We Have A 3rd Winner--Matt Yokoyama

Way to go, Matt! This was the most difficult clue so far! The Latin "gloria in excelsis deo" in the chorus of "Angels We Have Heard on High" is what lead historians to guess this carol was written by a monk or Catholic priest. Anyway, I'm falling behind on the clues. Here's #4:

• This folk song was discovered by a famous musician in the 1940's
• The lyrics are deeply spiritual, incredibly thoughtful, yet obviously composed by someone of little means and education. They embrace the joy and wonder of Christmas but also linger on the sacrifice of a child grown into a man that died on a cross.
• Here's the story of the song's discovery:

On a cold December day in North Carolina, this folk song transcriber observed people from a poor community going about their daily lives. From his own experience, the transcriber knew that just a few hundred miles away in NY, people crowded the gaily decorated city streets, stores could not hold all the eager shoppers armed with lists, and holiday music blared from long rows of loudspeakers. Yet in this village he could hear the sound of snow crunching under feet and spy children in ragged clothes looking longingly into windows where a few small toys were displayed. It was as if the modern world nad never found this unspoiled place. When the transcriber took in the pastoral scene that surrounded him, a solitary voice beckoned ever so faintly. Searching the street, his eyes honed in on a small girl sitting by herself on a bench. Unaware she had an audience, the child was softly singing this song. The girl's mother had taught it to her, like her grandma had taught it to her mother before her.