The holy song hath died away

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The holy song hath died away

Author: R. W. Hamilton
Tune: FEDERAL STREET
Published in 6 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 The holy song hath died away,
But still it vibrates through our hearts:
And we return, though fain to stay;
Each to his family departs.

2 The morning bade the temple gate
Lift itself high; we entered in,
And on Thee, Lord, presumed to wait,
Thy grace to seek, Thy smile to win.

3 Now for the household sacrifice;
The evening rite as incense spread;
And let our blameless hands arise,
Doubting and wrath for ever fled.

4 Can doubt have place? Thy mercies new
Assure and lift our souls above.
Nor on its altar would we strew
A living coal but that of love.

5 Oh ’tis an hour of holy calm;
Our tabernacle is in peace;
To Thee shall swell the cheerful psalm,
Teach us Thy Word, our faith increase.

6 Zion and Jacob share our vows,
Peace be to both: and grace distill
On God’s, and on His children’s house,
The happy tent, the holy hill.

7 Good, though not best, ’tis to be here,
Soon no such difference shall there be;
"True sanctuary," within Thy sphere
Shall worship "the whole family."

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #9218

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Author: R. W. Hamilton

Hamilton, Richard Winter, LL.D., D.D., born in London, July 6, 1794, and educated at Mill Hill School, and Hoxton College. In 1815 he became the minister of the Albion Street Chapel, Leeds, and then of Belgrave in the same town in 1836. He remained pastor of that congregation to his death, on July 18, 1848. His prose works were numerous, and, at the time of their publication, exceedingly popular. He was joint editor of A Selection of Hymns, &c, 1822 [Congregational Hymnody, 6], and contributed hymns to Clapham's Leeds Sunday School Union Hymn Book, 1833; Leifchild's Original Hymns, 1842 (six hymns); and the Leeds Hymn Book, 1853. His Nugae Literariae, 1841, contained several of his hymns, and 13 versions of Psalms. Of his hymns the follow… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	The holy song hath died away
Author:	R. W. Hamilton
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Tune

FEDERAL STREET

Henry Kemble Oliver (b. Beverly, MA, 1800; d. Salem, MA, 1885) composed FEDERAL STREET in 1832, possibly as an imitation of earlier psalm tunes in long meter. He took it to a music class taught by Lowell Mason (who may have contributed to the harmony); Mason (PHH 96) published it in his Boston Acade…

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