Center For Church Music, Songs & Hymns
Browse Hymns:
Browse by:
We Invite You To Sing
To sing with us, 1) Click on the music thumbnail icon to view the sheet music (you don't have to read music!), and 2) Engage the audio file by clicking on the Real audio or Mp3 file.
Find Songs And Hymns
John Wade
- Death: August 16, 1786 Douay, France
John Francis Wade was a Catholic layman who lived in Lancashire, England.
At the age of 32, Wade produced a Latin Christmas carol, Adeste Fidelis. Though scholars once thought the music was simply Wade's copy of an ancient hymn, further research has led most to conclude that Wade composed the lyrics and music himself. Since that time, Wade's hymn has been translated to the well-loved "O Come All Ye Faithful" that we sing today.
When the Jacobean rebellion led to persecution of English Catholics, Wade fled the country in 1745. Settling at a Catholic college in Douay, France, Wade began teaching Latin and church song. He also became known for his copies of plainchant and hymn manuscripts. In that day, printing music scores was cumbersome and thus much of the work was done by hand.
Wade continued to produce manuscripts at Douay and died at the age of seventy-five, still living in France. His work was said to be exquisite, and his obituary honored him for his "beautiful manuscripts" that adorned many chapels and homes.
Page numbers in Trinity Hymnal (1990) and The Worshiping Church (1990)
| Title | Trinity | Worshiping |
|---|---|---|
| O Come All Ye Faithful | 208 | 173 |
| O Come, Let Us Adore Him | 126 | |
| Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending | 318 |