Music Notes for Pentecost 25 — November 10, 2024
O God, Our Help in Ages Past – Text: Isaac Watts (1674-1748) / Music: William Croft (1678-1727)
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In England, the first person to overcome the prejudice of singing hymns in church was Isaac Watts. Though he is rightly regarded as the pioneer of congregational hymnody of congregational hymnody in England, he was certainly not the first English hymn writer; however, he was the first person to perceive what was truly needed and provide it. This morning’s entrance hymn, O God Our Help in Ages Past, is Watts’ paraphrase of Psalm 90; he included it in his Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament 1719 in nine stanzas of four lines. Three of those verses are typically omitted in modern hymnals.
The tune St Anne first appeared in A Supplement to the New Version of Psalms by Dr. Brady and Mr. Tate 1768. The composer’s name was not given, but it was later attributed to William Croft. Croft was a chorister under John Blow at the Chapel Royal, and later the organist at St. Anne’s, Soho. He left there to become a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal and assistant to the organist, Jeremiah Clark. At Clark’s death in 1707 Croft was appointed organist, and one year later he succeeded Blow at Westminster Abbey. It is believed St Anne was written while Croft was organist at the church of the same name.
O 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 its frame,
from everlasting thou art God,
to endless years the same.
A thousand ages in thy sight
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
bears all our years away;
they fly, forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.
O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
be thou our guard while troubles last,
and our eternal home.
Gerald Harder
