Description
Listen to the beginner piano arrangement of O Come All Ye Faithful.
Adeste Fideles is the tune name. Before the emergence of John Francis Wade as the probable composer, the tune had been purported to be written by several musicians, from John Reading and his son to Handel and even Gluck, including the Portuguese composer Marcos Portugal. There are several similar musical themes written around that time, though it can be hard to determine whether these were written in imitation of the hymn, the hymn was based on them, or they are totally unconnected.
The original text has been from time to time attributed to various groups and individuals, including St. Bonaventure in the 13th century or King John IV of Portugal in the 17th, though it was more commonly believed that the text was written by an order of monks, the Cistercian, German, Portuguese and Spanish orders having, at various times, been given credit.
The original four verses of the hymn were extended to a total of eight, and these have been translated into many languages. The English translation of ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’, by the English Catholic priest, Frederick Oakeley is widespread in most English speaking countries.
* This hymn arrangement is also available in our books:
