MovieChat Forums > The Bishop's Wife (1948) Discussion > Choir song in the Bishop's Wife

Choir song in the Bishop's Wife

posted 20 years ago by maddoxb
14 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone know the name of the song the Boys' Choir sang in the Bishop's Wife and where to get the music?

[–] EClarke007 20 years ago

The hymn is called "O Sing Unto God" and was performed in the movie by the Bob Mitchell Boys Choir (as mentioned in the credits), but no other info is known about the song or who wrote it, etc.
As of this date Bob Mitchell is STILL alive and even performs the live organ music at the Silent Movie Theatre on the weekends in Hollywood, CA.
It is indeed a beautiful song...

[–] mrshvd3 20 years ago

The previous poster is correct; it is the Mitchell Boychoir performing the song.

I have the sheet music. The song is called "O Sing To God" and was composed by Charles Gounod. The words were written by a Reverend B. Webb; that is the only information I have.

...One Nation, UNDER GOD...

[–] Elimteacher1 20 years ago

I have been seraching for the song to this movied for years. Is it possible to get a copy of the music/words?

[–] mrshvd3 20 years ago

I ordered the sheet music online, through a music dealer in U.K. It is MusicRoom.com, and here is the link to the page you'll want:

http://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/025647/details.html

My copy is "For Solo and Chorus" and is written for piano. They show the
price at £2.25, plus shipping. They accept major credit cards, and have
excellent information with regard to methods of payment and shipping,
rate of exchange (I'm making the assumption that you are here in the
States), and anything else you need to know. I ordered with a credit
card by phone and was completely pleased with the service.

I also found the soundtrack on CD through www.ScreenArchives.com. Hope this tells you what you want to know.

...One Nation, UNDER GOD...

[–] jeffxb 19 years ago

The soundtrack is available on CD and I managed to pick up a copy from an internet site of a company called First Contact Records which specialises in hard to get cd's

[–] keith46 19 years ago

You Can Download the Video clip of O sing to God
at
www.boyschoir.org/library/movies/mitchell.html

[–] tjjohnson-2 19 years ago

I just saw the Vienna Boy's Choir in concert in Bethesda, MD and the conductor said he found the sheet music for the song "Noelle" in an Austrian Monastery. He claimed this song (Noelle) is the Austrian original for the song that appears in the "Bishop's Wife".

[–] knkspence 19 years ago

O, thank you, thank you, thank you! And thank God for the internet! The Bishop's Wife has always been my favorite gettin'into the Christmas spirit movie since I was a child and this hymn has given me the chills every time I've heard it. It just speaks to my soul, so I am thrilled to have this info. You can bet I'll be following up on it! - K

[–] caldwell05 18 years ago

The "hymn" you are interested can be found on the CD (through Amazon.com) Charles Gounod: Musca sacra, track 8.

It took me forever to find it.. a beautiful recording

J

[–] whitcombjl 13 years ago

This is terrific. It's such a wonderful point in the film . . . all the more so when the choir members begin to stand up at the mention of "angels sing"!

[–] pdelnegro 19 years ago

do you know where I can get the sheet music & lyics?

[–] mrshvd3 19 years ago

I ordered the sheet music online, through a music dealer in U.K. It is MusicRoom.com, and here is the link to the page you'll want:

http://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/025647/details.html

My copy is "For Solo and Chorus" and is written for piano. They show the
price at £2.25, plus shipping. They accept major credit cards, and have
excellent information with regard to methods of payment and shipping,
rate of exchange (I'm making the assumption that you are here in the
States), and anything else you need to know. I ordered with a credit
card by phone and was completely pleased with the service.

I also found the soundtrack on CD through www.ScreenArchives.com.

Hope this tells you what you want to know.

...One Nation, UNDER GOD...

[–] post-meridian 12 years ago

Sorry this is 6 years late, but here's a follow up. If the choral piece in this film is indeed Gounod's Noel, here is a copy. Lyrics are in French:

http://imslp.org/wiki/Noël_(Gounod,_Charles)

The title Noël should have a diaeresis (two dots) over it.

[–] grumpyoldguy1 11 years ago

O Sing To God

Original Title: "Noël: Montez à Dieu"

A Christmas Anthem for Soprano, Alto and Chorus

For Christmas

Words by the Rev. Benjamin Webb (1820-1885), Vicar, St. Andrew's, Wells Street, written and first performed in 1866.

Music: Charles François Gounod, "Noël: Montez à Dieu" (Dec. 1, 1885), the setting of "Montez à Dieu, chants d'allégresse!" by Jules Barbier (1825–1901), which was an adaptation of "Gesang der Nonnen" by Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787-1862).

Source: W. Rayson, Sir John Stainer, John Troutbeck, eds., Words of Anthems. Second Edition. (London: Novello, Ewer and Co., 1878), #567, p. 194. This volume is also seen under the title of Words of Anthems Used in Westminster Abbey.

O sing to God your hymns of gladness,
Ye loving hearts your tribute pay;
Your Lord is born this happy day.

Then pierce the sky with songs of gladness,
Disperse the shades of gloom and sadness;
O sing to God your hymns of gladness.

Mark how the Mother lulls to slumber
Her new born Babe with tenderest love,
And guards her treasure from above!

O blessed Child with her who bore Thee,
We, too, will kneel in faith before Thee.
O God Incarnate, we adore Thee!

O Word of God for us incarnate,
By faith we hear Thine angels sing,
Their hymns of praise to Thee their King.

We join with them in adoration,
We pour to Thee our supplication,
That Thou wouldst grant us, Lord, salvation.

And you can find just that scene on YouTube now. One of the best movie moments ever.