O Worship the King (all glorious above)

This is a hymn worshipping God's kingship.  It is based on Psalm 104.

The words were written by Indian-born British lawyer, politician and later poet / hymn-writer, Robert Grant (1779-1838).   

With meter 10 10 11 11, tunes it is set to include:

• HANOVER by William Croft (1678-1727) - published in A Supplement to the New Version, 1708)
• LYONS by Joseph Martin Kraus (1756–1792), which was incorrectly attributed to Hyden for many years - named after the city in France.
• OLD 104TH by Thomas Ravenscroft, 1621

The first two tunes have very similar opening measures, and a similar rhythmic structure throughout - it's easy to get confused between them, or for a congregation to start singing and find part way through that people are singing different versions.

It appears that HANOVER is more commonly used in traditional worship settings, while some contemporary-Christian-music artists have recorded the song using the LYONS tune or variations on it. Simple sheet music for both is provided below.

Downloads

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Lead sheet (melody + guitar chords)
HANOVER

Lead sheet (melody + guitar chords)
LYONS

PowerPoint slides

Examples

Massed choir with organ:

Congregation and choir with organ and bell-choir - tune HANOVER:

Men's choir with piano accompaniment:

Solo singer with guitar - contemporary version:

Lyrics

O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
Our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendour and girded with praise.

O tell of his might and sing of his grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, thy power hath founded of old;
Hath ‘stablished it fast by a changeless decree,
And round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

Your bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distils in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In you do we trust, nor find you to fail.
Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.

O measureless Might, unchangeable Love,
Whom angels delight to worship above!
Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,
In true adoration shall sing to your praise.

ABC Notation

About ABC notation

Tune: LYONS

X:1
T:O Worship the King all Glorious Above - LYONS
C:Words: Robert Grant (1779-1838)
C:Tune: Joseph Martin Kraus (1756–1792)
Z:abc-transcription www.GodSongs.net
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:Gmaj
D | "G"GG"D"A | "G"B2 G | "C"c"D7"c "G"B | "D"A2 D |
w:O wor-ship the King all glor-ious a-bove, O
"G"GG"D"A | "G"B2 "C"c | "G"d/2>c/2 B "D7"A | "G"G2 "D"D |
w:grate-ful-ly sing his pow-er and his love: Our
DDE | "D7"FF "G"G | "D"AA"G"B | "D7"c2 D |
w:shield and de-fend-er, the An-cient of Days, Pav-
"G"GG"D"A | "G"BB "C"c | "G"d/2>c/2 B "D7"A | "G"G2 |]
w:ilion-ed in splend-our and gird_ed with praise.

Tune: HANOVER

X:1
T:O Worship the King all Glorious Above - HANOVER
C:Words: Robert Grant (1779-1838)
C:Tune: William Croft (1678-1727)
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:Gmaj
D | "G"GGA | B2 "D"d | "Am"GA"D"F | "G"G2 "D"A |
w:O wor-ship the King all glor-ious a-bove, O
"G"BAG | "D"F2 G | "A"A (G/2F/2) E | "D"D2 F |
w:grate-ful-ly sing his power and_ his love: Our
"Em"GA"B"B | "Em"GEc |"G"BAG | "D"d2 D |
w:shield and de-fend-er, the An-cient of Days, Pav-
"C"EF"D"G | "D"AD"G"B| "Am"EA"D"F |"G"G2 |]
w:ilion-ed in splend-our and gird-ed with praise.

See more ...

• Hymn about Kingship
• Worship hymns