What a privilege it is to worship You today, Lord. We lift our voices as a unified choir of believers even if we are separated by distance, singing in our own homes. May our hearts be joined in praise this weekend as we focus on You, the Savior of the world, our precious Redeemer.
Welcome!
Here you will find music for at-home musical worship during this ongoing season when so many of us are at home so much of the time. You can listen to a piano prelude that will help you to enter into a spirit of worship. And then . . . the singing begins!
You'll find simple piano accompaniments for each hymn that will help you to sing with joy. (Each hymn has been transposed down a step or two so that you don't have to fear the highest notes!). You'll also find Bible verses that thematically relate to the hymn lyrics (or, in many cases, directly inspired them), as well as historical background about the text author and musical composer. Some songs may be new to you, so the printed music may be helpful (if you're a music reader): if not, you'll find links to recordings of the hymns with singing so that you can get a feel of what the hymn will sound like (or you can listen to the piano accompaniment once, and then join in the second time). At the end of each week's post, you'll hear a piano postlude intended to send you forth with a refreshed and renewed spirit!
The lyrics and Scripture are beautiful to meditate upon all on their own. Most historical hymns were written first as poems, and it can be meaningful to read or speak the lyrics as well as singing them. I've provided the lyrics for the prelude and postlude selections so that you can read them while you listen to the piano arrangements.
If you would like to hear any of your favorite hymns from past "Notes of Glory" posts again, here is an alphabetical list, with each hymn linked to the post where it first appeared (dating back to the very first post on March 22, 2020).
Complete "Notes of Glory" Song List
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If given an option on your mobile device, click "LISTEN IN BROWSER" (rather than "Play on SoundCloud") on the audio player windows so that you stay on this page and can sing along using the printed lyrics.
PRELUDE
(to help you prepare to worship)
I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
Words by Horatio Bonar. Music: "Kingsfold" (traditional English folk melody). Arranged for solo piano by Lloyd Larson
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
John 4:9-14
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans).
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”______________________________
As part of a family that had served the Church of Scotland for over 350 years, Horatio Bonar (1808-1889) followed his ancestors into the ministry. He was a prolific author and composed over 600 hymns (poems) as well as a number of books, including Truth and Error and The Night of Weeping, or Words for the Suffering Family of God. Bonar was well acquainted with suffering, having lost five young children in a short period of time. One of his best-loved hymns, "I Heard the voice of Jesus Say" (1846) focuses on the life-giving words of Jesus (who Himself is the Word) in the books of Matthew and John: scroll up to see the Scripture passages that directly inspired each verse of Bonar's text. You can see photos of Bonar's original handwritten manuscript of this hymn as well as early printed versions here. The plaintive melody is an English folk tune, matched with "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say" for the first time in 1906 by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams in The English Hymnal.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Come unto me and rest;
lay down, O weary one, lay down
your head upon my breast."
I came to Jesus as I was,
weary and worn and sad;
I found in him a resting place,
and he has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Behold, I freely give
the living water; thirsty one,
stoop down and drink, and live."
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"I am this dark world's Light;
look unto me, your morn shall rise,
and all your days be bright."
I looked to Jesus and I found
in him my Star, my Sun;
and in that light of life I'll walk,
'til trav'ling days are done.
Praise the Lord! Ye Heavens, Adore Him
Music: Anonymous (v. 1-2), Edward Osier (v.3). Music by Franz Joseph Haydn.
Psalm 148
Praise the Lord!Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!
Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For he commanded and they were created.
And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!
Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!
Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the Lord!
________________________________
Every once in a while something that is an "extra" holds something of great value. "Praise the Lord, Ye Heavens Adore Him" first appeared in a four-page tract titled, "Praise. For Foundling Apprentices Attending Divine Service to return Thanks" that was attached to the book Psalms, Hymns, and Anthems of the Foundling Hospital, London, published in 1796. The Foundling Hospital was an orphanage, established in 1739, which became famous over time for the singing of the children who lived there: Georg Frederic Handel and Charles Dickens were among its public supporters. Of all the hymns in this collection "Praise the Lord, ye Heavens Adore Him," originally part of that added-in booklet, is one of the best known today.
The author of the first two verses of the text are unknown: the third verse was written by Edmund Osler (1798-1863) and included in his 1837 book Church and King. All verses detail the many ways in which God's creation can praise the Creator, and were inspired by Psalm 148. "Praise the Lord" is frequently set to a melody by composer Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) titled "Austrian Hymn." You can hear a recording of this hymn by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge here.
Praise Him, angels, in the height.
Sun and moon, rejoice before Him;
Praise Him, all ye stars of light.
Praise the Lord! for He hath spoken;
Worlds His mighty voice obeyed.
Law which never shall be broken
For their guidance hath He made.
Praise the Lord! for He is glorious;
Never shall His promise fail.
God hath made His saints victorious;
Sin and death shall not prevail.
Praise the God of our salvation!
Hosts on high, His power proclaim.
Heav'n and earth and all creation
Laud and magnify His name.
Worship, honor, glory, blessing,
Lord, we offer unto Thee.
Young and old, Thy praise expressing,
In glad homage bend the knee.
All the saints in heav'n adore Thee;
We would bow before Thy throne.
As Thine angels serve before Thee,
So on earth Thy will be done.
O Love that Will Not Let Me Go
Words by George Matheson, tune by Albert L. Peace
Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
Words by George Matheson, tune by Albert L. Peace
Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
Psalm 139:7-10
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
Romans 8:35-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:Romans 8:35-39
“For your sake we face death all day long;No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
_______________________________
At age 19, George Matheson (1842-1906) was engaged to be married and was headed for a bright future as a star student at Glasgow University. His sight had been poor since childhood but began to worsen and his fiancee abandoned him, saying that she could not envision a life as the wife of a blind man. Despite his heartbreak, Matheson continued preparing for the ministry, and eventually lost his sight completely. He became a minister and writer and was cared for and helped in his work by his older sister Jane as well as his younger sisters, Margaret and Ellen. On the night before Margaret's wedding in 1882, 40-year old Matheson (now known to many as "the blind preacher") experienced feelings of melancholy and later wrote:
My hymn was composed in the manse of Innellan on the evening of the 6th of June, 1882, when I was 40 years of age. I was alone in the manse at that time. It was the night of my sister’s marriage, and the rest of the family were staying overnight in Glasgow. Something happened to me, which was known only to myself, and which caused me the most severe mental suffering.
The hymn was the fruit of that suffering. It was the quickest bit of work I ever did in my life. I had the impression of having it dictated to me by some inward voice rather than of working it out myself. I am quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes, and equally sure that it never received at my hands any retouching or correction. I have no natural gift of rhythm. All the other verses I have ever written are manufactured articles; this came like a dayspring from on high.
The organist at Glasgow Cathedral, Albert Peace (1844-1912) was invited to compose a melody for "O Love that Wilt not Let Me Go" in 1884 and later commented on the process, "the ink of the first note was hardly dry when I had finished the tune." The text and melody beautifully convey the deep, sustaining, redeeming love of Christ. Here is a recording of the Gaither Vocal Band singing David Phelps' arrangement of this hymn, and here is a recording of the Westminster Chorus singing the same Phelps arrangement (both are beautiful interpretations!) You can read more about the life and tremendous ministry of George Matheson here.
O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
that in thine ocean depths its flow
may richer, fuller be.
O Light that follow'st all my way,
I yield my flick'ring torch to thee;
my heart restores its borrowed ray,
that in thy sunshine's blaze its day
may brighter, fairer be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow thro' the rain,
and feel the promise is not vain
that morn shall tearless be.
O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life's glory dead,
and from the ground there blossoms red,
life that shall endless be.
Take the World But Give Me Jesus
Words by Frances ("Fanny") Crosby. Music by John Robson Sweney
Mark 8:34-37
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?
1 John 3:1-2
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
______________________________
One of the greatest hymn writers of all time, Frances ("Fanny") Crosby (1820-1915) has been featured here in previous weeks: see the May 10 post which included "Blessed Assurance" for biographical information as well as a link to a film about her life. She wrote over 9,000 hymns (often using pseudonymns) and sometimes found inspiration for the idea of a hymn from a conversation or real-life event.
In her book Memories of Eighty Years Crosby recalled, "one day someone was talking about wealth, and he said, 'if I had wealth, I would be able to do just what I wish I could do, and I would be able to make an appearance in the world.' I replied, 'Take the world, but give me Jesus.' That remark led me to write the hymn having that title."
Composer John Robson Sweney (1837-1899) wrote over 1,000 gospel songs including "Sunshine in My Soul." He collaborated with Fanny Crosby on "Take the World and Give Me Jesus" and also composed melodies for Crosby's hymns "My Savior First of All," "Tell Me the Story of Jesus," and "Unsearchable Riches."
Here is the Haven of Rest Quartet singing "Take the World, But Give Me Jesus." Here is Memories of Eighty Years (Fanny Crosby's autobiography) in its entirety, free to read online.
Take the world, but give me Jesus,
All its joys are but a name;
But His love abideth ever,
Thru eternal years the same.
Refrain:
O the height and depth of mercy!
O the length and breadth of love!
O the fullness of redemption,
Pledge of endless life above!
Take the world, but give me Jesus,
Sweetest comfort of my soul;
With my Savior watching o’er me,
I can sing tho billows roll. (Refrain)
______________________________
One of the greatest hymn writers of all time, Frances ("Fanny") Crosby (1820-1915) has been featured here in previous weeks: see the May 10 post which included "Blessed Assurance" for biographical information as well as a link to a film about her life. She wrote over 9,000 hymns (often using pseudonymns) and sometimes found inspiration for the idea of a hymn from a conversation or real-life event.
In her book Memories of Eighty Years Crosby recalled, "one day someone was talking about wealth, and he said, 'if I had wealth, I would be able to do just what I wish I could do, and I would be able to make an appearance in the world.' I replied, 'Take the world, but give me Jesus.' That remark led me to write the hymn having that title."
Composer John Robson Sweney (1837-1899) wrote over 1,000 gospel songs including "Sunshine in My Soul." He collaborated with Fanny Crosby on "Take the World and Give Me Jesus" and also composed melodies for Crosby's hymns "My Savior First of All," "Tell Me the Story of Jesus," and "Unsearchable Riches."
Here is the Haven of Rest Quartet singing "Take the World, But Give Me Jesus." Here is Memories of Eighty Years (Fanny Crosby's autobiography) in its entirety, free to read online.
 |
| Public domain. Courtesy of Cyber Hymnal |
Take the world, but give me Jesus,
All its joys are but a name;
But His love abideth ever,
Thru eternal years the same.
Refrain:
O the height and depth of mercy!
O the length and breadth of love!
O the fullness of redemption,
Pledge of endless life above!
Take the world, but give me Jesus,
Sweetest comfort of my soul;
With my Savior watching o’er me,
I can sing tho billows roll. (Refrain)
Take the world, but give me Jesus,
Let me view His constant smile;
Then throughout my pilgrim journey
Light will cheer me all the while. (Refrain)
Take the world, but give me Jesus.
In His cross my trust shall be,
Till, with clearer, brighter vision,
Face to face my Lord I see. (Refrain)
Let me view His constant smile;
Then throughout my pilgrim journey
Light will cheer me all the while. (Refrain)
Take the world, but give me Jesus.
In His cross my trust shall be,
Till, with clearer, brighter vision,
Face to face my Lord I see. (Refrain)
POSTLUDE
(to send you forth with joy!)
And Can It Be?
Words by Charles Wesley. Music by Thomas Campbell. Solo piano arrangement by Mark Hayes.
Romans 5:8
Philippians 2:5-8
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Romans 8:1-4
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
And can it be that I should gain
an int'rest in the Saviour's blood?
Died He for me who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! how can it be
that Thou, my God, shouldest die for me!
He left His Father's throne above,
so free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself and came in love,
and bled for Adam's helpless race!
'tis mercy all, immense and free,
for, O my God, it found out me.
Amazing love! how can it be
that Thou, my God, shouldest die for me!
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature's night.
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray;
I woke-- the dungeon flamed with light!
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
Amazing love! how can it be
that Thou, my God, shouldest die for me!
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus and all in him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine!
Bold I approach th'eternal throne,
and claim the crown through Christ my own!
Amazing love! how can it be
that Thou, my God, shouldest die for me!
Sun and moon, rejoice before Him;
Acts 16:26
Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.
Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.
Romans 8:1-4
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
______________________________
Charles Wesley (1707-1788), composer of over 6500 hymns, is believed to have written "And Can It Be" shortly after his 1738 conversion experience. He expresses his wonder and astonishment at the gift of salvation, and describes the sense of freedom that comes from believing in Christ. Here is an in-depth theological and devotional analysis of the hymn. "Sagina," the tune for "And Can it Be" was written by Thomas Campbell (1777-1844), of whom little is known other than the fact that he wrote a collection of 23 hymn tunes titled The Bouquet (each tune featured a horticulturally-themed name). This is a wonderful hymn to sing if you enjoy lots of lively melodic skips and leaps! Here it's rendered in a solo piano arrangement by the eminent composer, pianist, and arranger Mark Hayes.
an int'rest in the Saviour's blood?
Died He for me who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! how can it be
that Thou, my God, shouldest die for me!
He left His Father's throne above,
so free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself and came in love,
and bled for Adam's helpless race!
'tis mercy all, immense and free,
for, O my God, it found out me.
Amazing love! how can it be
that Thou, my God, shouldest die for me!
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature's night.
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray;
I woke-- the dungeon flamed with light!
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
Amazing love! how can it be
that Thou, my God, shouldest die for me!
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus and all in him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine!
Bold I approach th'eternal throne,
and claim the crown through Christ my own!
Amazing love! how can it be
that Thou, my God, shouldest die for me!
Sun and moon, rejoice before Him;
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