Who wrote the words to the carol "Angels from the Realms of Glory"?

James Montgomery wrote the words to the carol “Angels from the Realms of Glory.”

Montgomery was a Scottish poet, hymnwriter and newspaper editor. He first printed the text under the title “The Nativity” in the Sheffield Iris on Christmas Eve 1816. It was subsequently published as a hymn in Sheffield and Manchester in 1819.

The carol calls angels, shepherds, sages and saints to “come and worship,” giving each group a place in the Christmas story. Montgomery’s text is an English adaptation connected with the older French hymn “Les Anges dans nos campagnes,” but it is not the same as a direct translation of that carol’s French words.

Another frequent source of confusion is the music. In the United States, the carol is commonly sung to “Regent Square,” a tune by Henry Smart; in Britain it has also been sung to “Iris,” the melody associated with the French carol. Smart therefore composed a familiar tune, not Montgomery’s words. The text and melody have had several pairings over time.