Details
A well-liked Yuletide song, the melody we typically hear today originates from an 1848 version by Lowell Mason for The National Psalmist (Boston, 1848). There has been ongoing conjecture regarding how much influence Handel's Messiah had on "Joy to the World". However, any similarities between Messiah and "Joy to the World" are largely considered coincidental by current Handel scholars. It's probable that the melody as we recognize it came from an 1833 edition by Thomas Hawkes titled “Comfort”, with the author remaining unknown.
