Brightest and Best

{{short description|Christian hymn}}

{{more citations needed|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox musical composition

| name = Brightest and Best

| type =

| image = Reginald Heber.jpg

| alt =

| caption = "Reginald Heber" (1822) by Thomas Phillips

| translation =

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| composer =

| genre = Hymn

| occasion =

| text = Reginald Heber

| language =

| written = 1811

| based_on = {{Sourcetext|source=Bible|version=King James|book=Isaiah|chapter=60|verse=1-6}}

| meter = 11.10.11.10

| melody = "Morning Star" by James P. Harding, "Epiphany" by Joseph Thrupp, and "Star in the East" by William Walker

| composed =

| published =

| misc =

}}

{{listen |filename=Star in the east.ogg|title=Brightest and Best / Star in the East|description=Audio recording, performed multi-tracked|format=Ogg|pos=right}}

"Brightest and Best" (occasionally rendered by its first line, "Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning") is a Christian hymn, and sometimes called a carol, written in 1811 by the Anglican bishop Reginald Heber to be sung at the feast of Epiphany.{{cite web|url=https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-hymn-honors-christ-child-as-the-brightest-and-best|title=History of Hymns: Hymn honors Christ child as the 'Brightest and Best' |author=C. Michael Hawn}} It appeared in Heber's widow's compilation of hymns entitled Hymns Written and Adapted to the Weekly Service of the Church Year in 1827.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}} It can be sung to a number of tunes, including "Liebster Immanuel" (no 41 in The English Hymnal), "Morning Star" by James P. Harding, "Epiphany" by Joseph Thrupp, and "Star in the East" by William Walker.{{cite book |last1=Willard |first1=Karen |title=An American Christmas Harp |date=2009 |publisher=Weelyrd Publishing |location=Buckley, WA |pages=90, 91 |edition=2009 |url=https://hymnary.org/hymn/AACH2009/90 |access-date=3 December 2023}} It appears in many hymnals across different Christian traditions. It has been recorded by a number of artists, including Glen Campbell, Joanne Hogg and Kathy Mattea (on her album Good News). The Kentucky traditional singer Jean Ritchie often sang this and told of her childhood memory of her grandmother sitting by the fire and singing it quietly to herself on Twelfth Night; the Library of Congress collected it from her in 1951.{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/afc9999005.3953|title = Brightest and best| website=Library of Congress }}