The recording featured here is a performance by ORIANA Women’s Choir, under the direction of William Brown. Organ played by Michael Bloss.
Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven is a famous Anglican hymn particularly renowned for having been included in the music for Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding in 1947. The original hymn text – based on Psalm 103 – was written by Henry Francis Lyte in 1834. It was set to this melody (known as LAUDA ANIMA) by Sir John Goss in 1869 and has seen many versions and variations over the years. This arrangement for women’s or children’s voices and organ was composed by Jon Washburn in 2008, when the Oriana Women’s Choir and their conductor William Brown commissioned six Canadian composers to write arrangements of famous hymn tunes. The other composers were John Beckwith, Eleanor Daley, Leonard Enns, Ruth Watson Henderson and Derek Holman. Inspired in form by Healey Willan’s many wonderful Hymn-Anthems, this arrangement uses occasional triple rhythms to subtly soften the effect of the melody. The whole piece should be sung with a flowing, almost chant-like flexibility and a gentle rubato, moving through the middle of the phrases and comfortably easing at the breaths.
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven,
to his feet your tribute bring;
ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
who, like me, his praise should sing?
Praise him! praise him!
Praise the everlasting King!
Praise him for his grace and favour
to our fathers in distress;
praise him, still the same forever,
slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Praise him! praise him!
Glorious in his faithfulness!
Fatherlike, he tends and spares us;
well our feeble frame he knows;
in his hands he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes.
Praise him! praise him!
widely as his mercy flows!
Angels, help us to adore him,
you behold him face to face,
sun and moon, bow down before him;
dwellers all in time and space.
Praise him! praise him!
Praise with us the God of grace!
