The author of this hymn, Robert Grant (1778-1838), was born in India to British parents. Grant attended school in England, became a lawyer, and followed in his father's footsteps to become a member of Parliament. He returned to India to become the Governor of Bombay in 1834. He died while in India, and was buried there as well.
The melody heard here was written by Johann M. Haydn (1737-1806), brother of composer Franz Joseph Haydn. If you go to Sing for Joy's website you can hear a different melody if you listen to the first hymn of the broadcast. It's got a great choir and a pipe organ. Just wonderful!
O Worship the King
O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing His power and His love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.
O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.
Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.
O measureless might! Ineffable love!
While angels delight to worship Thee above,
The humbler creation, though feeble their lays,
With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise.
(St. Peter's Cemetery, Salzburg, Austria - burial place of Johann Haydn)
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