This glorious setting of one of hymnody's most cherished hymns beautifully showcases the timeless text by the nineteenth-century writer Maltbie D. Babcock. The enchanting accompaniment shared by piano and organ furnishs an exquisite palette of harmonic color for the well-known tune, while optional handbells or Handchimes--which can be played by Orff metallophones and glockenspiels--interject a layer of sparkle and shimmer to the piece. On the final stanza, the congregation joins the unison choir declaring in confidence, "The Lord is King, let the heavens ring! God reigns, let earth be glad!".
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