Queen Vic­tor­ia chose this hymn to be sung at the 60th an­ni­vers­a­ry of her reign in 1897; it was al­so sung at the cer­e­mo­ny when Bri­tain re­turned con­trol of Hong Kong to Chi­na in 1997.

The words are by John Ellerton (1826-1893).  Ellerton grad­u­at­ed from Trin­i­ty Coll­ege and en­tered the min­is­try in 1850. He served as Vi­car at St. Ni­cho­las’, Bright­on, and Crewe Green, Che­shire. He was a rec­og­nized au­thor­i­ty on hymns, con­trib­ut­ed to Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, and wrote or trans­lat­ed over 80 hymns.

The music is by Clement Cotterill Scholefield (1839-1904).  Youngest son of Will­iam Schole­field, Mem­ber of Parliament from Birm­ing­ham, Cle­ment at­tend­ed Pock­ling­ton School, York­shire, and St. John’s Coll­ege, Cam­bridge (BA 1864, MA 1867). He was or­dained a deacon in 1867, and priest in 1869. He served as Curate of Hove, Sussex (1867-70); St. Pe­ter’s, South Ken­sing­ton (1870-8); and St. Luke’s, Chel­sea (1879-80). He was al­so Con­duct of Eton (1880-1890); Lec­tur­er of St. Ma­ry-le-Bow, Lon­don (1887-90); and Vi­car of Ho­ly Trin­i­ty, Knights­bridge (1890-1895). He re­tired in 1895. He con­trib­ut­ed hymns to Church Hymns with Tunes, by Ar­thur Sul­li­van (1874).

We thank Thee that Thy church, unsleeping,
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping,
And rests not now by day or night.

As o’er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day,
The voice of prayer is never silent,
Nor dies the strain of praise away.