CHRISTIAN LIFE >> LOVE OF COUNTRY
SDAH 648
I vow to thee, my country,
all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect,
the service of my love:
Text
1
I vow to thee, my country,
all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect,
the service of my love:
The love that asks the reason,
the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar
the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters,
the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted
the final sacrifice.
2
And there’s another country,
I’ve heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her,
most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies,
we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart,
her pride is suffering;
And one by one and fervently
we pray for her increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness,
and all her paths are peace.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(b) Heb 11:14, Prov 3:17
Author
Sir Cecil Spring-Rice (1859-1918) alt.
Year Published
1918
Copyright
Music copyright J. Curwen & Sons. Used by permission of G. Schirmer, Inc., USA agents.
Hymn Tune
THAXTED
Metrical Number
13.13.13.13.13.13.
Composer
Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
Tune Source
from The Planets, 1918
Get the hymn sheet in other keys here
Recommended Reading
The general idea when it comes to hymns is that there is a close bond between the author and the composer. That the author writes a hymn and the composer invents a tune to suit it, and then provides the harmony to accompany the tune. However, such wasn’t always the case.
Many hymns actually worked vice versa wherein authors would write verses according to existing tunes. Hundreds of hymns are sung from borrowed tunes, such as secular songs, chants, and even classical works. That being said, I went ahead and researched which hymns in the SDA Hymnal were originally classical works.
Notes
Get to know the hymns a little deeper with the SDA Hymnal Companion. Use our song leader’s notes to engage your congregation in singing with understanding. Even better, involve kids in learning this hymn with our homeschooling materials.
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