Grateful notes and numbers bring. [Thanksgiving.] This hymn appeared in the Christians Magazine, Feb., 1766, as "A New Ode as sung by the Women at the Magdalen Chapel," in 7 stanzas of 4 lines, without signature, and with many repetitions and choruses as the parts were divided between the "First and Second Galleries." The following, omitting repetitions, is the text:—
”Grateful notes and numbers bring,
While Jehovah's praise we sing:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord!
Be Thy glorious name adored.
"Men on earth, and saints above,
Sing the great Redeemer's love:
Lord, Thy mercies never fail:
Hail, celestial goodness, hail!
“Though unworthy, Lord, Thine ear,
Our humble hallelujahs hear;
Purer praise we hope to bring
When with saints we stand and sing.
"Lead us to that blissful state,
Where Thou reignest supremely great;
Look with pity from Thy throne,
And send Thy Holy Spirit down.
"While on earth ordained to stay,
Guide our footsteps in Thy way;
'Till we come to reign with Thee,
And all Thy glorious greatness see.
“Then with angels we'll again
Wake a louder, louder strain;
There, in joyful songs of praise,
We'll our grateful voices raise.
"There no tongue shall silent be:
There all shall join sweet harmony;
That through heaven's all spacious round,
Thy praise, O God, may ever sound!"
There is no signature to the hymn, but there is every reason to conclude that it was by the Rev. William Dodd, the editor of the Magazine. In the 3rd edition of Dodd's Account.. .. of the Magdalen Charity, 1766 (dedication of this edition dated Feb., 1766, 1st edition, 1761), the hymn is reprinted as "An Ode for the Magdalen Chapel"; and follows an " Anthem, for the use of Magdalen Chapel," beginning, "Let the solemn organ blow," which, when printed in the Christians Magazine, March, 1765, was given as " By the Rev. W. Dodd, Chaplain to the King. Set to Music by Mr. Bach, Composer to Her Majesty.” The hymn is in Dodd's favourite metre; and his version of the 100th Psalm, and his hymn, "Glory be to God on high," bear strong internal evidence to identity of authorship. In modern hymn-books it is found as follows:—
1. Grateful notes and numbers bring. In the Psalms & Hymns for the Use of the Magdalen Chapel, 1804, it was given with slight alterations in the irregular lines to harmonize the metre. In Bickersteth's Christian Psalmody, 1833, No. 209, it was repeated with the omission of stanzas ii. and vii., and through this channel came into modern use.
2. Grateful hearts and voices bring. This form of the text was given in Hall's Mitre Hymn Book, 1836, No. 24, in 4 stanzas. This, with the addition of a doxology, was repeated in the Cooke & Denton Hymnal, 1853, No. 126, and other collections.
3. Holy, holy, holy Lord! Be Thy glorious Name adored. In 1778, Benjamin Williams gave 6 stanzas from the original in his Salisbury Collection, beginning with lines 3-4, of stanza i., "Holy, holy, holy Lord. From this four stanzas were taken by A. Kippis and his co-editors, and included in their Collection, 1795, No. 184, as from the " Salisbury Collection." This form was repeated in later collections, and is very popular with Unitarians in Great Britain, and America.
4. Heavenly Father, Sovereign Lord, Be Thy glorious Name adored. This is an alteration of stanzas i., ii., iii., v., vi. (stanza i. being from stanza i., ii.), in 4 stanzas. This was given in the Methodist Episcopal Hymns, N. Y.. 1849, No. 41, and repeated in the Hymnal of the same body, 1878, No. 20. The hymn, "Heavenly Father, Sovereign Lord, ever faithful to Thy word" (q.v.), No. 333 in their revised Collection, 1831, is by C. Wesley.
The use of this hymn in these various forma is extensive in Great Britain and America.
[William T. Brooke]
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
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