Abide with Me

This article is about the Christian hymn. For other uses, see Abide with Me (disambiguation).
"Abide with Me"
Hymn

The hymn set to "Eventide"
Written 1847 (1847)
Text by Henry Francis Lyte
Based on Luke 24:29
Meter 10 10 10 10
Melody "Eventide" by William Henry Monk
Composed 1861 (1861)

"Abide with Me" is a Christian hymn by Scottish Anglican Henry Francis Lyte most often sung to English composer William Henry Monk's tune entitled "Eventide".

Lyte wrote the poem in 1847 and set it to music while he lay dying from tuberculosis; he survived only a further three weeks after its completion.

The hymn was hugely popular in the trenches of the First World War, and sung by Nurse Edith Cavell the night before the Germans shot her for helping British soldiers to escape from occupied Belgium.

The song is a great favourite of the Royal Family and was played at the weddings of both George VI to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and their daughter Elizabeth II to Prince Philip Mountbatten.

Lyrics

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The hymn is a prayer for God to remain present with the speaker throughout life, through trials, and through death. The opening line alludes to Luke 24:29, "Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent", and the penultimate verse draws on text from 1 Corinthians 15:55, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?":

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word,
But as Thou dwell'st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile,
And though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee.
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

[1]

Tune
"Eventide", by William Henry Monk
An organ performance of "Eventide," best known for its use with the hymn "Abide with Me," performed by Steven Dunlop.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The hymn tune most often used with this hymn is "Eventide" composed by William Henry Monk in 1861.[2]

Alternative tunes include:

Popular use

Religious services

The hymn is popular across many denominations, and was said to be a favourite of King George V[3] and Mahatma Gandhi.[4] The hymn was played by the Mysore Palace Band when Gandhi visited the Kingdom of Mysore.[5] It is also often sung at Christian funerals. In the aftermath of the sinking of RMS Titanic, survivors reported that the Titanic's band played the hymn as the ship was sinking,[6] although detailed studies have identified other songs played by the band. The hymn was also played at the State funeral of the titular Maharaja of Mysore, Srikanta Wadiyar.[7]

Military services

The hymn is sung at the annual Anzac Day services in Australia and New Zealand,[8] and in some Remembrance Day services in Canada[9] and the United Kingdom. It is also played by the combined bands of the Indian Armed Forces during the annual Beating Retreat ceremony held on 29 January at Vijay Chowk, New Delhi, which officially marks the end of Republic Day celebrations.[4][10] A choral version of this hymn has been arranged by Moses Hogan.

Music

In sport

Since the 1927 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Cardiff City, the first and last verses of the hymn are traditionally sung at the FA Cup Final before the kick-off of the match, at around 2.45pm BST.[16]

It also featured on the B-side of the The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman charity single "Ferry Cross the Mersey" in 1989, which was recorded in memory of the Hillsborough disaster victims.

The hymn has been sung prior to the kick-off at every Rugby League Challenge Cup final since 1929, the first final to be held at Wembley Stadium.[17]

"Abide with Me" was also sung at the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, performed by Scottish recording artist Emeli Sandé.[18]

In film and television

Film Shane (1953)

In literature

Other media

Other

References

  1. ↑ "Abide with Me". Risa song lyrics archive. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Abide with Me". The Cyber Hymnal. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Abide with me". TheFA. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
  4. 1 2 "Beating Retreat weaves soul-stirring musical evening". The Times of India. January 29, 2011.
  5. ↑ DEEPA GANESH. "On a fugue of thoughts". The Hindu.
  6. ↑ Jay Henry Mowbray, "Sinking of the Titanic: Eyewitness Accounts", Courier Dover Publications, 1998, p. 62.
  7. ↑ "The passing of a king and the end of a dynasty #Wodeyar". Storify.
  8. ↑ "Remembrance – ANZAC Day". RSA. NZ. Archived from the original on April 24, 2006. Retrieved May 14, 2006.
  9. ↑ "A Guide to Commemorative Services" (PDF). Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved October 8, 2006.
  10. ↑ "Martial music rings down the curtain". The Times of India. January 30, 2011.
  11. ↑ Mitchell, Donald (2002), The Mahler Companion, OUP.
  12. ↑ title = The Works of Ralph Vaughan Williams, M. Kennedy, publisher = OUP
  13. ↑ Ives, Charles E. Thirteen Songs, New York: Peer International Corporation, 1958.
  14. ↑ Abide With Me The Royal Mail Choir & Joe McElderry Amazon.co.uk.
  15. ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". officialcharts.com.
  16. ↑ "Abide with me". Meanings. UK: Phrases. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  17. ↑ Baker, Andrew (August 20, 1995). "100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era". The Independent. Retrieved August 12, 2009.
  18. ↑ "Emeli Sande Wows At London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony". Capital FM. July 28, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2012.

Further reading

External links

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