When Morning Gilds the Skies – Introduction of the Hymn

This is The Hymn of the Week with Dr. Larry Frazier—presenting the good news in song, combining faith and everyday experience. 

Welcome to The Hymn of the Week. The 19th-century expansion of British wealth and influence led to a heightened interest in hymns in other languages. Hymn singing took on added importance in worship in the Church of England. Therefore, hymn writers wrote many new hymns. Concurrently, others produced new translations of Latin and German hymns.

This week, we will focus on a beautiful German hymn of praise by an unknown author. Two different scholars translated it into English. A prominent English church musician and choral director wrote a tune especially for this hymn. When Morning Gilds the skies is…The Hymn of the Week!

Click Below for When Morning Gilds the Skies Lyrics

When Morning Gilds the Skies: Hymn of the Week Radio Show Episode

Reading of When Morning

Gilds the Skies Lyrics

(Stanzas 1-3)

When morning gilds the skies 
My heart awaking cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer, 
To Jesus I repair:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

When you begin the day, 
O never fail to say,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
And at your work rejoice, 
To sing with heart and voice,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Whene’er the sweet church bell 
Peals over hill and dell,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
O hark to what it sings, 
As joyously it rings,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

(4-6)

My tongue shall never tire 
Of chanting with the choir,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
This song of sacred joy, 
It never seems to cloy,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Does sadness fill my mind? 
A solace here I find,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Or fades my earthly bliss? 
My comfort still is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

To God, the Word, on high, 
The host of angels cry,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let mortals, too, upraise 
Their voice in hymns of praise,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

(7-9)

Be this at meals your grace, 
In every time and place;
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this, when day is past, 
Of all your thoughts the last
May Jesus Christ be praised!

When mirth for music longs, 
This is my song of songs:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
When evening shadows fall, 
This rings my curfew call,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

When sleep her balm denies, 
My silent spirit sighs,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
When evil thoughts molest, 
With this I shield my breast,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

(10-12)

The night becomes as day 
When from the heart we say:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The powers of darkness fear 
When this sweet chant they hear:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

No lovelier antiphon 
In all high Heav’n is known
Than Jesus Christ be praised!
There to the eternal Word 
The eternal psalm is heard:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Let all the earth around 
Ring joyous with the sound:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
In Heaven’s eternal bliss 
The loveliest strain is this:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

(13-15)

Sing, suns and stars of space, 
Sing, ye that see His face, sing
Jesus Christ be praised!
God’s whole creation o’er, 
For aye and evermore
Shall Jesus Christ be praised!

In Heav’n’s eternal bliss 
The loveliest strain is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let earth, and sea and sky 
From depth to height reply,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this, while life is mine, 
My canticle divine:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Sing this eternal song 
Through all the ages long:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

And now, let us hear our hymn, as sung by the Joslin Grove Choral Society.

Background of

When Morning Gilds the Skies

Beim’ frühen Morgenlicht (In the Early-Morning Light) is a German hymn from Katholiches Gesangbuch (Catholic Songbook), Würzburg, 1744. Edward Caswall translated it into English in 1849.

Edward Caswall

Caswall, born in 1814, son of a Church of England clergyman, graduated with honors from Brasenose College, Oxford. The Church of England ordained him a priest in 1840. Influenced by the Oxford Movement’s emphasis on greater piety and formality of liturgy, he switched to Roman Catholicism in 1847. His wife also converted. After her untimely death, he began his work of translating Latin and German texts into English.

Caswall included When Morning Gilds the Skies in his Lyra Catholica (Catholic Song Lyrics), published in London, in 1849. He also included Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee—perhaps, the most widely sung of his translations—in this collection. Ordained a Catholic priest in 1852, he fulfilled his new calling until his death in 1878.

Seymour Bridges

English poet Seymour Bridges (1844-1930) also translated and paraphrased Beim’ frühen Morgenlicht for his Yattendon Hymnal of 1899. Educated at Eton and Corpus Christi College, Oxford, Bridges practiced medicine for several years. Ill health brought about his retirement to full-time writing.

British Poet Laureate from 1813 until his death, Bridges wrote many volumes of poetry, articles and plays. He also wrote hymn translations, including Ah, Holy Jesus, O Gladsome Light and Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.

Hymn editors continue to include When Morning Gilds the Skies in modern hymnals, often mingling stanzas by both Caswall and Bridges. Now hear your narrator and host, Dr. Larry Frazier, accompanied by pianist Terry Lowry, demonstrate this practice. Edward Caswall wrote stanzas one, two and four; Robert Bridges wrote stanza three. 

Background of the Tune

Joseph Barnby, noted 19th-century English organist, choirmaster, educator, editor and composer, wrote Laudes Domini specifically for When Morning Gilds the Skies. The hymn was first published with this tune in an 1868 appendix to Hymns Ancient and Modern.

Born in York, England, in 1838, son of noted organist Thomas Barnby, young Joseph Barnby displayed a marked talent for music. He was a boy chorister in his father’s choir at York and became a church organist at age twelve. Two years later, after his voice changed, he made his debut as a choirmaster. After completing formal education at the Royal Academy of Music, he continued his career as one of the most prominent musicians in England. He achieved distinction as organist/choirmaster at St. Andrew’s, Wells Street and at St. Anne’s, Soho, in London. These accomplishments led to a long association with prominent music publisher, Novello.

Barnby's Choir

Novello established an outstanding choir for Barnby, which became known as “Barnby’s Choir.” He promoted the compositions of other composers by conducting notable performances of their works (published by Novello) in London. Barnby conducted the St. John Passion and the St. Matthew Passion by J. S. Bach. He also conducted the first English performances of Antonin Dvorak’s, Stabat Mater and Richard Wagner’s music drama, Parsifal.

A prolific composer himself, Barnby composed an oratorio, Rebecca, and many other sacred music compositions, including over 246 hymn tunes. Modern hymnals contain only a handful of these tunes. Of these, Laudes Domini, paired with When Morning Gilds the Skies is undoubted his most popular. Other popular Barnby tunes include Merrial, paired with Now the Day is Over, and Perfect Love, paired with O Perfect Love, one of the relatively few wedding hymns.

Sir Joseph Barnby

Joseph Barnby also edited five hymn books. Queen Victoria knighted him in 1892 for his contributions to the musical life of England. He died in 1896 at the age of 57.

And now, let us hear Laudes Domini as performed by pianist Terry Lowry.

Devotion or Scripture

Related to the Hymn

From ancient times, world religions have encouraged devout adherents to meditate or pray before going to sleep at night and upon awakening the next morning. The brain is most responsive at these times to the effects of thoughts and impressions that shape daily activities. Evensong and Morning Prayer are examples of corporate Christian worship at the end and beginning of they day. Christians have observed these liturgies for centuries. 

Consider the association of sleep with death and night in this popular children’s prayer.

“Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.”

A Hymn to Greet Each New Day

And, Christians everywhere continue to celebrate Sunday morning worship since the discovery of Jesus’ resurrection on that first Easter morning. Through the particular work of Edward Caswall and Joseph Barnby, we have a most fitting hymn to greet each new day. “When Morning Gilds the Skies, my heart awaking cries, May Jesus Christ be praised.”

And now, let us hear our hymn as presented by contemporary Christian singer Steve Amerson, with orchestra and chorus.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of “The Hymn of the Week.” Tune in again, next week, when we will consider another great hymn.

Until then, this is your host, Dr. Larry Frazier…

Goodbye, and keep singing!