La música cristiana es de origen judío: la liturgia musical de la sinagoga, en particular el canto psalmódico de los judíos como unidad poética musical, fue un legado preciado transmitido del Israel antiguo al cristianismo primitivo, como forma de manifestar tanto a nivel personal como comunitario las creencias religiosas y la fe en Dios.
Angels, from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim messiah's birth
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship christ, the newborn king
Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant light
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship christ, the newborn king.
Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great desire of nations,
Ye have seen his natal star
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship christ, the newborn king
Sinners, wrung with true repentance,
Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence,
Mercy calls you—break your chains:
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship christ, the newborn king
Though an infant now we view him,
He shall fill his father's throne,
Gather all the nations to him;
Every knee shall then bow down
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship christ, the newborn king
All creation, join in praising
God the father, spirit, son,
Evermore your voices raising,
To th'eternal three in one
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship christ, the newborn king.