Lord Who at thy First Eucharist Did'st Pray

This is a Eucharistic hymn which focuses on unity.  Alternate titles include:
  • Thou, Who at Thy First Eucharist
  • Lord, Who the Night You Were Betrayed
  • At That First Eucharist
  • O Thou who at Thy Eucharist

The words were written by retired English army officer William Harry Turton (1856-1938).  It was published in "The Church Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged" (Episcopal) 1896, and a piano score based on this publication is available from the Open Hymnal Project
 With meter of 10.10.10.10.10.10, tunes it has been set to include:
  • UNDE ET MEMORES by William Henry Monk (1823 - 1889)
  • SONG 1 - by Orlando Gibbons
  • FIFGYSBREN - A traditional Welsh tune
  • SACRAMENTUM UNITATIS by Charles Harford Lloyd (1885)


Downloads

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Examples

Professional recording, choir with organ:


Modern setting, solo singer with band, professional recording:


Instrumental - electronic organ:


Choir with organ, recorded live at a wedding:


Lyrics

Lord who at thy first Eucharist did'st pray,
That all Thy church might be forever one,
Grant us at every Eucharist to say
With longing heart and soul, "Thy will be done."
Oh, may we all one bread, one body be,
Through this blest sacrament of unity.

For all thy church, O Lord, we intercede;
Make Thou our sad divisions soon to cease;
Draw us the nearer each to each, we plead,
By drawing all to thee, O prince of peace;
Thus may we all one bread, one body be,
Through this blest Sacrament of Unity.

We pray thee, too, for wanderers from thy fold,
Oh, bring them back, good shepherd of the sheep,
Back to the faith which saints believed of old,
Back to the church which still that faith doth keep;
Soon may we all one bread, one body be,
Through this blest sacrament of unity.

So, Lord, at length when sacraments shall cease,
May we be one with all thy church above,
One with Thy saints in one unbroken peace,
One with Thy saints in one unbounded love;
More blessed still, in peace and love to be
One with the trinity in unity.

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2 comments:

  1. please if you are suggesting and song please provide us the sofa notes of the song, I mean in script and there some people here that does not understand all this music notation symbols ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ unless it is in this form d r m f s l t d'.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment, Emmanuel.

      Unfortunately the sofware that I used to produce sheet music does not also print tonic sol-fa notation, and I have not been able to find any affordable packages that to both.

      I know that some people find formal notation hard to learn - but it really is worth the effort. The d r m f s l t d' notation tells you the pitch, but that's all. It doesn't tell you how long to hold the note for, or give any of the other information (eg when to breath, when to sing quietly) that can be shown on "the dots".

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