O King of Might and Splendour

This is a hymn which is suitable for offertory use. It is a translation of a Latin hymn Rex Summae Majestatis, from Cantiones Sacrae a 19th century Ratisbon Manuale Canti Sancti (Manual of Chant) edited by German Roman Catholic priest and poet, Joseph Mohr SJ (ref).

It was translated by English Roman Catholic organist and composer, Benedictine monk Dom A. Gregory Murray, OSB, (1905-1992).

With meter 76.76 D, tunes it is set to include:

An unnamed tune by Joseph Mohr (1792 – 1848)
REX SUMMAE MAJESTATIS aka O KING OF MIGHT AND SPLENDOUR by A. Gregory Murray (1963)
O HAUPT VOLL BLUT UND WUNDEN, aka PASSION CHORALE, by German composer H L Hassler (1564–1612)
CRÜGER by German composer Johann Crüger (1598-1662)
VOT GOTT WILL ICH NICHT LASSEN from Recueil de plusieurs chansons, Lyons, 1557
THE LORD IS MY TRUE SHEPHERD 76 76 D (PENANCE) by Fr. J. Roel Lungay (b. 1960)
ODE TO JOY by L van Beethoven
A Russian folk melody, "Iz-za ostrova na strezhen" or "Volga, Volga mat' rodnaya", written prior to the 1890s, so now in the public domain: This tune was used for the 1960's Australian folk-song "The Carnival is Over".

Hymn-books where it has been published in include:

Our Parish Prays and Sings, Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minn., 1959
Hymnal of Christian Unity, Gregorian Institute of America, 1964
Parish Mass Book and Hymnal, Catholic Book Publishing Company, New York, USA, 1965
People's Mass Book, Edition for Ireland, Chapman Ltd, UK, 1966
Veritas Hymnal, Veritas Publications Ireland, 1973
Worship II, a Hymnal for Roman Catholic Parishes, G. I. A. Publications, Chicago, USA 1975
Catholic Hymn Book, RPI and St Paul's, Lagos 1976
Hymns Old and New for the Irish church, Kevin Mayhew Ltd, 1977
Celebration Hymnal for Everyone McCrimmon Publications, England 1994
Catholic Hymns Old and New, Kevin Mayhew Ltd, England - 2009 (and probably earlier editions)

Downloads

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Piano / organ sheet music

PowerPoint slides

Examples

Small choir with organ - tune REX SUMMAE MAJESTATIS (?)

Choir with band - to the Russian folk-tune, Iz-za ostrova na strezhen

Choir with piano, tune ODE TO JOY

Choir with electronic keyboard (harp voice?), tune PASSION CHORALE

Choir with guitars, set to the Russian folk tune

Choir and congregation with organ, tune O HAUPT VOLL BLUT UND WUNDEN

Singer with synthesizer backing, tune THE LORD IS MY TRUE SHEPHERD

Choir and congregation with organ, recorded live in a church-service, in a very reverberant space. Tune REX SUMMAE MAJESTATIS

Instrumental - piano. Tune O HAUPT VOLL BLUE AND WUNDEN

Lyrics

The lyrics are copyright so cannot be reproduced here. But they are currently available on this website. A rough outline is:

O King of might and splendour,
Creator most adored,
This sacrifice we render
To Thee as sov’reign Lord.
May these our gifts be pleasing
Unto Thy Majesty,
Mankind from sin releasing
Who have offended Thee.

Thy body Thou hast given,
Thy blood Thou hast out-poured
That sin might be forgiven,
O Jesus, loving Lord,
As now with love most tender
Thy death we celebrate,
Our lives in self-surrender
To Thee we consecrate.

Original Latin hymn

Rex summae majestátis
Creátor hóminum,Te solumhis oblátis
Fatémur Dóminum.
Sint dona tibi grata
Quae nunc offérimus
Et déleant peccáta
Quis te offédimus.

Tu corpus traddísti,
O Jesu Dómine,
Tu sánguinem fudisti
Promundi crímine;
Dum tuae celebrámus
Mortis memóriam
Nos ipsos consecrámus
Invivam hóstiam.