Holy, Holy, Holy
Words: Reginald Heber, 1826 · Tune "Nicaea": John B. Dykes, 1861 · Public domain
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Verse 1
GHoly, Emholy, Dho-Gly! CLord God Am/F#Al-Gmighty!
DEarly Gin Dthe Emmorn-Ding Gour Asong Dshall A7rise Dto thee.
GHoly, Emholy, Dho-Gly! CMerciful Am/F#and Gmighty!
EmGod Gin G7three CPer-Gsons, Cbless-Amed D7Trin-Gity!
Verse 2
GHoly, Emholy, Dho-Gly! CAll the saints Am/F#a-Gdore thee,
Dcasting Gdown Dtheir Emgolden Dcrowns Ga-Around Dthe A7glassy Dsea;
Gcherubim Emand ser-Da-Gphim Cfalling down Am/F#be-Gfore thee,
Emwhich Gwert, G7and Cart, Gand Cev-Amer-D7more Gshalt be.
Verse 3
GHoly, Emholy, Dho-Gly! CThough the darkness Am/F#hide Gthee,
Dthough the Geye Dof Emsinful Dman Gthy Aglo-Dry A7may not Dsee,
Gonly Emthou art Dho-Gly; Cthere is none Am/F#be-Gside thee,
Emper-Gfect G7in Cpow'r, Gin Clove, Amand D7pu-Grity.
Verse 4
GHoly, Emholy, Dho-Gly! CLord God Am/F#Al-Gmighty!
DAll thy Gworks Dshall Empraise thy Dname, Gin Aearth, Dand A7sky, and Dsea;
Gholy, Emholy, Dho-Gly! Cmerciful Am/F#and Gmighty!
EmGod Gin G7three CPer-Gsons, Cbless-Amed D7Trin-Gity!
Chords in the key of G
- G
- Em
- D
- C
- Am/F#
- A
- A7
- G7
- Am
- D7
About this hymn
- Words
- Reginald Heber, 1823
- Music
- NICAEA, John Bacchus Dykes, 1861
- Meter
- 11.12.12.10
- In
- 1,847 hymnals
- Scripture
- Isaiah 6:1-10, Revelation 4:6-11, Revelation 15:2-4
The story
Reginald Heber wrote this for Trinity Sunday, to be sung alongside the Nicene Creed. The text is dated 1823. He did not live to see it take hold. It reached print in the third edition of a Banbury parish collection in 1826, the year he died, and then in his own book in 1827, put out after his death. The three Holys come straight out of Isaiah 6, the cry of the seraphim. The tune came almost forty years later. John Bacchus Dykes wrote NICAEA in 1861 and named it for the Council of Nicaea and its creed, so the tune name lines up with what the words are already doing.
Where it fits in a service
Often used as an opening hymn, especially on Trinity Sunday or a communion Sunday. It sets a high, steady tone early, before announcements and before the sermon.
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This hymn in three keys, and 49 more
The 50 Hymns for the Church Pianist collection has this hymn in three keys with every verse, a Sunday Version with gospel moves, and big keyboard pictures. Large print and regular print.
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The Hymn & Carol Chord Chart Book puts 21 hymns and carols on paper, chords over the words, with a lead sheet and the story behind each one. Full-size pages for the music stand.
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