Free download be thou my vision sheet music

Text:

Eleanor Hull’s versification consists of five verses. Today, most hymnals include four of those verses: 1, 2, 4, and 5, leaving out verse 3: “Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight; be thou my dignity, though my delight, thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tower: raise thou me heavenward, O Power of my power."

Other minor changes include altering some of the gender exclusive language to be inclusive, or changing “High king” in stanzas three and four to “Great God.”

Tune:

There’s only one tune associated with this text, and that’s SLANE, aptly named for the location at which St. Patrick is said to have defied the orders of King Logaire. This tune comes from an Irish folk song of the same name, and was combined with the hymn text by Welsh composer David Evans in the edition of the Church Hymnary of the Church of Scotland.

This is a hymn that has been performed and recorded by too many artists to count, but that provides the worship leader with a lot of options for arranging. Many artists keep the traditional Irish feel to the tune, and sing it at a slower pace – just be careful it doesn’t drag. Here are some good arrangement options:

• Enfield has a version with a simple yet powerful harmony that really builds into the fourth verse, and an uplifting turn-around in between verses - while they perform this on strings, it could easily be adapted for piano.
• Eden’s Bridge’s version is really quite simple – on top of a base of ethereal synth lies a simple yet varied banjo or acoustic guitar accompaniment. Without the synth, an option for arranging this version is to sing verse 1 a cappella, verse 2 with banjo/guitar picking, verse 3 with strumming and light drums, and verse 4 either the same as verse 3 but pulled back, or a cappella with just drum.

When/Why/How:

This hymn acts as a prayer to our God that He would be the first that we seek after, and continually refocus the direction of our life. This hymn can be sung throughout the liturgical year, and is a particularly powerful prayer of response to God’s call for our lives, whether heard in a sermon or a Scripture passage. It is most often used as a hymn of dedication, and fits well during a time of profession of faith or baptism. Consider using this verse from William Cowper’s hymn “O for a Closer Walk with God” as a prayer before or after: "The dearest idol I have known, Whate’er that idol be, Help me to tear it from thy throne, And worship only thee." Other songs of dedication could be well paired with this hymn, such as "I Surrender," "Take My Life," and "Take, O Take Me as I Am."

Suggested music:

• Near, Gerald. Laudes Domin: 10 Hymn Introductions and Harmonizations for Organ, Vol. 1
• Miller, Dan. Be Thou My Vision (for Choir and Organ)
• Burrows, Mark. Prayer of Saint Patrick (Incorporating "Be thou My Vision") (for Choir and Piano)
• Cooney, Rory. Be Thou My Vision (for Unison Choir, guitar or keyboard)
• Clarke, Andrew. Fantasy on an Irish Ballad (for Organ)
• McMichael, Catherine Concert Variations on "Slane" (for Handbells)
• Butler, Eugene Be Thou My Vision (for Handbells)

Laura de Jong,
www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar