Hark! The Herald Angels sing is a classic Christmas hymn! How fun that we get to teach it in singing time – and even more fun to teach it with handbells! As promised, I have a bell chart to add to your singing time collection! But if you don’t have bells, don’t worry, there’s a lesson plan without them that’s available below.
If you know me, you know that I only like to teach the first verse to hymns. The songs tend to be longer and really wordy so one verse is enough for me. So know that Hark! The Herald Angels Sing lesson plan is for the first verse only.
To help with the big words in this hymn, I created a simple flip chart using Susan Fitch artwork (if you don’t know who Susan is – check her out HERE).
Access my printables at my Resource Library. Instructions for accessing my Resource Library are found at the bottom of this post.
To use the flip chart, place the pages on the board. You and the teachers sing the song. The words on the top of each page are found in the song. The words on the bottom of each page define what the words mean.
Also available in my Resource Library is a version with no definitions at the bottom, thanks to a request from a reader!
Go through each phrase/page and define it using the definition on the bottom of the pages. Sing each phrase, gradually adding on and creating actions for keywords (1st verse only):
Actions for Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- Hark: put your hand to your ear for listen
- Sing: cup hands around month
- Glory: raise hands up toward heaven as if praising
- King: put a “crown” on your head
- Peace: rub temples with fingers
- Mercy: cross forearms over chest for love. To have mercy on others is to love them
- God: point upward toward heaven with one hand
- Reconciled: draw pointer fingers outward then bring them together
- Joyful: rub chest upward and outward in a circular motion with both hands
- Rise: Draw thumbs upward
- Join: clasp hands together
- Skies: raise hands up toward heaven as if praising
- Proclaim: cup hands around mouth
- Born: hold a newborn baby in your arms
- Hark: put your hand to your ear for listen
- Sing: cup hands around month
- Glory: raise hands up toward heaven as if praising
- King: put a “crown” on your head
**If you plan on using handbells, go through the song quickly using the flip chart pages and don’t gradually add on each phrase. Maybe sing it 2-3 times with or without the actions.
Handbells
Then if you have handbells, this is where the real fun comes in!
Again, access my chart in my Resource Library. If you are new to handbells, make sure to check out my post HERE for using handbells in primary.
This chart uses chords (so the row of 3 notes in a box is played at the same time). These are played on the word that is listed in the lower righthand corner. If you want more details on chording, I have a post HERE that will help.
The 2nd verse words are on the bell chart in case you sing the 2nd verse.
When you you sing the song in sacrament meeting using handbells, have the primary and bells play with the piano only the first time through – use it as an introduction. Then sing the first verse with the primary, piano and bells. Add the congregation with the bells, primary, piano (add the organ if you really want to go all out!) on the last verse.
Additional Handbell Chart
In case you are interested, Roger created a handbell chart and shared it with me. I’ve linked his files in my Resource Library (open the “Roger” folder under Hark! The Herald Angels Sing). And these are the images he shared:
Make sure to scroll through all my Christmas singing time lesson plans HERE.
Or check out all my lesson plans that include handbell charts HERE.
Check out this quick tutorial video for accessing the Resource Library:
These printables are filed on my Resource Library page under Song Title > Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.
5 thoughts on “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
Is it possible to have the flip chart without the definitions at the bottom of the pages?
Hi J!
Thank you for the feedback and idea! That option is now available in my Resource Library.
~Camille
I just printed this whole thing out and I cannot figure out how to use the bells with your chords. This doesnt seem simple to me at all… Can you please help me understand? I’ve read all your notes and comments and it still doesn’t make sense. Please help!!
Hi Shauna!
Sorry for any confusion … have you read my post here:
http://camillesprimaryideas.com/2018/04/chord-charts-for-handbells.html
It may answer all of your questions. But in a nutshell, each box of 3 notes is played at the same time. The 3 notes or chords play when the word (or partial word) is sung that’s written in the lower corner of each box. The first word is the first verse and the word below it is the second verse.
I hope that helps!
~Camille
Also, check out my YouTube video here that demonstrates chords:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox9w6eZL2fU&lc=UgzN59xj6BVf5yYkd6d4AaABAg
~Camille