An Easter classic\u2014and one with an old and venerable history:<\/p>\n
\u201cJesus Christ Is Risen Today\u201d was first written in Latin titled \u201cSurrexit Christus hodie<\/span>\u201c, as a Bohemian hymn in the 14th century by an unknown author on manuscripts written in\u00a0Munich<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Breslau<\/a>.\u00a0In Latin, it had eleven verses.\u00a0It was first translated into English in 1708 by\u00a0John Baptist Walsh<\/a>\u00a0to be included in his\u00a0Lyra Davidica<\/a><\/span><\/i>\u00a0(Collection of Divine Songs and Hymns<\/i>). The verses of the hymn were revised in 1749 by John Arnold. Initially the hymn only had three verses translated with just the first verse being a direct translation;\u00a0in 1740\u00a0Charles Wesley<\/a>\u00a0(one of the founders of\u00a0Methodism<\/a>) added a fourth verse to the hymn as an alternative, which was later adopted into the hymn as part of it. The hymn is also noted for having\u00a0Alleluia<\/a>\u00a0as a refrain after every line.<\/p>\n
The hymn is set to a piece of music entitled \u201cEaster Hymn\u201d which was composed in the\u00a0Lyra Davidica<\/span><\/i>\u00a0for \u201cJesus Christ Is Risen Today\u201d. There was a later version of \u201cEaster Hymn\u201d composed by\u00a0William Henry Monk<\/a>\u00a0which is also used for \u201cJesus Christ Is Risen Today\u201d. Some denominations of Christianity often just use one while some use both. The hymn is sometimes confused with \u201cChrist the Lord Is Risen Today<\/a>\u201c, which was written by Wesley.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Below, a version from the King\u2019s College Choir in England:<\/p>\n