Lyrics
How shall I sing that majesty
That angels do admire?
Their thunderous voices bid me come:
Sing, sing O heavenly choir!
Sing all you angels gathered round
The throne of God Most High.
Sing with the saints and all created things
To praise the Lord of life.
The planets spin in sheer delight
As galaxies conspire
To fill the universe with light:
Sing, sing O heavenly choir!
The saints who lived and died in grace
Have found their heart’s desire,
And gaze upon the Saviour’s face:
Sing, sing O heavenly choir!
So let my voice resound with those
Whose praise will never die;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
Sing, sing O heavenly choir!
The story behind this song
The starting point for ‘How Shall I Sing?’ was John Mason’s 17th century hymn of the same name, which attempts to picture the scene of all of heaven and earth bowing down before the throne of God. The verses explore the wonderful cacophony of sound created by the angels, the church of God in heaven, the whole of creation, and of the church here on earth – all joining together in one glorious song. It’s a song that we hope will be of use particularly in the celebration part of a church service; the arrangement is fun to play, and full of the joy of worshipping with all of heaven.
I love the idea that all of creation joins with us in worship of the triune God. As we discover more and more about the universe and the way it works, our understanding and appreciation of God’s great might and wisdom deepens, and we also glimpse new levels of the magnitude and complexity of the ‘choir of nature’ that joins in with our worship.
I also love the idea that as we sing songs in our various places of worship around the world, there are those who have gone before us, joining in that same song of praise but who are are now face to face with Christ, realising and enjoying the full realisation of the hope we share.
