Psalter Hymnal (Gray) ‎#593

593. My Song Forever Shall Record

1 My song forever shall record
the tender mercies of the Lord;
your faithfulness will I proclaim,
and every age shall know your name.

2 I sing of mercies that endure,
forever builded firm and sure,
of faithfulness that never dies,
established changeless in the skies.

3 Almighty God, your lofty throne
has justice for its cornerstone,
and shining bright before your face
are truth and love and boundless grace.

4 With blessing is the nation crowned
whose people know the joyful sound;
they in the light, O Lord, shall live,
the light your face and favor give.

5 All glory unto God we yield,
who is our constant help and shield;
all praise and honor we will bring
to you, the Holy One, our King.

Text Information

• First Line: My song forever shall record
• Title: My Song Forever Shall Record
• Meter: LM
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1987
• Scripture:
  Psalm 89
  ;
  Psalm 90:1
• Topic: Doxologies; Society/Social Concerns; Heritage; Justice; Mercy; Nation

Tune Information

• Name: WINCHESTER NEW
• Meter: LM
• Key: B♭ Major
• Source: Musikalisches Handbuch, Hamburg, 1690

Text Information:

Scripture References:
st. 1 = Ps. 89:1
st. 2 = Ps. 89:2
st. 3 = Ps. 89:14
st. 4 = Ps. 89:15
st. 5 = Ps. 89:17-18

Originally published in the 1912 Psalter; this text is a paraphrase of select verses from Psalm 89. That psalm unites a great hymn of praise for God's faithfulness, particularly to David and his dynasty, and a prayerful lament for the downfall of Israel (see also PHH 89).

This paraphrase is taken from the psalm's first section, its hymn of praise. Stanzas 1 and 2 extol God's mercy and faithfulness, which he displays to his people at all times and in all places. Stanza 3 and 4 witness to the biblical cosmology in which God's justice and love are to be the model for the lifestyle of his people. The final stanza is a doxology.

Liturgical Use:
As a general hymn of praise at any time in the worship service; especially for occasions of worship that emphasize God's mercy, justice, and faithfulness as examples of how we as Christians should live and act in this world.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Tune Information:

The original version of WINCHESTER NEW appeared in Musikalisches Handbuch der geistlichen Melodien, published in Hamburg, Germany, in 1690 by Georg Wittwe. It was set to the text “Wer nur den lieben Gott” (see 446). An expanded version of the tune was a setting for "Dir, dir Jehova" (see 203) in Johann Freylinghausen's Geistreiches Gesangbuch (1704). The melody was also used by John and Charles Wesley (PHH 267) for their texts and was reworked by William J. Havergal as a long-meter tune in his Old Church Psalmody (1864). Havergal's version closely resembled its original 1690 form. Named for the ancient English city in Hampshire noted for its cathedral, the tune gained much popularity because of its extended use. It is called WINCHESTER NEW (also called CRASSELIUS) to distinguish it from WINCHESTER OLD (see 215 and 628).

Sing this dignified psalm tune in unison on the outer stanzas and in parts on the middle ones. Use solid organ tone and phrase in two long lines.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook