Joy to the World ✧
A descending D-major scale opens this joyful Christmas hymn.
Sheet music
Tap a staff note or finger tab to hear it.
Opening
Answer and closing
D whistle · D major · 4/4 · 160 BPM · + upper octave
Opening
Answer and closing
Lyrics
Isaac Watts · 1719
Four original hymn stanzas. Repeat each final line as the melody requires.
Joy to the world; the Lord is come; Let Earth receive her King; Let ev'ry heart prepare him room, And heav'n and nature sing.
Joy to the Earth, the Savior reigns; Our mortal songs employ, While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains, Repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make his blessings flow Far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of his righteousness, And wonders of his love.
About this tune
Joy to the World is commonly sung to the hymn tune Antioch. It is a song of welcome and celebration, often heard as part of the Christmas repertoire.
The melody begins by descending a complete major scale. Repeated phrases then build toward an expansive ending, giving the tune its strong sense of proclamation.
Performances
Watch musicians play this tune on tin whistle. Keys and arrangements may differ from the tabs above.
Joy to the World on low whistle
CutiePie
A low whistle performance with fingering tabs; opens at the Joy to the World section.
Watch on YouTube — Joy to the World on low whistle by CutiePie (opens in a new tab) ↗