Hymn to St Andrew (When Christ our Lord to Andrew Cried)

This is a hymn in honour of St Andrew, patron saint of Scotland.

The words are attributed to by EM Barrett (details unknown).

With doubled common meter (8686D) tunes it is set to include:
  • ST ANDREW (TANS'UR)  composed in 1735 by Will­iam Tan­s’ur (1700-1783)
  • ST ANNE by William Croft (1678-1727)
  • DRAYTON HALL by C I Walchesky (b. 1989), written in 2014

It is included in The Book of Hymns with Tunes, published by Cary & Co, London in 1913 (ref) - and based on this it is assumed to now be in the public domain.   The sheet music below is adapted from this hymnal.




Downloads


Examples

Solo singer with guitar accompaniment:



Diocesian choir with organ:


Congregation with organ:


Solo singer, unaccompanied:


Lyrics

When Christ our Lord to Andrew cried:
“Come, thou, and follow me,”
The fisher left his net beside
the Sea of Galilee.
To teach the truth the Master taught,
to tread the path he trod
was all his will and thus he brought
unnumbered souls to God.

When Andrew’s hour had come, and he
was doomed, like Christ to die,
he kissed his cross exultingly,
and this his noble cry:
“O noble cross! O precious wood!
I long have yearned for thee;
uplift me to my only good
who died on thee for me.”

The faith that Andrew taught once shone
o’er all this kingdom fair;
the cross that Jesus died upon
was honoured everywhere.
But times once changed and Andrew’s name
was for a while forgot;
the cross, though set in kingly crown,
became a sign of shame.

St Andrew now in bliss above,
thy fervent prayers renew
that Scotland yet again may love
the faith, entire and true;
that I the cross allotted me
may bear with patient love! ‘
Twill lift me, as it lifted thee,
to reign with Christ above.


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2 comments:

  1. Enjoyed listening to this hymn on the Feast of St Andrew. Learned it as a child in Scotland but have never heard it sung here in New Zealand over the past 57 years

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  2. Thanks for sharing! Great hymn to sing on the Feast of St. Andrew. Come let us be fishers of men, O Lord.

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