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Play “Brief Life Is Here Our Portion”

Free same-meter accompaniment for Brief Life Is Here Our Portion (Bernard, of Cluny; J. M. Neale): organ, piano or guitar playing the tune ELLACOMBE (Wurttemberg, 1784 from Gesangbuch der Herzogl. Hofkapelle) in four-part harmony, 6 verses, with the words on screen. Choose the key and speed, add an introduction, project the words on a TV, or practice your own choir part. Made for churches and home groups without a musician.

Sung here to ELLACOMBE (Wurttemberg, 1784 from Gesangbuch der Herzogl. Hofkapelle), a 7.6.7.6 D tune — not necessarily the tune usually paired with this text. Any tune in the same meter fits the words.

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  1. 1Brief life is here our portion,
  2. Brief sorrow, short-lived care;
  3. The life that knows no ending,
  4. The tearless life is there!
  5. O happy retribution!
  6. Short toil, eternal rest,
  7. For mortals and for sinners,
  8. A mansion with the blest!
  9. 2There grief is turned to pleasure;
  10. Such pleasure as below
  11. No human voice can utter,
  12. No human heart can know;
  13. And after fleshly weakness,
  14. And after this world's night,
  15. And after storm and whirlwind,
  16. Are calm, and joy, and light.
  17. 3And now we fight the battle,
  18. But then shall wear the crown
  19. Of full and everlasting
  20. And passionless renown;
  21. And He Whom now we trust in,
  22. Shall then be seen and known,
  23. And they that know and see Him,
  24. Shall have Him for their own.
  25. 4And now we watch and struggle,
  26. And now we live in hope,
  27. And Sion in her anguish,
  28. With Babylon must cope;
  29. But there is David's Fountain,
  30. And life in fullest glow;
  31. And there the light is golden,
  32. And milk and honey flow.
  33. 5The morning shall awaken,
  34. The shadows flee away,
  35. And each true-hearted servant
  36. Shall shine as doth the day;
  37. For God our King and Portion,
  38. In fulness of His grace,
  39. We then shall see for ever,
  40. And worship face to face.
  41. 6O sweet and blessed country,
  42. The home of God's elect!
  43. O sweet and blessed country
  44. That eager hearts expect!
  45. Jesu, in mercy bring us
  46. To that dear land of rest;
  47. Who art, with God the Father,
  48. And Spirit, ever blest.

About this music

ELLACOMBE — Wurttemberg, 1784 from Gesangbuch der Herzogl. Hofkapelle. Setting: Presbyterian Hymnal, 1911.. The score is from the Open Hymnal Project, copied from Presbyterian Hymnal, Revised, 1911 Hymn 364.; music and setting are in the public domain. The words above are from the hymnal cited on the Brief Life Is Here Our Portion page.

Played in your browser with instrument sounds from the FluidR3 soundfont by Frank Wen (MIT license). No recordings are used.

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