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What Wondrous Love is This?

1,869 views โ€ข Oct 2, 2022

Description

What Wondrous Love is This? Traditional American, arr. John Leavitt Conductor: Seth Bergey https://www.lyricasacra.com
The Historic Faith · Hymn Companion

What Wondrous Love is This?

Words by AnonymousMusic by Traditional American melodyWritten Tune WONDROUS LOVE

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down beneath God's righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul!

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb, who is the great I AM,
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on, I'll sing on;
And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on.
And when from death I'm free, I'll sing and joyful be,
And through eternity I'll sing on, I'll sing on,
And through eternity I'll sing on.

Story Behind the Song

This anonymous American folk hymn emerged from the early nineteenth-century revival and shape-note singing tradition. Its text was in print by 1811, and the tune WONDROUS LOVE became widely known through William Walker's The Southern Harmony in 1835. The melody is often noted for its stark modal character and its kinship with Anglo-American ballad tunes, well suited to the hymn's meditation on Christ's sacrificial love.

Scripture

Found In

The Southern Harmony, The Sacred Harp, The United Methodist Hymnal, Presbyterian Hymnal, Trinity Hymnal