O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
Encyclopedia
O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing is a Christian
hymn
written by Charles Wesley
. Charles Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns, many of which were subsequently reprinted, frequently with alterations, in hymnals, particularly those of Methodist Churches.
in May, 1738, while he and his brother were studying under the Moravian scholar Peter Böhler
in London. At the time, Wesley was plagued by extreme doubts about his faith. Taken to bed with the sickness on May 21 Wesley was attended by a group of Christians who offered him testimony and basic care, and he was deeply affected by this. He read from his Bible
and found himself deeply affected by the words, and at peace with God. Shortly his strength began to return. He wrote of this experience in his journal and counted it as a renewal of his faith; when his brother John
had a similar experience on the 24th, the two men met and sang a hymn Wesley had written in praise of his renewal.
One year from the experience, Wesley was taken with the urge to write another hymn, this one in commemoration of his renewal of faith. This hymn took the form of an 18-stanza poem, beginning with the opening lines 'Glory to God, and praise, and love,/Be ever, ever given' and was published in 1740 and entitled 'For the anniversary day of one's conversion'. The seventh verse, which begins, 'O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing', and which now is invariably the first verse of a shorter hymn recalls the words of Peter Böhler
who said, 'Had I a thousand tongues I would praise Him with them all.' The hymn was placed first in John Wesley's A Collection of Hymns for the People Called Methodists published in 1780. It appeared first in every (Wesleyan) Methodist hymnal from that time until the publication of Hymns and Psalms in 1983.
The editors of the United Methodist Hymnal omitted the verse containing the words "dumb" and "lame", but later reverted to the original version.
’s 1839 arrangement of the hymn tune
Azmon, written by Carl G. Glaser in 1828. Mason's arrangement was written as a setting for this hymn. In Great Britain the tune Lydia by Thomas Phillips or Richmond by Thomas Haweis
are commonly used, though in larger congregations Thomas Jarman's stirring tune 'Lyngham' is favoured.
In Australia, Lyngham is the favoured tune in churches, although Azmon and Lydia are also widely used.
In the USA the popular evangelical group David Crowder Band recorded a version of this song for their LP, Remedy.
Recently, the song was recorded with some added lyrics by David Crowder Band, a high-energy worship band from Texas.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
written by Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley , and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley...
. Charles Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns, many of which were subsequently reprinted, frequently with alterations, in hymnals, particularly those of Methodist Churches.
Background
Charles Wesley was suffering a bout of pleurisyPleurisy
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Among other things, infections are the most common cause of pleurisy....
in May, 1738, while he and his brother were studying under the Moravian scholar Peter Böhler
Peter Böhler
Peter Böhler or Peter Boehler was a German-born Moravian missionary and bishop who was influential in the Moravian Church in the Americas and England during the eighteenth century. Böhler was one of the many missionaries sent out to the Americas in the early 18th century by the leader of the...
in London. At the time, Wesley was plagued by extreme doubts about his faith. Taken to bed with the sickness on May 21 Wesley was attended by a group of Christians who offered him testimony and basic care, and he was deeply affected by this. He read from his Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and found himself deeply affected by the words, and at peace with God. Shortly his strength began to return. He wrote of this experience in his journal and counted it as a renewal of his faith; when his brother John
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
had a similar experience on the 24th, the two men met and sang a hymn Wesley had written in praise of his renewal.
One year from the experience, Wesley was taken with the urge to write another hymn, this one in commemoration of his renewal of faith. This hymn took the form of an 18-stanza poem, beginning with the opening lines 'Glory to God, and praise, and love,/Be ever, ever given' and was published in 1740 and entitled 'For the anniversary day of one's conversion'. The seventh verse, which begins, 'O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing', and which now is invariably the first verse of a shorter hymn recalls the words of Peter Böhler
Peter Böhler
Peter Böhler or Peter Boehler was a German-born Moravian missionary and bishop who was influential in the Moravian Church in the Americas and England during the eighteenth century. Böhler was one of the many missionaries sent out to the Americas in the early 18th century by the leader of the...
who said, 'Had I a thousand tongues I would praise Him with them all.' The hymn was placed first in John Wesley's A Collection of Hymns for the People Called Methodists published in 1780. It appeared first in every (Wesleyan) Methodist hymnal from that time until the publication of Hymns and Psalms in 1983.
Current versions
Today the hymn is often condensed into a smaller number (typically between six and eight) stanzas. In Great Britain, some hymnal editors re-order the first three verses (O for a thousand tongues to sing; My gracious Master and my God; Jesus, the name that charms our fears).The editors of the United Methodist Hymnal omitted the verse containing the words "dumb" and "lame", but later reverted to the original version.
Tunes
In the USA, the hymn is commonly sung to Lowell MasonLowell Mason
Lowell Mason was a leading figure in American church music, the composer of over 1600 hymn tunes, many of which are often sung today. His most well-known tunes include Mary Had A Little Lamb and the arrangement of Joy to the World...
’s 1839 arrangement of the hymn tune
Hymn tune
A hymn tune is the melody of a musical composition to which a hymn text is sung. Musically speaking, a hymn is generally understood to have four-part harmony, a fast harmonic rhythm , and no refrain or chorus....
Azmon, written by Carl G. Glaser in 1828. Mason's arrangement was written as a setting for this hymn. In Great Britain the tune Lydia by Thomas Phillips or Richmond by Thomas Haweis
Thomas Haweis
Thomas Haweis was born in Redruth, Cornwall, on 1 January 1734, where he was baptised on 20 February 1734...
are commonly used, though in larger congregations Thomas Jarman's stirring tune 'Lyngham' is favoured.
In Australia, Lyngham is the favoured tune in churches, although Azmon and Lydia are also widely used.
In the USA the popular evangelical group David Crowder Band recorded a version of this song for their LP, Remedy.
Recently, the song was recorded with some added lyrics by David Crowder Band, a high-energy worship band from Texas.