Once in Royal David's City (Irby)

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Once in Royal David's City (Irby)

Text by: Cecil Frances Alexander 1848
Tune: Irby by: Henry J Gauntlett 1849
Source: Presbyterian 1955 Hymnbook #462
Episcopal 1940 Hymnal #236
Pilgrim 1935 Hymnal #75
Methodist 1939 Hymnal #442
Catholic 1998 Hymn Book #30
Trinity Hymnal No 639

Here is my complete recording of the Presbyterian 1955 Hymnbook:

1 Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.

2 He came down to earth from Heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy.

3 And, through all His wondrous childhood,
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.

4 For He is our childhood’s pattern;
Day by day, like us He grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew;
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.

5 And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love,
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in Heav’n above,
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.

6 Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in Heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
Where like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.

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[deannastands]

I love your playing! But whew, at first you played the 12th bar's 4TH quarter note as a high C (?) and I wondered. Then the second (and 3rd and final) time through you played it as B flat as written, so I'm going with that. Or, maybe my hearing is off? btw, our church is an Episcopal mission church in SD and this melody is used for an Easter hymn titled, "He Is Risen! He Is Risen!" which we sing in the Dakota language. Our hymnal's cover page has "Edition of 1951" and "1966 Printing" on it, but the next page has correspondence from Bishop Wm. Hobart Hare authorizing the "Tune Book" publication, Easter 1893. Thank you for your channel! PS: We also sing (in English) the hymns in the 1982 Blue Hymnal of the Episcopal Church.