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Updated
09/04/2020 |
O God, Our
Help in Ages Past
Isaac Watts |
The music for “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” is
attributed to William Croft (1678-1727).
As a boy, Croft was a chorister at the Chapel Royal. From
1700-1712, he was organist at St. Anne, Soho, London. From
1704 on, he was, jointly with Jeremiah Clarke, organist
of the Chapel Royal. In 1708 he became Master of the
Children at Chapel Royal and organist at Westminster
Abbey. In 1713 he received a Doctor of Music degree from
Oxford University. In 1726, the Academy of Vocal Music
(later the Academy of Ancient Music) was founded by 13
musicians, including Croft, Pepusch, Bononcini, and
Geminiani.
Croft was composer to Queen Anne and
was recognized as the foremost church musician of his time.
Croft also wrote instrumental works (e.g., cembalo and
sonatas for flute (recorder).
The words are by Isaac Watts. |
William Croft |
Lyrics by Isaac Watts
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Our God, our help in
ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.
Thy Word commands our
flesh to dust,
“Return, ye sons of men:”
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn to earth again.
A thousand ages in
Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun. |
The busy
tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.
Time,
like an ever rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.
Like
flowery fields the nations stand
Pleased with the morning light;
The flowers beneath the mower’s hand
Lie withering ere ‘tis night.
Our
God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.
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