175. Unto God Our Savior

1 Unto God our Savior sing a joyful song;
wondrous are his doings, for his arm is strong.
He has wrought salvation, he has made it known,
and before the nations is his justice shown.

2 Joyful, all you people, sing before the LORD;
shout and sing his praises now in glad accord;
with the harp and trumpet joyful praises bring;
come, rejoice before him, God, the LORD, your King.

3 Waves of mighty ocean, earth with fullness stored,
floods and fields and mountains, sing before the LORD;
for he comes with justice, evil to redress,
and to judge the nations in his righteousness.

Text Information
First Line: Unto God our Savior
Title: Unto God Our Savior
Meter: 65 65 D
Language: English
Publication Date: 1987
Scripture:
Topic: Advent; Joy; Judgment
Source: Psalter Hymnal, 1912
Tune Information
Name: MERRIAL (Blunt)
Composer: F. W. Blunt, 1839-1921
Meter: 65 65 D
Key: A♭ Major


Text Information:

Scripture References:
st. 1 = Ps. 98:1-3
st. 2 = Ps. 98:4-6
st. 3 = Ps. 98:7-9

A versification of Psalm 98, "Unto God Our Savior" comes from the 1912 Psalter with minor alterations. See PHH 98 for textual commentary on Psalm 98.

Liturgical Use:
Jubilant times of the church year.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Tune Information:

MERRIAL (sometimes known as LYNDHURST) is a fine tune by Frederic William Blunt (b. Mayfair, Westminster, Middlesex, England, 1839; d. Kensington, London, England, 1921). Not much is known about Blunt except that he was a London solicitor by profession and a musician by avocation. He originally composed the tune in 1871 for James Montgomery's "In the Hour of Trial." MERRIAL was published in the British collection Church Praise, with Tunes (1883) as a setting for Sabine Baring-Gould's "Now the Day Is Over." MERRIAL increases in dramatic intensity as it progresses. Sing it in parts on a firm half-note pulse.

MERRIAL should not be confused with the popular tune of the same name by Joseph Barnby (438) set to "Now the Day Is Over" in 1869, but with no tune name given. When introducing Barnby's tune to the United States in Spiritual Songs (1878), Charles S. Robinson named it EMMELAR, after the initials of his daughter, M.L.R. He later renamed it MERRIAL, for his daughter Mary L.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook


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