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Swing Open, Fair Portals
Author: F. A. B. Appears in 17 hymnals First Line: Swing back for one moment, fair portals Lyrics: 1 Swing back for one moment, fair portals,
Of that wondrous city, we pray;
One glimpse, and the fears of these mortals
Shall vanish forever away.
Chorus:
Swing open, fair portals,
A moment, and let us look thro';
One glimpse, and we, faltering mortals,
To enter, shall press on anew.
2 One glimpse shall our courage embolden,
And brighten the whole of our way;
Oh, why should the sight be withholden?
By faith we would view it today. [Chorus]
3 We've read of that city's bright glory,
That knows not the darkness of night;
And reading that wonderful story,
Has ravished our souls with delight. [Chorus]
4 We've read of the Tree and the River,
Life's water and fruit ever fair;
We've looked up in faith to the Giver,
And pray'd that we might enter there. [Chorus]
5 Those gates we're approaching, how cheering!
Oh, let us prove faithful alway;
And know as the city we're nearing,
That they shall to us some sweet day,
Final Chorus:
Swing open, those portals,
And we shall in triumph go in,
Where we shall as ransom'd immortals,
Eternity blessed begin. Used With Tune: [Swing back for one moment, fair portals]
Swing Open, Fair Portals
[Swing back for one moment, fair portals]
Appears in 13 hymnals Composer and/or Arranger: F. A. Blackmer Incipit: 13333 72213 55522 Used With Text: Fair Portals
[Swing back for one moment, fair portals]
Swing Open, Fair Portals
Author: F. A. B. Hymnal: Carols of Hope #41 (1906) First Line: Swing back for one moment, fair portals Lyrics: 1. Swing back for one moment, fair portals,
Of that wondrous city, we pray;
One glimpse, and the fears of these mortals
Shall vanish forever away.
Chorus:
Swing open, fair portals,
A moment, and let us look thro';
One glimpse, and we, faltering mortals,
To enter, shall press on anew.
2. One glimpse shall our courage embolden,
And brighten the whole of our way;
Oh, why should the sight be withholden?
By faith we would view it today.
Chorus:
Swing open, fair portals,
A moment, and let us look thro';
One glimpse, and we, faltering mortals,
To enter, shall press on anew.
3. We've read of that city's bright glory,
That knows not the darkness of night;
And reading that wonderful story,
Has ravished our souls with delight.
Chorus:
Swing open, fair portals,
A moment, and let us look thro';
One glimpse, and we, faltering mortals,
To enter, shall press on anew.
4. We've read of the Tree and the River,
Life's water and fruit ever fair;
We've look'd up in faith to the Giver,
And pray'd that we might enter there.
Chorus:
Swing open, fair portals,
A moment, and let us look thro';
One glimpse, and we, faltering mortals,
To enter, shall press on anew.
5. Those gates we're approaching, how cheering!
Oh, let us prove faithful alway;
And know as the city we're nearing,
That they shall to us some sweet day
Chorus: Swing open, those portals,
And we shall in triumph go in,
Where we shall as ransom'd immortals,
Eternity blessed begin. Languages: English Tune Title: [Swing back for one moment, fair portals]
Swing Open, Fair Portals
Swing Open, Fair Portals
Author: F. A. B. Hymnal: Songs of Help #149 (1917) First Line: Swing back for one moment, fair portals Lyrics: 1 Swing back for one moment, fair portals
Of that wondrous city, we pray;
One glimpse, and the fears of these mortals
Shall vanish forever away.
Swing open, fair portals,
A moment, and let us look thro’;
One glimpse, and we, faltering mortals,
To enter, shall press anew.
2 One glimpse shall our courage embolden,
And brighten the whole of our way;
Oh, why should the sight be withholden?
By faith we would view it today.
Swing open, fair portals,
A moment, and let us look thro’;
One glimpse, and we, faltering mortals,
To enter, shall press anew.
3 We’ve read of that city’s bright glory,
That knows not the darkness of night;
And reading that wonderful story,
Has ravished our souls with delight.
Swing open, fair portals,
A moment, and let us look thro’;
One glimpse, and we, faltering mortals,
To enter, shall press anew.
4 We’ve read of the tree and the river,
Life’s water and fruit ever fair;
We’ve looked up in faith to the Giver,
And prayed that we might enter there.
Swing open, fair portals,
A moment, and let us look thro’;
One glimpse, and we, faltering mortals,
To enter, shall press anew.
5 Those gates we’re approaching, how cheering!
Oh, let us prove faithful alway;
And know, as the city we’re nearing,
That they shall to us some sweet day.
Swing open those portals,
And we shall in triumph go in,
Where we shall, as ransomed immortals,
Eternity blessed begin. Tune Title: [Swing back for one moment, fair portals]
Swing Open, Fair Portals
Swing Open, Fair Portals
Author: F. A. B. Hymnal: Singing by the Way (Rev. ed.) #4 (1897) First Line: Swing back for one moment, fair portals Lyrics: 1 Swing back for one moment, fair portals,
Of that wondrous city, we pray;
One glimpse, and the fears of these mortals
Shall vanish forever away.
Chorus:
Swing open, fair portals,
A moment, and let us look thro';
One glimpse, and we, faltering mortals,
To enter, shall press on anew.
2 One glimpse shall our courage embolden,
And brighten the whole of our way;
Oh, why should the sight be withholden?
By faith we would view it today. [Chorus]
3 We've read of that city's bright glory,
That knows not the darkness of night;
And reading that wonderful story,
Has ravished our souls with delight. [Chorus]
4 We've read of the Tree and the River,
Life's water and fruit ever fair;
We've looked up in faith to the Giver,
And pray'd that we might enter there. [Chorus]
5 Those gates we're approaching, how cheering!
Oh, let us prove faithful alway;
And know as the city we're nearing,
That they shall to us some sweet day,
Final Chorus:
Swing open, those portals,
And we shall in triumph go in,
Where we shall as ransom'd immortals,
Eternity blessed begin. Languages: English Tune Title: [Swing back for one moment, fair portals]
Swing Open, Fair Portals
F. A. Blackmer
1855 - 1930 Person Name: F. A. B. Author of "Swing Open, Fair Portals" in Singing by the Way (Rev. ed.) Blackmer, Francis Augustus. (Ware, Massachusetts, February 17, 1855--October 8, 1930, Somerville, Massachusetts). Advent Christian musician. His parents, Augustus and Jane Blackmer, were among those caught up in the excitement of the Millerite Movement. One son, Fred, became an Advent Christian minister. Francis, with a talent recognized at an early age, consecrated his own life to Christian service as a musician. He was immersed in baptism at the Adventist campmeeting in Springfield, Massachusetts, by Elder Miles Grant.
His early years were spend in central Massachusetts, his schooling at Wilbraham Academy. He was largely self-taught in harmony and musical composition. He wrote the words and music to his first gospel song, "Out on the fathomless sea," at the age of sixteen. Altogether he wrote over 300 gospel songs about the Second Coming, witnessing and working for the Lord, and praises to God's Holy Name. A few of these have circulated widely outside his own denomination. His final text, "I shall see him, And be like him," came when he was so weak that his friend, Clarence M. Seamans, had to supply the music. He used the pseudonym, A. Francis, with some of his early songs.
Blackmer's first anthology was The Gospel Awakening, (1888). Subsequent gospel songbooks with which he was associated were: Singing by the Way (1895), Carols of Hope (1906), The Golden Sheaf, No. 2 (1916), and Songs of Coming Glory (1926).
Most of his adult life was spent in Somerville, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, where he had a prosperous piano business. In the 1890s, his "Francis A. Blackmer Pianos" were made for him by the Washington Hall Piano Company of Boston. Later, his "Good as Gold Pianos" were manufactured by the Christman Piano Company of New York City and shipped directly to his customers throughout New England.
In Somerville, Blackmer served as choirmaster and song-leader in the Advent Christian Church for many years. He was also an elder of the church until his death. From 1914 until his death, he was songleader at the mid-summer Alton Bay Campmeeting on Lake Winnepesaukee, New Hapshire. There his High Rock Hill was both a salesroom and a summer cottage over the years. He was a member of the board of directors of the campmeeting association for several years. Very popular were his singing sessions on the campground square between suppertim and evening services, and a final sing into the small hours of the night following the final service of the campmeeting.
--Leonard Ellinwood, DNAH Archives
F. A. Blackmer
