Lo! at noon, 'tis sudden night

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Lo! at noon, 'tis sudden night

Author: Jane Taylor
Published in 26 hymnals

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Audio files: MIDI

Piano/Organ
	REFLECTIONS ON HOLY WEEK

Representative Text

1 Lo, at noon ’tis sudden night.
Darkness covers all the sky!
Rocks are rending at the sight!
Children, can you tell me why?
What can all these wonders be?
Jesus dies on Calvary.

2 Stretched upon the cross, behold
How His tender limbs are torn!
For a royal crown of gold,
They have made Him one of thorn!
Cruel hands, that dare to bind
Thorns upon a brow so kind.

3 See! the blood is falling fast
From His forehead and His side!
Listen! He has breathed His last!
With a mighty groan He died!
Children, can you tell me why
Jesus condescends to die?

4 He, who was a king above,
Left His kingdom for a grave,
Out of pity and of love,
That the guilty He might save:
Down to this sad world He flew
For such little ones as you.

5 You were wretched, weak, and vile;
You deserved His holy frown;
But He saw you with a smile,
And, to save you, hastened down:
Listen, children, this is why
Jesus condescends to die.

6 Come, then, children, come and see!
Lift your little hands to pray;
"Blessèd Jesus, pardon me,
Help a guilty infant," say;
"Since it was for such as I
Thou didst condescend to die."

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #8572

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Author: Jane Taylor

Taylor, Jane, the younger of two sisters, was born at London, Sept. 23, 1783. Her gift in writing verse displayed itself at an early age. Her first piece was printed in the Minor's Pocket Book for 1804. Her publications included Display, a tale, 1815; Essays in Rhymes, 1816; and the posthumous work edited by her brother, entitled The Contributions of Q. Q., 1824, being pieces in prose and verse from the Youth's Magazine, to which she had contributed under the signature of "Q. Q." She died at Ongar, Essex, April 13, 1824. Her Memoir and Poetical Remains, were published by her father in 1825. The joint productions of the two sisters, Ann Taylor Gilbert & Jane Taylor, were:-- (1) Original Poems, 1805; (2) Hymns for the Nursery, 1806; (3) Hym… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Lo! at noon, 'tis sudden night
Author:	Jane Taylor
Meter:	7.7.7.7.7.7
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Notes

Lo, at noon 'tis sudden night. Ann Gilbert, née Taylor. [Good Friday.] From Hymns for Infant Minds, 1810, No. 25, in 6 stanzas of 6 lines, and entitled "Jesus Christ came into the world to gave sinners” (ed. 1886, p. 63). This is a kindred hymn to her "Jesus, Who lived above the sky," and is quoted in her Memorials, 1874, as an example of beautiful simplicity and accuracy (vol. i. p. 224). It has attained to a good position amongst hymns of established worth, is in extensive use, and is one of the most popular of Mrs. Gilbert's compositions.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Tune

REDHEAD NO. 76

REDHEAD 76 is named for its composer, who published it as number 76 in his influential Church Hymn Tunes, Ancient and Modern (1853) as a setting for the hymn text "Rock of Ages." It has been associated with Psalm 51 since the 1912 Psalter, where the tune was named AJALON. The tune is also known as P…

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ST. BRUNO

VERONA (Deane)

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