The Royal Banners Forward Go

This Lenten hymn by Venantius Fortunatus (530- 609) was translated to English by John Mason Neale (1818-1866).

Tunes it has been set to include:

TRURO (Thomas Williams, Psalmodia Evangelica, 1789),
GONFALON ROYAL (Percy Carter Buck (1871-1947), published in 1913 in Fourteen Hymn Tunes.)

Downloads

PowerPoint
slides

Choral arrangement (SATB) with organ, optional congregation. Carl Maria (Paul) von Weber - based on VEXILLA REGIS

Examples

Choir with organ:

Massed choir with orchestra, tune GONFALON ROYAL

Lyrics

The royal banners forward go,
The cross shines forth in mystic glow;
Where he is in flesh, our flesh who made,
Our sentence bore, our ransom paid.

There whilst he hung, his sacred side
By soldiers spear was opened wide,
To cleanse us in the precious flood
Of water mingled with his blood.

Fulfilled is now what David told
In true prophetic song of old,
How God the sinner’s king should be;
For God is reigning from the tree.

O tree of glory, tree most fair,
Ordained those holy limbs to bear,
How bright in purple robe it stood,
The purple of a Saviour’s blood.

To thee, eternal Three in One,
Let homage meet by all be done,
As by the cross thou dost restore,
So rule and guide us evermore.