#88 Great God, Attend While Zion Sings

Music & voice:
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Music only:
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Lyrics:

1. Great God, attend while Zion sings
The joy that from thy presence springs.
To spend one day with thee on earth
Exceeds a thousand days of mirth.

2. Might I enjoy the meanest place
Within thy house, O God of grace,
No tents of ease or thrones of pow’r
Should tempt my feet to leave thy door.

3. God is our sun; he makes our day.
God is our shield; he guards our way
From all assaults of hell and sin,
From foes without and fears within.

4. All needful grace will God bestow
And crown that grace with glory too.
He gives us all things and withholds
No blessings due to upright souls.

5. Our God, our King, whose sovereign sway
The glorious hosts of heav’n obey
(And devils at thy presence flee);
Blest is the man that trusts in thee!

Text: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748
Music: Joseph J. Daynes, 1851-1920

-History: (Source: Wikipedia)

Written By: Issac Watts

Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748), was an English hymn-writer, theologian and logician. He was recognised as the “Father of English Hymnody“, as he was the first prolific and popular English hymnwriter, credited with some 750 hymns. Many of his hymns remain in active use today and have been translated into many languages.

Some of Watts’ hymns are:

Many of his hymns are included in the Methodist hymn book Hymns and Psalms. Many of his texts are also used in the American hymnal The Sacred Harp, using what is known as theshape note singing technique.

Music By: Joseph J Daynes

Joseph John Daynes (April 2, 1851 – January 15, 1920)[1] was the first organist at the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah and for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He also wrote the music to many hymns as well as writing anthems. In the 1985 English-language hymnal of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) there are 5 hymns with music by Daynes. In the LDS Church’s previous edition there were 27 hymns with music by him.

Daynes was born in Norwich, England. His parents John and Eliza Miller Daynes joined the LDS Church and the family emigrated to Utah Territory in 1862.

In 1867, when an organ was brought by Joseph H. Ridges to Salt Lake City, Daynes was appointed the Tabernacle Organist, the first to ever hold this position since before this there was no organ. Daynes remained organist at the Salt Lake Tabernacle until 1900. He was also the music conductor of the 20th Ward Choir in Salt Lake City.

Daynes was one of the main editors of the Latter-day Saints’ Psalmody.

In 1872, Daynes married Mary Jane Sharp. They had seven children.

Among the hymns with music by Daynes are “Come Listen to A Prophets Voice“, “Now We’ll Sing with One Accord” and “As the Dew From Heaven Distilling“.

Daynes’ son Joseph J. Daynes Jr. served as the first president of the Grant Stake in Salt Lake City.[2] and later was the president of the Western States Mission of the LDS Church, based in Colorado. The younger Daynes was married to one of Wilford Woodruff‘s daughters.