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Play “The Death and Burial of a Saint”
Free same-meter accompaniment for The Death and Burial of a Saint (Isaac Watts): organ, piano or guitar playing the tune ST. ANNE (William Croft) 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 ST. ANNE (William Croft), a Common Meter (8.6.8.6) tune — not necessarily the tune usually paired with this text. Any tune in the same meter fits the words.
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- 1Why do we mourn departing friends,
- Or shake at death’s alarms?
- ’Tis but the voice that Jesus sends
- To call them to His arms.
- 2Are we not tending upward, too,
- As fast as time can move?
- Nor would we wish the hours more slow,
- To keep us from our Love.
- 3Why should we tremble to convey
- Their bodies to the tomb?
- There the dear flesh of Jesus lay,
- And scattered all the gloom.
- 4The graves of all the saints He blessed,
- And softened every bed;
- Where should the dying members rest,
- But with their dying Head?
- 5Thence He arose, ascending high,
- And showed our feet the way;
- Up to the Lord we, too, shall fly
- At the great rising-day.
- 6Then let the last loud trumpet sound,
- And bid our kindred rise;
- Awake! ye nations under ground,
- Ye saints, ascend the skies!
About this music
ST. ANNE — William Croft. Setting: composite found in "The Lutheran Hymnary", 1913.. The score is from the Open Hymnal Project, copied from 'The Lutheran Hymnary', 1913, Hymn 261. Arrangement is composite, first half from "Hymns Ancient and Modern", 1869, Hymn 231. ed William Henry Monk Second half is from "The Hymnal Companion to the Book of Common Prayer", 1890, Hymn 279. ed. Charles Vincent, D.J. Wood, John Stainer; music and setting are in the public domain. The words above are from the hymnal cited on the The Death and Burial of a Saint page.
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