It was written in 1774, by English Anglican minister, co-leader of the Methodist movement and hymn-writer, Charles Wesley (1707–1788). It was first published in Hymns for Our Lord’s Resurrection (London, 1746).
With meter 6.6.6.6.8.8, tunes it has been set to include:
- DARWALL'S 148TH by John Darwall (1731-89) - the most commonly-used tune?
- GOPSAL by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- LAUS REGIS by William Fischer (1835-1912)
- ARTHURS SEAT by John Goss (1800-80).
The final verse is sometimes omitted from Catholic hymn books.
Downloads
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Examples
Choir with organ and brass, on-screen lyrics. Tune DARWELL
Small choir with electronic keyboards
Contemporary band, worship leading video
Choir with keyboard - tune ???
Singer with piano, on-screen lyrics
Instrumental - piano
Lyrics
Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore;Mortals give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Jesus, the Savior, reigns, the God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains He took His seat above;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
His kingdom cannot fail, He rules o’er earth and Heav’n,
The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus giv’n;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
He sits at God’s right hand till all His foes submit,
And bow to His command, and fall beneath His feet:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
He all His foes shall quell, shall all our sins destroy,
And every bosom swell with pure seraphic joy;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice,
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Rejoice in glorious hope! Jesus the Judge shall come,
And take His servants up to their eternal home.
We soon shall hear th’archangel’s voice;
The trump of God shall sound, rejoice!
If I could offer a very minor correction: the last verse is included in every hymnal I've seen, but the altered refrain attached to the last verse is rarely used in recent hymnals of any denomination (on the basis of scans in Hymnary.org).
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