Singing to Holst's THAXTED

Susan was excited to report that she was able to sing two wonderful hymns in worship this morning.

We have the first one, "Be Still my Soul," (set to Finlandia by Jean Sibelius) in our Covenant Hymnal, but we do not have the second hymn. It is set to the solemn, stately tune in the Jupiter movement of Gustav Holst's The Planets. I love it when words and music "fit" together and reinforce one another. I hope someday we will be able to sing this at VCC.

O God, beyond all praising
Tune: THAXTED, by Gustav Holst

listen to solo organ here or to a choral/orchestral version here (Starting at 3:03)

O God, beyond all praising, we worship you today
and sing the love amazing that songs cannot repay;
For we can only wonder at every gift you send,
at blessings without number and mercies without end:
We lift our hearts before you and wait upon your word,
We honor and adore you, our great and mighty Lord.

The flower of earthly splendor in time must surely die,
Its fragile bloom surrender to you, the Lord most high;
But hidden from all nature the eternal seed is sown
Though small in mortal stature, to heaven’s garden grown:
For Christ the man from heaven from death has set us free,
And we through him are given the final victory.

Then hear, O gracious Savior, accept the love we bring,
That we who know your favor may serve you as our King;
And whether our tomorrow be filled with good or ill,
We’ll triumph through our sorrows and rise to praise you still:
To marvel at your beauty and glory in your ways,
And make a joyful duty our sacrifice of praise!