Lyricist: Reginald Heber
Composer: John B. Dykes
Reginald Heber (1783-1826) was an Anglican clergyman who served in England (1807-1823) and India (1823-1826). Heber wished to create a set of hymns suitable for each Sunday of the liturgical church year. “Holy, holy, holy” was written for Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday after Pentecost, when Heber was vicar of Hodnet. It is said to have been first printed in the third edition of A Selection of Psalms and Hymns of the Parish Church of Banbury (1826), but this collection is apparently lost. It was included in Heber’s posthumous Hymns Written and Adapted to the Weekly Church Service of the Year (1827), without music, in four stanzas of four lines. The most common tune setting, practically inseparable from Heber’s text, NICAEA, was written by John B. Dykes (1823-1876) and submitted for the first edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861).
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~Lyrics~
1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in Three persons, blessed Trinity!
2. Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the crystal sea;
Cherubim and serphim falling down before Thee,
Who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
3. Holy, holy, holy! Tho’ the darkness hide Thee,
Tho’ the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy, there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in Three persons, blessed Trinity!
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