Who's behind the notes? Discover Georg Friedrich Händel: The Baroque Master
"Joy to the World" is an iconic Christmas carol with a fascinating history. The lyrics are based on a 1719 psalm paraphrase by English hymn writer Isaac Watts. However, the music is adapted from passages in George Frideric Handel's famous 1741 oratorio "Messiah," particularly the choruses "Lift Up Your Heads" and "Glory to God." This pairing of Watts' text and Handel's music was first done by American music educator Lowell Mason in 1839. Ironically, Watts' original text was not about Christmas but about Christ's triumphant second coming, making its association with the nativity a later development.