Hymn Notes: ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING

The hymn text is ancient, based on a poem written by Francis of Assisi in 1225. It was inspired by Psalm 148 which calls all creation to worship God. The psalm is longer but includes these verses:

Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding,

you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle,

small creatures and flying birds….

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted….

The tune captures the emotion of both the psalm and Francis’ poem. The words move quickly, for the composer is eager to include as many of the heaven’s and earth’s inhabitants and forces as possible in a few short lines. But then the tune slows down marvelously on the alleluias, emphasizing them by repetition and by making each syllable much longer than the other words of the song. The notes soar high on the alleluias to mark the climax of the hymn.