Many thanks for this magnificent presentation. I have loved singing this hymn for years but reading the words separate from the music allows me to appreciate the gift of the author's poetry. May God be the glory!
We sang 'Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee' (with all the thees and thous) at our wedding, 42 years ago. We sang it again at my husband's funeral. Thank you, as always, for the background.
Beethovan's Ninth is one of the first recordings that comes to mind whenever I come across one of those "If you could only have one recording..." kinds of postings--and it's been a fovorite since I was 11 or 12...
Always loved the song--at home I usually heard it from an album my father had of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Sadly, most of the time it is used at Mass these days, the keyboard player really doesn't know how to play the organ properly, and the choir can't seem to pick up on the joyful nature of the song! (Or perhaps the capacity to understand 'well talking writed goodly' has been taught out of them...)
My mother requested that this be sung at her funeral. She loved it and sang or hummed it often.
Hymns of Joy seem to predominate in my family.
My husband’s grandparents, who I adored, requested Joy to the World at their funerals. When I questioned why, Grandmother C handed me her hymnal and told me to read it not as a Christmas carol but as a promise of redemption. Both my husband’s grandparents and parents were buried to that hymn.
That's something, isn't it? Yes, I see that it needn't be thought of as a Christmas carol. The melody ANTIOCH to which we sing it doesn't suggest anything about Bethlehem and the stable, either. I should look into this...
What a fascinating essay about one of my favorite hymns! We don't usually sing the last verse in our parish, but we have sung it when the organist decides four verses aren't too many for the impatient. As I recall it our hymnal says "hearts unfold like flowers before thee, ope'ning to the sun of love" but otherwise the words are the same.
A pet peeve about 'How Great Thou Art'.............Either no more than the first 2 verses are sung, OR, on rare occasions--verses 1, 2 and 4.............either way, never get to sing verse 3 (And when I think/that God his son not sparing/.........)
Mark, speaking of pet peeves, mine is being given only the first two verses of a trinitarian hymn, and stiffing the Holy Spirit! That's like reading half a sonnet and never getting to the resolution. Oy!
https://www.classicfm.com/composers/beethoven/rowan-atkinson-forgets-words-ninth-symphony-sketch/ In case you want to hear a Rowan Atkinson version.😄
Many thanks for this magnificent presentation. I have loved singing this hymn for years but reading the words separate from the music allows me to appreciate the gift of the author's poetry. May God be the glory!
We sang 'Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee' (with all the thees and thous) at our wedding, 42 years ago. We sang it again at my husband's funeral. Thank you, as always, for the background.
Beethovan's Ninth is one of the first recordings that comes to mind whenever I come across one of those "If you could only have one recording..." kinds of postings--and it's been a fovorite since I was 11 or 12...
Always loved the song--at home I usually heard it from an album my father had of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Sadly, most of the time it is used at Mass these days, the keyboard player really doesn't know how to play the organ properly, and the choir can't seem to pick up on the joyful nature of the song! (Or perhaps the capacity to understand 'well talking writed goodly' has been taught out of them...)
My mother requested that this be sung at her funeral. She loved it and sang or hummed it often.
Hymns of Joy seem to predominate in my family.
My husband’s grandparents, who I adored, requested Joy to the World at their funerals. When I questioned why, Grandmother C handed me her hymnal and told me to read it not as a Christmas carol but as a promise of redemption. Both my husband’s grandparents and parents were buried to that hymn.
What a great idea that your Grandmother C had. I love Hark the Herald Angels Sing because of the hope it relates. Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Beautiful ❤️
That's something, isn't it? Yes, I see that it needn't be thought of as a Christmas carol. The melody ANTIOCH to which we sing it doesn't suggest anything about Bethlehem and the stable, either. I should look into this...
What a fascinating essay about one of my favorite hymns! We don't usually sing the last verse in our parish, but we have sung it when the organist decides four verses aren't too many for the impatient. As I recall it our hymnal says "hearts unfold like flowers before thee, ope'ning to the sun of love" but otherwise the words are the same.
A pet peeve about 'How Great Thou Art'.............Either no more than the first 2 verses are sung, OR, on rare occasions--verses 1, 2 and 4.............either way, never get to sing verse 3 (And when I think/that God his son not sparing/.........)
Mark, speaking of pet peeves, mine is being given only the first two verses of a trinitarian hymn, and stiffing the Holy Spirit! That's like reading half a sonnet and never getting to the resolution. Oy!