Holy, Holy, Holy

Wow, what a song!  This incredible worship hymn, described by Alfred Lord Tennyson as the greatest hymn ever written, is my signature song, and I have sung it to huge crowds all over the world.  No other song takes both it’s singers and listeners to the heights or worship that this one does, and it was almost written as a protest song.

Penned by Anglican priest Reginald Heber in 1826 for Trinity Sunday, he was considered a musical radical when a parish priest in Hodnet, England.

Heber became Bishop of Calcutta, India, where he was surrounded by the worship of false gods (he also preached in Sri Lanka and even Australia). He was impressed by God’s holiness and he responded by writing, “Only Thou Art Holy!”, a key phrase in the song.  So it was actually written to protest the multitude of false gods he found himself surrounded by.

Serving in these places took a huge toll on his health, and one Sunday morning, after preaching to a large outdoor congregation, he suffered a stroke and died suddenly, at the age of forty-three.

After he dies, his wife found the lyrics to this song in old papers she was clearing out, and sent them to musician John Dykes, who published the song.

Glad she did, because this is one of the greatest songs I have ever sung, and I intend to keep singing it until I go to meet the Lord!

Holy, Holy, Holy