All Creatures of Our God and King

The words of the hymn were initially written by St. Francis of Assisi{{Cite web |url=http://www.hymnary.org/text/all_creatures_of_our_god_and_king |title=All Creatures of our God and King |publisher=Hymnary.org |access-date=2025-03-02}} in 1225 in the Canticle of the Sun poem, which was based on Psalm 148.{{Cite web |url=http://www.thechristiansentinel.com/2010/06/all-creatures-of-our-god-and-king-mhb-28/ |title=All Creatures of Our God and King (MHB 28) |date=2010-06-01 |publisher=The Christian Sentinel |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211072922/http://www.thechristiansentinel.com/2010/06/all-creatures-of-our-god-and-king-mhb-28/ |archive-date=2016-02-11 |access-date=2014-03-13}} The words were translated into English by William Draper, who at the time was rector of a Church of England parish church at Adel near Leeds. Draper paraphrased the words of the Canticle and set them to music. It is not known when Draper first wrote the hymn but it was between 1899 and 1919.{{Cite book |last=Osbeck |first=Kenneth W. |url=https://archive.org/details/101hymnstories0000osbe/page/20 |title=101 Hymn Stories |publisher=Kregel Publications |year=1982 |isbn=0825434165 |edition=reprint |page=[https://archive.org/details/101hymnstories0000osbe/page/20 20]}} Draper wrote it for his church's children's Whitsun festival celebrations and it was later published in 1919 in the Public School Hymn Book. As of 2025, it is known to be used in 270 different hymn books. The words written by St Francis are some of the oldest used in hymns after "Father We Praise Thee", written in 580 AD.{{Cite book |last=Pascall |first=Wayne |title=Understanding the Hymns We Sing |publisher=Wayne Pascall |year=2009 |isbn=978-1448626519 |page=8}}

Like "Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones", Draper's text is usually set to the tune of "{{lang|de|Lasst uns erfreuen}}", a German Easter hymn published by Friedrich Spee in 1623 in his book {{lang|de|Auserlesene Catholische Geistliche Kirchengesäng}}.{{Cite web |url=http://hsozkult.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/tagungsberichte/id=1566 |title=Friedrich Spee: der Reformer der Poesie und die Revolution des katholischen Kirchengesangs |year=2007 |publisher=H-Soz-u-Kult |access-date=2014-03-27}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.hymnary.org/tune/lasst_uns_erfreuen |title=Lasst uns erfreuen |publisher=Hymnary.org |access-date=2014-03-27}} This tune became widespread in English hymn books starting with a 1906 arrangement by Ralph Vaughan Williams.Anglican Hymn Book (1965). London:

Oxford University Press. #251.The Hymnal 1982. The Episcopal Church. New York: Church Hymnal Corp. #400.New English Hymnal (1986). Norwich: Canterbury Press. #263{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SXIr_vDOQLoC&pg=PA49 |title=Chalice Hymnal |publisher=Chalice Press |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-8272-8035-9 |page=49}} John Rutter also wrote a piece of music for the hymn.{{Cite web |url=http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/arts/2014/03/24/music-review-vocalessence-john-rutter |title=VocalEssence Ensemble Singers celebrate the music of John Rutter at Central Lutheran Church |date=2014-03-24 |publisher=Twin Cities Daily Planet |access-date=2014-03-27}} Despite the hymn being initially written by Draper for Whitsun (the Anglican and English designation for Pentecost), it is mostly used in the earlier weeks of the Easter season.{{Cite book |last=Bartlett |first=David |title=Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Volume 6 |publisher=Westminster John Knox Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0664231019 |page=460}}

The most common melody is the 1623 German hymn tune {{lang|de|Lasst uns erfreuen}}. The following setting is from the 1906 English Hymnal, with the lyrics quoted from the 1986 New English Hymnal:{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=John |date=Winter 1980 |title=Treasure No 46: The Tune 'Lasst uns erfreuen' as we know it |url=https://hymnsocietygbi.org.uk/1981/01/12/treasure-no-46-the-tune-lasst-uns-erfreuen-as-we-know-it/ |journal=Bulletin of the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland |volume=IX.10 |issue=150 |access-date=13 April 2017 |quote=One of the great successes of The English Hymnal in 1906 was its inclusion of the old German Catholic tune 'Lasst uns erfreuen', linked originally with Easter rejoicing, but now set to 'Ye watchers and ye holy ones', a new text by Athelstan Riley... The EH attribution of the melody was to the book [Auserlesene, Catholische,] Geistliche Kirchengesäng (Cöln, 1623)...}}{{cite book |title=The English Hymnal |date=1906 |page=672 |chapter=Hymn 519}}

<< <<

\new Staff { \clef treble \time 3/2 \partial 2 \key es \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "church organ" \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \override Score.BarNumber #'transparent = ##t

\relative c'

<< { es2^\markup { \italic "Unison." } | es4 f g es g as | 1 es,2 | es4 f g es g as | 1 \bar"||"

es4^\markup { \italic "Harmony." } d | c2 bes es4 d | c2 bes\fermata \breathe \bar"||" es2^\markup { \italic "Unison." } | es4 bes bes as g as | 1 es2 | es4 bes bes as g as | bes1 \bar"||"

as4^\markup { \italic "Harmony." } g | f2 es as4 g | f2 es es'4 d | c2 bes es4^\markup { \italic "Unison." } d | c2 bes as4 g | f1. | es1 \bar"|." } \\

{ bes2 | es1 es2 | es2 d es | bes4 d es2 es2 | es2 d

bes'4 bes | bes( as) g2 es4 d | g( f) d2 bes'4 as | g2~ g4 f es2 | es d es4 f | es2. | es4 d g f

es4 es | es( d) es2 es4 es | es( d) c2 g'4 f | g( f) d2 ~ | 4 4~ c, es | es2 d1 | bes } \\

{ s2 | s1. | s1. | s1. | s1

s2 | s1. | s1. | s1. | s1 \stemDown \once \override NoteColumn.force-hshift = 0 bes'2 } >> %necessary for that one note

}

\new Lyrics \lyricmode { \set stanza = #"1."All2 crea4 -- tures of our God and King,1

Lift2 up4 your voice and with us sing1

Al4 -- le -- lu2 -- ya, al4 -- le -- lu2 -- ya!

Thou2 burn4 -- ing sun with gold -- en beam,1

Thou2 sil4 -- ver moon with soft -- er gleam:1

O2 praise him, O praise him

Al4 -- le -- lu2 -- ya, Al4 -- le -- lu2 -- ya, Al4 -- le -- lu1. -- ya!1

}

\new Lyrics \lyricmode { \set stanza = #"2." Thou2 rush4 -- ing wind that art so strong,1

Ye2 clouds4 that sail in heaven a -- long,1

O2 praise him! Al4 -- le -- lu2 -- ya!

Thou2 ri4 -- sing morn, in praise re -- joice,1

Ye2 lights4 of eve -- ning, find a voice1

}

\new Lyrics \lyricmode { \set stanza = #"3." Thou2 flow4 -- ing wa -- ter, pure and clear,1

Make2 mu4 -- sic for thy Lord to hear,1

Al4 -- le -- lu2 -- ya, al4 -- le -- lu2 -- ya!

Thou2 fire4 so mast -- er -- ful and bright,1

That2 giv4 -- est man both warmth and light:1

}

\new Lyrics \lyricmode { \set stanza = #"7." Let2 all4 things their Cre -- a -- tor bless,1

And2 wor4 -- ship him in hum -- ble -- ness,1

O2 praise him! Al4 -- le -- lu2 -- ya!

Praise,2 praise4 the Fa -- ther, praise the Son,1

And2 praise4 the Spi -- rit, three in One:1

}

\new Staff { \clef bass \key es \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "church organ"

\relative c'

<< { g2 | g4 as bes g c2 | bes1 bes4 c | bes as bes2 c | bes1

es4 es | es2 es g,4 bes | bes( a) bes2 es2 | es2~ es4 bes bes as | f2 bes bes | bes~ bes4 es d c | bes1

c4 c | c( bes) bes2 c4 bes | c( as) g2 g4 bes | bes( a) bes2 g2~ | g4 as f g as bes | c2 bes as | g1 } \\

{ es2 | es~ es2 es8 d c4 f | bes, bes'4 as g as | g f es d c f | bes,2 bes'4 as

g g | as2 es c4 d | es( f) bes,2\fermata g'4 f | es d c d es c | bes2 bes'4 as g as | g f es c' bes as | g f es d

c bes | as2 g f4 g | as( bes) c2 c4 d | es( f) bes,2 c4 d | es f d e f g | as2 bes bes, | 1 } \\

{ s2 | s1. | s1. | s1. | s1

s2 | s1. | s1. | s1. | s1. | s1. | s1

s2 | s1. | s1. | s1 \stemUp \once \override NoteColumn.force-hshift = 0 bes'2 } >> %necessary for that one note

}

>> >>

\layout { indent = #0 }

\midi { \tempo 2 = 80 }

The hymn is prominently featured in the pilot episode of the comedy programme Mr. Bean, where the title character is in church when the congregation sings "All Creatures of Our God and King", but he has no hymnal. Consequently, he mumbles through most of the song, save for the recurrent "Alleluia", which he sings as loudly as possible.{{Cite episode |title=Mr. Bean |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0651846/?ref_=tt_ep_ep1 |series=Mr. Bean |network=ITV |station=ITV1 |series-no=1 |number=1 |minutes=22:55 |episode-link=Mr. Bean (Mr. Bean episode) |series-link=Mr. Bean |airdate=1 February 1990}}

In the United States, it was covered by the David Crowder Band on the album Can You Hear Us? in 2002 and in the album Illuminate in 2003.{{Cite web |url=http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/CanYouHearUs.asp |title=David Crowder Band, "Can You Hear Us?" Review |date=2002-02-26 |publisher=Jesus Freak Hideout |access-date=2014-03-13}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Francis of Assisi}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:English Christian hymns

Category:Francis of Assisi

Category:Songs based on poems

Category:20th-century hymns

Category:Christianity and nature

Category:Hymns in The New English Hymnal