“When Morning Gilds the Skies”
I have so many favorite hymns but chose “When Morning Gilds the Skies” because the words remind me of God's light shining through the stained glass windows and that each day God has given us is a new day to praise Jesus Christ!
When I first started playing the organ at West Nidaros, my mentor was Olga Larson. She was such a special lady with many talents, and one lesson she always instilled in me was to play the hymn with meaning, look at this beautiful church, the windows – and use this instrument to express the meaning of the hymn. I would look at her and Grant in the second pew on the organ side and will never forget her nod. Olga and Grant will forever be my West Nidaros loving connection.
The phrases that are especially meaningful to me are:
Stanza 1- It praises Christ for the privilege of prayer
"When morning gilds the skies My heart awakening cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer, to Jesus I repair;
May Jesus Christ be praised!"
This stanza refers to Psalm 5:3
"Each morning I will look to you in heaven and lay my requests before you, praying earnestly"
Stanza 5- It praises Christ for all the earth
“Let all the earth around
Ring joyous with the sound:
May Jesus Christ be praised!"
This season reminds us in Luke 2:13, "Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven-praising God"
And of course the last stanza says it all ~
“Today and evermore, Shall Jesus Christ be praised!”
I found this prayer that was an excellent reflection on this hymn:
Father, thank You for another day to live and bless Your name. I choose to pray without ceasing, to honor You, acknowledge You and follow Your leading. Keep me close to You today as I keep my heart and mind on You, in Jesus’ name, Amen. –1 Thessalonians 5:17
Barb Boone-Graves
The Hymn:
“When Morning Gilds the Skies” was first written especially for singing of God’s mercy in the morning. The text is from an anonymous German hymn, "Beim fruhen Morgenlicht". The date is usually given as 1828, but some sources say 1818, and possibly as early as 1744. The hymn was first published in the 1868 Appendix to Hymns Ancient and Modern.
The Translator: Edward Caswall (1814-1878)
Edward Caswall was the first to translate the hymn into English, likely from several variations of the text.
He was born at Yateley, Hampshire on July 15, 1814, the son of Rev. R. C. Caswall. He received his education at Brasenose College, where he earned both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree. In 1838 he was ordained deacon, and in 1839 priest, in the Church of England. Before leaving Oxford, he published The Art of Pluck, under the pseudonym of Scriblerus Redivivus, a satire on the ways of the careless college student. He was curate of the Church of St Lawrence at Stratford-sub-Castle, near Salisbury from 1840 to 1847. As curate, he would invite the children who had attended morning services to the parsonage and give them breakfast. On the anniversary on one's baptism, he would give some money to buy clothes.
He resigned his curacy and in January 1847, he was received into the Roman Catholic Church. Caswall's conversion caused an estrangement from some members of his family, including his mother and brother. He was later ordained a Catholic priest in 1852. Caswall was delegated the responsibility of establishing the Oratory school, which opened in 1859 and often served as Acting Superior. He died at the Oratory, Edgbaston, near Birmingham on January 2, 1878.
The Tune: Composed by Joseph Barnby (1838-1896)
Barnby was an accomplished and popular choral director in England. Barby showed his musical genius early in his life as he was an organist and choirmaster at the age of twelve. He became organist at St. Andrews, Wells Street, London, where he developed an outstanding choral program (at times nicknamed "the Sunday Opera"). He was also active in regional music festivals, conducted the Royal Choral Society, and composed and edited music. In 1892, he was knighted by Queen Victoria. His compositions include many anthems and service music for the Anglican liturgy, as well as 246 hymn tunes (published posthumously in 1897).
