ANTIOCH
ANTIOCH borrows ideas from two choruses and a tenor recitative from Handel’s Messiah—“Lift Up Your Heads,” “Glory to God in the Highest,” and “Comfort Ye My People.” The hymn tune is essentially an adaptation and arrangement by Lowell Mason , published in his Occasional Psalms and Hymn Tunes (1836). Mason named the tune ANTIOCH after the New Testament city in which the “followers of the Way” were first called Christians. With its exuberant air and melodic repeats and sequences, requiring the repetition of textual lines, ANTIOCH has become an enduring favorite for the Watts text. Sing stanzas 1 and 3 in harmony and give tenors and basses solid accompaniment on their 487 THE PSALMS, BIBLE SONGS, AND HYMNS entries in the third line. Sing stanza 4 in unison, possibly with an alternate harmoniza tion on full organ. Liturgical Use: Christmas Day, but also at any other time of year in relation to Psalm 98. Raised eye brows at singing4 Joy to the World!” in July will lower as soon as the relationship to Psalm 98 becomes clear.