Music by John B. Dykes, 1861 (1823-1876)

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!

Holy, holy, holy! Angels adore Thee,

Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;

Thousands and ten thousands worship low before Thee,

Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,

Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;

Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,

Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;

Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

     This hymn was written by Reginald Heber specifically for the use on Trinity Sunday, which occurs eight weeks after Easter. Heber was born on April 21, 1783, at Malpas, Cheshire, England. He attended Brasenose College, Oxford, where he won a number of awards in English and Latin. He received a fellowship to All Souls College, and later became Rector at Hodnet, Shropshire, England. In 1823, he became, somewhat reluctantly, Bishop of Calcutta, India. Heber died on April 3, 1826, of a cerebral hemorage while bathing. He is buried at St. John’s Church at Trichinopoly, Tamil Nadu, India (north side of the al­tar). Most of his hymns were not published until after his death.

     The tune used for this hymn, "Nicaea", was named after the Nicaean Council in 325. It was composed by John Bacchus Dykes in 1861 specifically for the lyrics. This composer has written many tunes to hymns (over 300) and many are still in use today.