O God, our help in ages past (William Croft)
Music files
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CPDL #20530: 
- Editor: Tim Blickhan (submitted 2009-11-25). Score information: Octavo, 13 pages, 313 kB Copyright: Personal
- Edition notes: Arranged for SATB, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones and organ. This edition published 1986.
- Arranger: Tim Blickhan
General Information
Title: O God, our help in ages past
Composer: William Croft
Tune: St. Anne's, or Ann's
Lyricist: Isaac Watts
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Sacred, Hymn
Language: English
Published: 1708
Description: William Croft's tune St. Anne's was first published in 1708, in the 6th edition of A Supplement to the New Version of Psalms, as a setting of 'As pants the hart for cooling streams' (Psalm 42 in the metrical New Version). It was widely re-used with a number of texts before being republished with 'O God, our help in ages past' (Isaac Watts' paraphrase of Psalm 90) in The Psalm and Hymn Tunes, used at St Johns Chapel, Bedford Row, a collection compiled by Theophania Cecil, who was the organist at St. John's Chapel and the daughter of Richard Cecil, who was the minister there. It is now frequently sung with this text. Hymn Tune Index tune number 664.
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home:
Under the shadow of thy throne,
thy saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting thou art God,
to endless years the same.
A thousand ages in thy sight
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
bears all its sons away;
they fly, forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.
O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
be thou our guide while troubles last,
and our eternal home!