Like a River Glorious

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Like a river glorious

Author: Frances Ridley Havergal
Tune: WYE VALLEY
Songs of Response
Published in 167 hymnals

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	Like a River Glorious

Piano/Organ
	An American Tribute - A Suite of Patriot…

Choral
	LIKE A RIVER GLORIOUS

Representative Text

1 Like a river glorious is God's perfect peace,
over all victorious in its bright increase:
perfect, yet still flowing fuller every day;
perfect, yet still growing deeper all the way.

Refrain:
Trusting in the Father, hearts are fully blest,
finding, as he promised, perfect peace and rest.

2 Hidden in the hollow of his mighty hand,
where no harm can follow, in his strength we stand.
We may trust him fully all for us to do;
those who trust him wholly find him wholly true. [Refrain]

Psalter Hymnal, 1987

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Author: Frances Ridley Havergal

Havergal, Frances Ridley, daughter of the Rev. W. H. Havergal, was born at Astley, Worcestershire, Dec. 14, 1836. Five years later her father removed to the Rectory of St. Nicholas, Worcester. In August, 1850, she entered Mrs. Teed's school, whose influence over her was most beneficial. In the following year she says, "I committed my soul to the Saviour, and earth and heaven seemed brighter from that moment." A short sojourn in Germany followed, and on her return she was confirmed in Worcester Cathedral, July 17, 1853. In 1860 she left Worcester on her father resigning the Rectory of St. Nicholas, and resided at different periods in Leamington, and at Caswall Bay, Swansea, broken by visits to Switzerland, Scotland, and North Wales. She died… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Like a river glorious
Title:	Like a River Glorious
Author:	Frances Ridley Havergal
Meter:	6.5.6.5 D with refrain
Language:	English
Refrain First Line:	Stayed upon Jehovah
Notes:	French translation: "Comme un fleuve immense" by E. Schürer; Spanish translation: See "Cual la mar hermosa"
Copyright:	Public Domain
Liturgical Use:	Songs of Response

Year C, Ordinary Time, Proper 10 (15)

English

10 shown out of 135

Spanish

Santo, Santo, Santo: cantos para el pueblo de Dios = Holy, Holy, Holy: songs for the people of God #53

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Notes

Scripture References:
st. 1 = Isa. 66:12
st. 2 = Ps. 37:24

Frances R. Havergal (PHH 288) wrote this text in 1874 in Leamington, England. First appearing in leaflet form, the text was published in a collection of her poems, Loyal Responses (1878), without music. The Psalter Hymnal version is notably altered from the original three stanzas.

Like “Trust and Obey” (548) and various psalms of trust, this text extols the blessing of trusting in God's care and keeping. Such trust produces serenity (st. 1), strength to face each day (st. 2), and "perfect peace and rest" (ref.).

Liturgical Use:
As a hymn of trust for many occasions of worship; a sung benediction.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1987

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Tune

WYE VALLEY

James Mountain (b. Leeds, York, England, 1844; d. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, 1933) composed WYE VALLEY for Havergal's text ("Like a river glorious") on one of his first preaching tours through Britain. Throughout his life Mountain was influenced by the Countess of Huntington and her following o…

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For Leaders

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Worship Notes
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Two common images that depict peace and freedom from worry are a meadow under a blue sky with a river running through it, or a child clasped in his parent's arms. This hymn employs both pictures to portray the peace of God. Its central message is that when one rests in God, and receives His peace, there is nothing in the world worth worrying about.

Text:

Frances Havergal wrote this hymn while she was living at Leamington, England, in 1874. It first appeared with its tune in the 1876 hymnal Hymns of Consecration and Faith under the title “Perfect Peace.” She later published it in her poetry collection, Loyal Responses, in 1878.

This hymn is typically sung in three stanzas. The first stanza uses the image of a river to depict “God's perfect peace.” The second stanza opens with an image of God as having hands, with Christians nestled in His palm.

Tune:

James Mountain's tune WYE VALLEY was written for this text, and is the only tune to which it is sung. It was first published in his Hymns of Consecration and Faith in 1876. WYE VALLEY is a peaceful, simple tune. The frequent repetition of notes and phrases makes this an easy tune for congregations to sing, but the tempo should not rush, or the tranquility of the text and tune is lost.

When/Why/How:

This hymn is suitable for use as a closing hymn, or a song of response. The choir could sing it as a musical benediction, using a setting such as “Like a River Glorious,” which is accompanied by a motif that imitates the flowing of a river. For an instrumental postlude, the piano is an ideal instrument, either in a solo, as in the peaceful piano setting of WYE VALLEY in “Gospel Hymns We Love,” or in an accompanying role, as in the clarinet version in “Clarinet Stylings.”

Tiffany Shomsky,
Hymnary.org

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Baptist Hymnal 1991 #58

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The Cyber Hymnal #3776

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Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #560

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Worship and Rejoice #435

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Page Scans

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Psalms and Hymns to the Living God (2023), p.462

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Instances in all hymnals

Instances (1 - 46 of 46)

Piano/Organ An American Tribute - A Suite of Patriotic Songs Walking in Grace (Hymns of the Christian Life for Piano Solo) Gospel Hymns We Love (Your favorite composers share a few of their favorites) More Piano/Organ...
Choral LIKE A RIVER GLORIOUS More Choral...
Instrumental CLARINET STYLINGS More Instrumental...
Handbells LIKE A RIVER GLORIOUS Ring for Joy! (Easy Reproducible Hymn Medleys for Prayer and Rejoicing) Ring for Joy! (Easy Reproducible Hymn Medleys for Prayer and Rejoicing) More Handbells...
PowerPoint LIKE A RIVER GLORIOUS (Worship & Rejoice 2003 - 435) LIKE A RIVER GLORIOUS (LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS 699) LIKE A RIVER GLORIOUS (Trinity Hymnal 699) More PowerPoint...

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