The very first edition of the was published in 1899 , featuring only 18 hymns . A modest run of 500 copies was printed. Among these 18 foundational tracks, the hymn tracked as the definitive opener to early Mizo Christian worship was "Isua vana a awm a" ( Jesus, Who Dwells in Heaven ). Another prominent hymn included in this inaugural selection was "Tlang thim chhak lam kei ka en ang" ( I Will Look to the Dark Eastern Hills ), which was translated and composed by D.E. Jones using Welsh musical structures. The First Native Mizo Composers: A Transition to Hla Thar
When we say the we are not comparing it to a modern worship song by Vanthuama or a gospel choir in Aizawl. We are saying it is conceptually superior because: mizo kristian hla hmasa ber better
When you visit the Mizo Evangelical Church in Aizawl’s Treasury Square on a Sunday morning, you will hear the choir sing a new, complex anthem. But at the close of the service, during the borai (benediction response), the congregation will often hum the old, simple tune of Hla hmasa ber . The young people may roll their eyes at its antiquity. The elderly will close their eyes and weep. The very first edition of the was published
Mizoramah Kristian hla sak hmasak ber ni a chhiar theih leh Mizo irawm chhuaka Kristian hla phuahtu hmasa ber chu a ni a. A hla phuah hmasa berte zingah chuan tun thlenga kan la sak lar em em mai "Ka ropuina tur leh ka himna hruan" tih te, "Lei lam pan ropui chu a thlawng ang" tih te leh "Tunah a thuhmang kalna engmah..." tih hla te hi a phuah hmasa ber pawl an ni a. Heng hla te hi Pathian thlarau thianghlimin Mizo rilru leh thinlung a rawn khawih danglam chhoh tirh laia piang chhuak hmasa ber an ni. Kristian Hla Bu Chhut Hmasak Ber (1899) Another prominent hymn included in this inaugural selection
Mizo composers began writing original music using traditional cultural expressions. Mid-20th Cent.
The author of the Kristian Hla Hmasa Ber was , a young Mizo man from the village of Sairang. He was one of the first students in the mission school and among the earliest converts to Christianity.