Where Is This Stupendous Stranger?

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Where is this stupendous stranger?

Author: Christopher Smart
Published in 12 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Where is this stupendous Stranger?
Prophets, shepherds, kings, advise!
Lead me to my Master's manger,
show me where my Savior lies.

2 O most Mighty, O most Holy,
far beyond the seraph’s thought,
are you then so mean and lowly
as unheeded prophets thought?

3 Oh, the magnitude of meekness!
worth from worth immortal sprung!
Oh, the strength of infant weakness,
if eternal is so young!

4 God all bounteous, all creative,
whom our sins could not dissuade,
you have come to be a native
of the very world you made.

Source: Voices Together #266

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Author: Christopher Smart

Smart, Christophe, M.A., was born at Shipburn, Kent, in 1722, and educated at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, where he gained the Seatonian prize for five years, four of which were in succession, (B.A. 1747.) He removed to London in 1753, and gave some attention to literature: but neglecting both his property and his constitution, he became poor and insane. He died in the King's Bench, 1771. His Poems were published in 2 vols. in 1771. From that work "Father of light conduct my feet" (Divine Guidance), and "I sing of God the mighty Source" [God the Author of All), have been taken. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) Go to person page >

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Related Texts

Three holy days enfold us now

First Line:	Where is this stupendous stranger?
Title:	Where Is This Stupendous Stranger?
Author:	Christopher Smart
Meter:	8.7.8.7

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Notes

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Where is this stupendous stranger

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Tune

HALTON HOLGATE

HALTON HOLGATE (also called SHARON) is a version of a psalm tune originally composed by William Boyce (b. London, England, 1710; d. Kensington, London, 1779) and published around 1765 in his Collection of Melodies, including tunes by various composers for Christopher Smart's paraphrases of the psalm…

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KIT SMART

CASTIGLIONE

All tunes published with 'Where Is This Stupendous Stranger?'^ top