To Fairer Worlds On High

It appears to be Gospel Song Weekend at Conjubilant With Song, perhaps to counter the opinions of some that I don't like gospel songs. Admittedly I do favor hymns; they are the music of the churches I grew up in (though recent examination has uncovered something interesting - a story for another time). It's true that I don't care for bad gospel songs -- some are the nineteenth century equivalent of today's praise choruses, and even Fanny Crosby wrote a number of "Jesus-is-my-boyfriend" songs long before that term was coined. And not all the tunes are particularly noteworthy. But there are uninteresting hymns too, and dull hymn tunes.

This is an early sort-of gospel song I like very much.

Come, we that love the Lord,
And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord,
Join in a song with sweet accord
And thus surround the throne,
And thus surround the throne.

Refrain
We're marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful Zion;
We're marching upward to Zion,
The beautiful city of God

The heirs of grace have found,
Glory begun below.
Celestial fruits on earthly ground,
Celestial fruits on earthly ground,
From faith and hope may grow,
From faith and hope may grow.
Refrain

The hill of Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets
Before we reach the heav’nly fields,
Before we reach the heav’nly fields,
Or walk the golden streets,
Or walk the golden streets.
Refrain

Then let our songs abound,
And every tear be dry;
We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground,
We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground,
To fairer worlds on high,
To fairer worlds on high.
Refrain

Isaac Watts, 1707; Robert Lowry (refrain) 1867; alt.
Tune: MARCHING TO ZION (6.6.8.8.6.6. with refrain)
Robert Lowry, 1867

A great tune that really does march (it kind of swings too). When we compiled a hymnal for local church use, I slotted this one in as the final selection, #600. The subject of the final group of hymns and songs was "The Life to Come," and it seemed appropriate to end the book with a song that talks about continuing onward and upward.

Now some will say that I'm cheating a bit because the main part of the text is by Isaac Watts, but when Robert Lowry composed a new tune and added a refrain he spread this hymn to a wider audience than would have ever known it otherwise. The original Watts text, without the refrain, is still sometimes seen in hymnals. Watts wrote ten verses, so different hymnals will choose different verses. One that never gets used:

The sorrows of the mind
Be banished from the place;
Religion never was designed
To make our pleasures less.

Too controversial! But the eighteenth century may not have been as conservative as we imagine it to have been.

So, gospel songs: another summer Sunday theme for the blog. And maybe I'll get around to telling that story.