All Ye Faithful
We sing the first verse with the congregation in unison, and harmony in the second. “Sing, choirs of angels” carries the descant in most British churches; the usual one is David Willcocks’s, from Carols for Choirs 1 (1961), and his arrangement reharmonises the last verse in the organ while everyone sings the tune.
For the descant over a full church we suggest eight singers, with two or three sopranos on the top line. Four singers can lead the congregation in O Come, All Ye Faithful without a descant: the tune is strong enough to carry a room of 150 people with one voice to a part.
Like Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, it wants an organ. We can bring an organist if your church does not have one, or a pianist for an office or livery-hall service without an organ.
Four singers cost £1,150 for up to two hours, eight cost £2,000 and an organist is £250, so a choir of eight with an organist is £2,250. Each figure includes fees and travel within Greater London; the Christmas prices page lists every size.
Where to put it in a carol service
O Come, All Ye Faithful works at either end. As a processional it brings the choir in on a carol everyone knows; at the end it gives the service a big finish. In a Nine Lessons and Carols it usually follows the ninth lesson, John 1, because the last verse’s “Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing” answers the reading’s “the Word was made flesh”.
If you sing both this and Hark!, keep them apart, one near the start and one at the end, or one after the last reading and one after the blessing. See our guide to the best carols for a carol service for a full order.
Before the last reading, a short choir carol sets up the big finish. For the Annunciation reading from Luke 1, the medieval carol Nova! Nova! is a choir piece with a refrain that rings like bells; after the wise men in Matthew 2, the choir can sing an Epiphany carol. Our choirs for carol services bring that repertoire ready to sing.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote O Come, All Ye Faithful?
The Latin hymn Adeste Fideles survives in manuscripts copied by John Francis Wade from about 1743, and he may be its author. Frederick Oakeley made the English translation in 1841; it was printed, as “O come, all ye faithful”, in 1852.
What does “very God, begotten, not created” mean?
It comes from the Nicene Creed. Very means true, from the Latin verus, so the line says Christ is true God, born of the Father and not made by him.
Why is the last verse sung only on Christmas Day?
“Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning” is written for Christmas morning. Many churches leave it out, or change the line, at carol services held earlier in December.
Why is the tune called the Portuguese Hymn?
It was sung at the chapel of the Portuguese Embassy in London, where Vincent Novello was organist, and became popular there by 1795. Visitors who heard it there gave it the name.
Can four singers lead O Come, All Ye Faithful?
Yes. The tune is strong enough for a quartet to lead a congregation of around 150. For a descant over a full church we suggest eight singers. Four carol singers cost £1,150 for up to two hours in Greater London.
Book a choir for your carol service
Tell us the date, the church and your draft order of service. We will tell you whether a quartet will do or whether the descants need eight.
Talk to us about your carol service
Text us on WhatsApp for the fastest reply, or email office@londonchoralservice.com.