O God, Our Help in Ages Past

Today's hymn can be downloaded here. This hymn was written by William Croft and the words by Isaac Watts. For more information look here and here. Please leave a comment or suggestion below. Thank you and God Bless!


1. O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home.

2. Under the shadow of thy throne,
still may we dwell secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.

3. Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting, thou art God,
to endless years the same.

4. A thousand ages, in thy sight,
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night,
before the rising sun.

5. Time, like an ever rolling stream,
bears all who breathe away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.

6. O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come;
be thou our guide while life shall last,
and our eternal home.

His Loving-Kindness / Awake, my soul, to joyful lays

This hymn can be downloaded here. This hymn was written by William Caldwell and the words by Samuel Medley in 1782. For more information, look here and here. Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion. Thank you and God Bless!


Awake, my soul, to joyful lays*,
And sing thy great Redeemer’s praise;
He justly claims a song for me,
His loving-kindness, oh, how free!
Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
His loving-kindness, oh, how free!

He saw me ruined in the fall,
Yet loved me notwithstanding all;
He saved me from my lost estate,
His loving-kindness, oh, how great!
Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
His loving-kindness, oh, how great!

Though num’rous hosts of mighty foes,
Though earth and hell my way oppose,
He safely leads my soul along,
His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!
Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!

When trouble like a gloomy cloud,
Has gathered thick and thundered loud,
He near my soul has always stood,
His loving-kindness, oh, how good!
Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
His loving-kindness, oh, how good!

Soon I shall pass the gloomy vale,
Soon all my mortal pow’rs must fail;
Oh, may my last expiring breath
His loving-kindness sing in death.
Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
His loving-kindness sing in death.

Then let me mount and soar away
To the bright world of endless day;
And sing with raptures and surprise,
His loving-kindness in the skies.
Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
His loving-kindness in the skies.

Come, Thou Almighty King

Today's hymn can be downloaded here. Felice De Giardini wrote this hymn in 1769. For more information, look here, here and here. Please feel to leave a comment or suggestion below. Thank you and God Bless!


Come, Thou almighty King,
Help us Thy Name to sing, help us to praise!
Father all glorious, o’er all victorious,
Come and reign over us, Ancient of Days!

Jesus, our Lord, arise,
Scatter our enemies, and make them fall;
Let Thine almighty aid our sure defense be made,
Souls on Thee be stayed; Lord, hear our call.

Come, Thou incarnate Word,
Gird on Thy mighty sword, our prayer attend!
Come, and Thy people bless, and give Thy Word success,
Spirit of holiness, on us descend!

Come, holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear in this glad hour;
Thou Who almighty art, now rule in every heart,
And ne’er from us depart, Spirit of pow’r!

To Thee, great One in Three,
Eternal praises be, hence, evermore;
Thy sov’reign majesty may we in glory see,
And to eternity love and adore!

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Today's hymn can be downloaded here. This is a Christian hymn of Dutch origin written in 1597 by Adrianus Valerius as "Wilt heden nu treden" to celebrate the Dutch victory over Spanish forces in the Battle of Turnhout. It was originally set to a Dutch folk tune. For more information, look here, here and here. Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion below. Thank you and God Bless!

Lyrics

1. We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens, and hastens his will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to his name;
He forgets not his own.

2. Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side;
All glory be thine!

3. We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
And pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy name be ever praised!
O Lord, make us free!

O Worship The King

Today's hymn can be downloaded here. This hymn was written by Robert Grant in 1833. For more information, look here, here and here. Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion below. Thank you and God Bless!

Love Divine

Today's hymn can be downloaded here. The words of this hymn was written by  Charles Wesley (1747) and the music was written by John Zundel. For more information look here and here. Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion below. Thank you and God Bless.

For The Beauty of The Earth

Today's hymn can be downloaded here. This hymn was written by Folliott Sandford Pierpoint (1864). For more information, look here and here. Please feel free to comment or give any suggestions. Thank you and God Bless!

Original text of 1864:

For the beauty of the earth, 

 For the beauty of the skies,

For the Love which from our birth 

 Over and around us lies:

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our Sacrifice of Praise.

For the beauty of each hour 

 Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flower, 

 Sun and moon and stars of light:

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our Sacrifice of Praise.

For the joy of ear and eye, 

 For the heart and brain's delight,

For the mystic harmony 

 Linking sense to sound and sight:

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our Sacrifice of Praise.

For the joy of human love, 

 Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth, and friends above; 

 For all gentle thoughts and mild:

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our Sacrifice of Praise.

For each perfect Gift of Thine 

 To our race so freely given,

Graces human and Divine, 

 Flowers of earth, and buds of heaven:

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our Sacrifice of Praise.

For Thy Bride that evermore 

 Lifteth holy hands above,

Offering up on every shore 

 This Pure Sacrifice of Love:

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our Sacrifice of Praise.

For Thy Martyrs' crown of light, 

 For Thy Prophets' eagle eye,

For Thy bold Confessors' might, 

 For the lips of Infancy:

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our Sacrifice of Praise.

For Thy Virgins' robes of snow, 

 For Thy Maiden Mother mild,

For Thyself, with hearts aglow, 

 Jesu, Victim undefiled,

Offer we at Thine own Shrine

Thyself, sweet Sacrament Divine

Ode to Joy

Today's piece "Ode to Joy" theme is written by Beethoven based on Schiller's poem, "An die Freude". For more information look here and here. Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion below. Thanks. God Bless!

"An die Freude"

"Ode to Joy"

Freude, schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium, Wir betreten feuertrunken, Himmlische, dein Heiligtum! Deine Zauber binden wieder Was die Mode streng geteilt*; Alle Menschen werden Brüder* Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt. Wem der große Wurf gelungen Eines Freundes Freund zu sein; Wer ein holdes Weib errungen Mische seinen Jubel ein! Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund! Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle Weinend sich aus diesem Bund! Freude trinken alle Wesen An den Brüsten der Natur; Alle Guten, alle Bösen Folgen ihrer Rosenspur. Küsse gab sie uns und Reben, Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod; Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben und der Cherub steht vor Gott. Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen Durch des Himmels prächt'gen Plan Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn, Freudig, wie ein Held zum siegen. Seid umschlungen, Millionen! Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt! Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen. Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen? Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt? Such' ihn über'm Sternenzelt! Über Sternen muß er wohnen.

Joy, beautiful spark of divinity, Daughter from Elysium, We enter, drunk with fire, Heavenly, thy sanctuary! Your magics join again What custom strictly divided;* All people become brothers,* Where your gentle wing abides. Who has succeeded in the great attempt, To be a friend's friend, Whoever has won a lovely woman, Add his to the jubilation! Indeed, who calls at least one soul Theirs upon this world! And whoever never managed, shall steal himself Weeping away from this union. All creatures drink of joy At nature's breast. Just and unjust Alike taste of her gift; She gave us kisses and the fruit of the vine, A tried friend to the end. [Even] the worm has been granted sensuality, And the cherub stands before God! Gladly, as His heavenly bodies fly On their courses through the heavens, Thus, brothers, you should run your race, As a hero going to conquest. You millions, I embrace you. This kiss is for all the world! Brothers, above the starry canopy There must dwell a loving Father. Do you fall in worship, you millions? World, do you know your creator? Seek him in the heavens; Above the stars must He dwell.

Happy Birthday song in Alpha Notes

This song is a must have in every musicians repetoire can be downloaded here. This famous song is said to be composed by sisters Patty and Mildred J. Hill in 1893. The sisters used "Good Morning to All" as a song that young children would find easy to sing. More information can be found here and here. Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion below. Thank you and God Bless!

Michael Row The Boat Ashore

Welcome! Today's popular Alpha Notes song can be found here. "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" (also called "Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore", "Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore", or "Michael, Row That Gospel Boat") is an African-American spiritual first noted during the American Civil War at St. Helena Island, one of the Sea Islands of South Carolina. The best-known recording was released in 1960 by the U.S. folk band The Highwaymen; that version briefly reached number-one hit status as a single.

It was sung by former slaves whose owners had abandoned the island before the Union navy arrived to enforce a blockade. Charles Pickard Ware was an abolitionist and Harvard graduate who had come to supervise the plantations on St. Helena Island from 1862 to 1865, and he wrote down the song in music notation as he heard the freedmen sing it. Ware's cousin William Francis Allen reported in 1863 that the former slaves sang the song as they rowed him in a boat across Station Creek.

The song was first published in 1867 in Slave Songs of the United States by Allen, Ware, and Lucy McKim Garrison. Folk musician and educator Tony Saletan rediscovered it in 1954 in a library copy of that book. The song is cataloged as Roud Folk Song Index No. 11975.

The version of "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" that is widely known today was adapted by Boston folksinger and teacher Tony Saletan, who taught it to Pete Seeger in 1954. Saletan, however, never recorded it. Seeger taught it to the Weavers, who performed it at their Christmas Eve 1955 post-blacklist reunion concert. A recording of that performance was released in 1957 on an album titled The Weavers on Tour. In the same year, folksinger Bob Gibson included it on his Carnegie Concert album. The Weavers included an arrangement in The Weavers' Song Book, published in 1960. Similarly, Seeger included it in his 1961 songbook, American Favorite Ballads, with an attribution to Saletan. The American folk quintet the Highwaymen had a #1 hit in 1961 on both the pop and easy listening charts in the U.S. with their version, under the simpler title of "Michael", recorded and released in 1960. The Highwaymen's arrangement reached #1 for three weeks on Top 40 radio station WABC in New York City in August 1961, and for two weeks in September 1961 on Billboard's Top 40 nationally, remaining in the top ten into October. This recording also went to #1 in the United Kingdom. Billboard ranked the record as the No. 3 song of 1961.