Oh, no! I can’t even tell what today’s secret word is! I must be a spammer, confounded by the word verification system… It could be “wvwsh” or “vwwsh” or “wwvsh”–the letters are all run together, making them somewhat indistinguishable from won another. I’m afraid that I might not get to post this insightful comment! What then?!?

In the beginning, they called themselves the Oneders, and their first few releases reflected this preoccupation with unity: “I Oneder as I Wander,” for instance, and “What Onedrous Love Is This?”

But as the cultural climate of heaven shifted from unity toward trinity, the band decided to change their name to “Gabriel’s Ark” (a takeoff on “Noah’s Ark”) and later, when Gabe left to pursue his interest in jazz trumpet, simply as “The Ark.” This is the name by which they have been best known down through the ages.

As part of their stage presentation, the band members greased down their hair very heavily, adopting a kind of a “Sha-Na-Na” look. Their fans loved it, but the older angels (who didn’t care much for the music anyway) referred to them contemptuously as “the hair-oiled angels.”

So that’s where the first line of that carol comes from. It’s a reference to the debut performance of their smash hit, “Glory to the Newborn King.”

The B side was a tune called “Noel, Noel,” first performed for certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay.

My Christmas book does indeed punctuate HTHAS as you write it there. I’m not sure my Christmas book is authoritative, but that certainly supports your vote.

John – I just picked shepherds since they’re traditionally the ones who heard the herald angels. Any non-angelic observer will do, though.

Mark – Choice A wasn’t meant to be sarcastic; just to indicate that the shepherds (or, again, whomever else you prefer to envision there) are saying the whole line: “Hark! The herald angels sing! Glory to the newborn king!”

As a side note, I have read that plagiarism is the most sincere form of flattery.

I also vote for B on lyric #2, though I’ll admit I’m not completely sure why rewrite A is different from rewrite B… Could rewrite A be re-rewritten as, “‘The first Noel,’ the angels did say, ‘was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay.’
“‘Oh, yeah,’ replied some other shepherds, ‘I remember that!’” If THAT’S the case, well, then, I still vote for B.

Kikfpfi!

(I’m a professional editor and I’m still not sure about the punctuation of that last line.)

As a side note, I have read that plagiarism is the most sincere form of flattery.