Traditional Hymns from the Oremus Quiz

Answer: King of Heaven

"Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
To his feet thy tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore his praises sing:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King."

With words by Henry Francis Lyte and music from John Goss' "Laudata anima," this nineteenth-century hymn is especially popular as a processional, or opening, hymn.

Answer: foundation

"The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is his new creation by water and the word;
From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride;
With his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died."

Another beloved traditional nineteenth-century classic, this hymn with lyrics by Samuel John Stone and Samuel Sebastian Wesley celebrates Christianity and the Church in the world. Samuel Sebastian Wesley (his middle name was in honour of Johann Sebastian Bach) was the grandson of Charles Wesley, co-founder of the prayer group that would evolve into the Methodist Church.

Answer: ages past

"O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home."

With lyrics by William Croft and music by Isaac Watts (of "Joy to the World" fame--the Christmas carol, not the one about a bullfrog) this hymn is a favourite in times of trial and tribulation. It provided one of the most moving moments, musically, in the service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. following the attacks of September 11, 2001. The lyrics paraphrase Psalm 90.

Answer: invisible

"Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days
Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise."

The original lyrics to this tune, St. Denio, are in Welsh: "Can mlynedd i nawr" (A Hundred Years from Now). The lyrics were written by the Scottish pastor Walter C. Smith.
This hymn was sung beautifully in the BBC ecclesiastical comedy "The Vicar of Dibley" starring Dawn French.

Answer: keep silence

"Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
As with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly-minded,
For with blessing in his hand
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand."

This reverent and mystical-sounding Byzantine hymn from the Liturgy of Saint James is said to go back to the third century, although it was adapted much later. It refers to the words of Habbakuk: "The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him."
Sung to the tune of the French carol "Picardy," this mystical and reverent hymn is generally used at the Offertory or Communion time during the celebration of the Eucharist.

Answer: Verity unseen

"Humbly I adore Thee, Verity unseen.
Who thy glory hidest 'neath these shadows mean;
Lo, to thee surrendered, my whole heart is bowed,
Tranced as it beholds thee, shrined within the cloud."

This lovely piece, its original Latin title being "Adoro Te Devote," or "Adoro Devote" was written by none other than the thirteenth-century theologian Thomas Aquinas.
It is translated from the Monastic Diurnal, or book of daily prayer.
Note: If you chose "Christ, Redeemer, King" as your answer, you may have been remembering a slightly different rendition of this piece, found in Roman Catholic and other hymnals.

Answer: bulwark

"A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper he amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing;
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal."

This magnificent hymn was composed by Martin Luther in the 1520s, its lyrics paraphrasing Psalm 46. There are some watered-down renditions, but none of them touch the power of this traditional translation, which acknowledges that evil exists in the world but declares unequivocally that God will ultimately triumph. This hymn is considered to be an anthem of the Protestant Reformation.

Answer: Early in the morning

"Holy, holy holy!
Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, holy, holy!
Merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity."

In the eighteenth century Reginald Heber, rector of a parish near Shrewsbury, England, drew his inspiration for this hymn from the Old Testament Book of Isaiah and from Revelation, the last book of the New Testament. John Bacchus Dykes composed the music, calling the tune "Nicaea" after the Council of Nice, at which the Trinitarian theology (God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) was established.
Among other times, Trinity Sunday (the Sunday after Pentecost) and Saint Patrick's Day are occasions at which this is often sung.

Answer: first

"On this day, the first of days,
God the Father's name we praise,
Who, creation's Lord and spring,
Did the world from darkness bring."

This, of course, is a Sunday hymn. Also, it is another hymn honouring the Holy Trinity, with further lyrics in the piece referring to Jesus Christ and to the Holy Spirit. The opening verse is a direct reference to the creation as told in the Book of Genesis. Henry W. Baker translated the lyrics from a Latin breviary hymn in the 1860s.
Other hymn lyrics sung to this tune include "Spread, O spread thou mighty word, spread the kingdom of the Lord" which is usually sung at the time of the Gospel reading.

Answer: Sing to the Lord

"All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;
Him serve with mirth, his praise forth tell,
Come ye before him and rejoice."

This hymn is frequently referred to as "Old Hundred" because it paraphrases Psalm 100 (the Jubilate); this paraphrasing was created by William Kethe, who is said to have died in 1608. The more popular of the two melodies that appear for this hymn is familiar to many as the setting of "Praise God from whom all blessings flow," which is sung in many congregations as the "Doxology" after the Offertory hymn. "Old Hundred" is a favourite of many famed choirs and choral societies in The Episcopal Church and other churches of the worldwide Anglican Communion. (The lyrics to the "Doxology" were penned by seventeenth-century Church of England clergyman Thomas Ken.)
(Some translations read, "Him serve with fear." This refers to reverence and awe, not terror of a vengeful God. Nevertheless, "Him serve with mirth" is a truer paraphrase of the "Jubilate.")