O Come, All Ye FaithfulO Come All Ye Faithful is based on a hymn tune that is widely attributed to English hymnist John Francis Wade under the name of “Adeste Fideles”. Wade was an English Jacobite and spent most of his time in exile with fellow English Catholics in France. The text of the hymn may stem as far back as fromthe 13th century, but many conclude that he both composed and wrote the lyrics for “Adeste Fideles”. It has also been regarded a Jacobite birth ode to Bonnie Prince Charlie, the grandson of King James II and VII, who had been deposed in the Revolution of 1688. Orginally, the hymn only had four verses, these were later extended to a total number of eight, all of which have later been translated into other languages numerous times. The most widespread version in English is Fredrick Oakeley’s translation. Several artists have performed cover versions of the song, including Andrea Bocelli, Bing Crosby, John Williams, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Luciano Pavarotti, Celine Dion and Enya. |