A simple treatment of a famous Christian hymn based directly on the Sephardic version of the Hebrew Yigdal.

The tune LEONI was penned by Meyer Lyon in the late 1700s as a Christian adaptation of the Yigdal as sung in the great synagogue of London at that time. The ancient feeling of the Hebrew melody is strongly featured in this anthem.

The lyric is by Thomas Olivers, and contains a reference to the rapture, as well as scenes from the throne room of Jesus as depicted in the book of Revelation.

+ + +

The God of Abraham praise,
Who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of everlasting days,
And God of love;
To Him lift up your voice,
At whose supreme command
From earth we rise, and seek the joys
At His right hand.

There dwells the Lord our King.
The Lord our righteousness,
Triumphant o'er the world and sin,
The Prince of Peace;
On Zion's sacred height
His kingdom He maintains,
And glorious with His saints in light
Forever reigns!

(Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!)
The God who reigns on high
The great archangels sing,
And 'Holy! Holy! Holy!' cry,
'Almighty King,
Who was, and is, the same,
And evermore shall be;
Eternal Father, great I AM,
We worship Thee.'

The whole triumphant host
Give thanks to God on high,
'Hail Father, Son and Holy Ghost!'
They ever cry;
Hail, Abraham's God and mine!
I join the heav'nly lays,
All might and majesty are Thine,
And endless praise!

All might and majesty are Thine,
And endless praise!

+ + +

MP3 sound sample: entire piece (synthesizer/midi).



THE GOD OF ABRAHAM PRAISE, by Olivers and Lyon, arranged by Tom Kirkland for unaccompanied SATB choir, comes in a pdf file of 331K, with a nine-page score and a license page, ten pages in all. Performance time is approximately three minutes.