Forward! be our watchword

Forward be our watchword, Hearts and voices joined

Author: Henry Alford (1865)
Published in 280 hymnals

Piano/Organ

SIMPLIFIED PIANO ARRANGEMENTS

Full Text

1 Forward be our watchword,
Hearts and voices joined;
Seek the things before us,
Not a look behind.
Burns the fiery pillar
At our army's head;
Who shall dream of shrinking,
By our captain led.

Refrain:
Forward out of error,
Leave behind the night;
Forward through the darkness,
Forward into light.

2 Forward through the desert,
Through the toil and fight;
Jordan flows before us,
Zion beams with light!
Forward, marching eastward
Where the heaven is bright,
Till the veil be lifted,
Till our faith be sight! [Refrain]

3 Glories upon glories
Hath our God prepared,
By the souls that love Him
One day to be shared:
Eye hath not beheld them,
Ear hath never heard;
Nor of these hath uttered
Thought or speech a word: [Refrain]

4 Far o'er yon horizon
Rise the city towers,
Where our God abideth;
That fair home is ours:
Thither, onward thither,
In the Spirit's might:
Pilgrims to your country,
Forward into light! [Refrain]

Christian Praise: a manual of worship for public, social and private devotion, 1880

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Author: Henry Alford

Alford, Henry. D.D., son of  the Rev. Henry Alford, Rector of Aston Sandford, b. at 25 Alfred Place, Bedford Row, London, Oct. 7, 1810, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating in honours, in 1832. In 1833 he was ordained to the Curacy of Ampton. Subsequently he held the Vicarage of Wymeswold, 1835-1853,--the Incumbency of Quebec Chapel, London, 1853-1857; and the Deanery of Canterbury, 1857 to his death, which took. place  at  Canterbury, Jan. 12, 1871.  In addition he held several important appointments, including that of a Fellow of Trinity, and the Hulsean Lectureship, 1841-2. His literary labours extended to every department of literature, but his noblest undertaking was his edition of the Greek Testament, the result… Go to person page >

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Text Information

First Line: Forward be our watchword, Hearts and voices joined
Title: Forward! be our watchword
Author: Henry Alford (1865)
Meter: 6.5.6.5.6.5.6.5.6.5.6.5
Language: English
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Notes

Forward! be our watchword. H. Alford. [Processional.] Was written for and first sung in public at the tenth Festival of Parochial Choirs of the Canterbury Diocesan Union, on the 6th June, 1871, and published with music, also by the Dean, in the Festival Book of that year. Both words and music were subsequently included in the author's Life by his widow, in 1872 in 8 stanzas of 12 lines. It has since appeared in many hymnals both in Great Britain and America, including The Hymnary, 1872; Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1875, Thring's Collection, 1882, .&c. In the American Laudes Domini, N. Y., 1884, it is divided into two parts, the second beginning, "Far o'er yon horizon."

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Timeline

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Instances

Instances (280)TextImageAudioScore
A Church of England Hymn Book #578
A Handy Book of Old and Familiar Hymns #171Image
A Hymnal and Service Book for Sunday Schools, Day Schools, Guilds, Brotherhoods, etc. #501Image
A School Service Book #d42
A Selection of Hymns #d19
Alleluia: a hymnal for use in schools, in the home, in young people's societies, in devotional meetings #122Image
Alleluia: a hymnal for use in schools, in the home, in young people's societies in devotional meetings #122Image
American Church and Church School Hymnal #d84
American Church and Church School Hymnal #d84
American Junior Church School Hymnal #d50
Angelic Songs #d55
Best Endeavor Hymns: especially for use in Christian endeavor societies, young people's meetings, Sunday schools, and general church work #118Image
Book of Common Praise #d132
Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes #542Image
Brooklyn Sunday School Union, 52nd Anniversary #d1
Carmina for Social Worship #d61
Carmina for the Sunday School and Social Worship #160Image
Carmina Sanctorum: a selection of hymns and songs of praise with tunes #417Image
Carmina Sanctorum, a selection of hymns and songs of praise with tunes #417Image
Children's Hymns with Tunes #d35
Choral Song #d49
Choral Song #d50
Christ in Song: for all religious services nearly one thousand best gospel hymns, new and old with responsive scripture readings (Rev. and Enl.) #658Image
Christian Hymns #d42
Christian Life Songs: for Sunday school, praise and prayer meeting, congregational singing, Christian Endeavor meetings, special meetings, choir & home #127Image
Christian Praise: a manual of worship for public, social and private devotion #468Image
Christian Work-songs #d48
Christian Worship and Praise #d106
Church Hymnal, Third Edition #426
Church Hymns and Tunes #394Image
Church Hymns and Tunes for use in Baptist Churches #d131
Common Praise: hymns with tunes for Christian worship #570Image
Concordia: a Collection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs #d57
Elmhurst Hymnal: and orders of worship for the Sunday school, young people's meegings and church services #217Image
Forest Songs for Chautauqua Assemblies #d12
Gems of Song: for the Sunday School #86Image
Gloria: a hymnal for use in Sunday schools, young people's societies, and devotional meetings #201Image
Gloria Deo: a Collection of Hymns and Tunes for Public Worship in all Departments of the Church #450Image
Gloria in Excelsis #d100
Gloria in Excelsis #d166
Glorious Things in Sacred Song for use in Sabbath Schools and Gospel Meetings #42Image
Glory Bells: a collection of new hymns and new music for Sunday-schools, gospel meetings, revivals, Christian Endeavor societies, Epworth Leagues, etc. #117Image
Hallowed Hymns #d52
Hallowed Hymns, New and Old #210Image
Hallowed Hymns, New and Old: for use in prayer and praise meetings, evangelistic services, sunday schools, young people's societies and all other departments of church work #210Image
Harmony in Praise #d48
Heart and Voice #d65
Heart and Voice #d66
Helpful Hymns #d45
Hymn and Tune Book for the Church and the Home and Services for Congregational Worship. Rev. ed. #d174
Hymn and Tune Book for the Church and the Home. (Rev. ed.) #855Image
Hymn and Tune Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (Round Note Ed.) #574Image
Hymn-Book of the Evangelical Association #578Image
Hymn Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South #574Image
Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church #575Image
Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book: with accompanying tunes #623Image
Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book with Accompanying Tunes (Second Edition) #623Image
Hymnal for American Youth #183Image
Hymnal for children #d51
Hymnal for Schools #d40
Hymnal for the Sunday School #125Image
Hymnal for the Sunday School. Rev. #d45
Hymnal of the Evangelical Church. Word ed. #d173
Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #564Image
Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #564Image
Hymnal ... YMCA edition #d16
Hymns Ancient & Modern, New Edition #627
Hymns Ancient & Modern, Standard Edition #392
Hymns and Prayers for Church Societies and Assemblies #d32
Hymns and Songs for the Sunday School #244Image
Hymns and Songs of Praise for Public and Social Worship #639Image
Hymns and Tunes for Children of the Church #d56
Hymns and Tunes for Schools #200bImage
Hymns and Tunes for Schools #200aImage
Hymns for Schools and Colleges #185Image
Hymns for the Living Age #d99
Hymns for Today #d50
Hymns of Praise, with Tunes: selected for use in Sunday school, prayer meeting, and home circle #52Image
Hymns of the Centuries: Sunday School Edition #d66
Hymns of the Christian Life #d97
Hymns of the Christian Life #d98
Hymns of the Christian Life. Rev. ed. #d108
Hymns of the Church: new and old #500Image
Hymns of the Church Universal #291Image
Hymns of the Kingdom of God #d98
Hymns of the Living Church #384Image
Hymns of the Spirit for Use in the Free Churches of America #d91
Hymns of the United Church #d92
Hymns of the United Church, the Disciples hymnal #d90
Hymns of Worship and Service #d121
Hymns of Worship and Service #369Image
Hymns of Worship and Service (15th ed.) #369Image
Hymns of Worship and Service. College ed. #d82
Hymns of Worship and Service for Sunday Schools #d63
Hymns of Worship and Service: for the Sunday School #180Image
Hymns with Music for Children #d54
In Excelsis for School and Chapel #191Image
In Excelsis for School and Chapel. l7th ed. #d59
In Excelsis: hymns with tunes for Christian worship #555Image
Inter-Church Hymnal #d95
International Praise: for the Sunday school and church #125Image
Jubilate Deo, a Book of Hymns and Tunes for Young and Old #d73
Laudes Domini: a selection of spiritual songs ancient and modern #731Image
Luther League Hymnal #146Image
Lutherfoerbundets Saangbok, anbefalld till bruk inom Augustana-Synodens Ungdomsfoereningar och Lutherfoerbund #d65
Many Voices; or, Carmina Sanctorum, Evangelistic Edition with Tunes #286Image
Melody for the Sunday School #d24
Mennonite Hymn Book #d93
Methodist Hymn and Tune Book: official hymn book of the Methodist Church #383Image
Missionary Services and Hymnal: a manual for the use of the Woman's and Young People's Missionary Societies (5th ed.) #119Image
New Manual of Praise: for Sabbath and Social Worship #445Image
Offices of Worship and Hymns: with tunes, 3rd ed., revised and enlarged #775Image
Our Song Book : a collection of songs selected and edited expressly for the Sunday School of the First Baptist Peddie Memorial Church, Newark,N. J. #42Image
Our Sunday School: for the Sunday school and social meetings #11Image
Pilgrim Songs for the Sunday School #197Image
Praise and Thanks #d22
Praise Him #d62
Prayer and Praise Book #d32
Progressive Sunday School Songs #d41
Prohibition Bugle Call #d9
Religious Education Music Manual #d37
Royal Praise for the Sunday School: a collection of new and selected gospel songs. With a clear and concise course of instruction in the elements of music #81Image
Select Sunday School Songs #d29
Service Book and Hymnal #565
Service Book and Hymnal, authorized by the Churches Cooperating in the Commission on the Liturgy and Hymnal #565
Services for Congregational Worship #377Image
Sing Unto the Lord #d37
Sing Unto the Lord #d38
Song-Hymnal of Praise and Joy, a selection of spiritual songs, old and new #286Image
Songs for Sunday Schools and How to Use Them #90Image
Songs of Christian Praise with Music #d145
Songs of Faith #d55
Songs of Faith: Prepared to Meet the Popular Demand for Practical Selection of the Very Best Standard Hymns and Gospel Songs #d55
Songs of Praise #d68
Songs of Praise and Devotion #d23
Songs of Praise and Prayer #d77
Songs of Praise and Prayer : for the Sunday School and Social Meeting #293Image
Songs of Praise for America #d27
Songs of Praise for Sunday Schools, Church Societies and the Home #d69
Songs of Redeeming Love (No. 2) #65Image
Songs of the Christian Life #345Image
Songs of the Covenant : for the Sabbath School, Prayer Meetings, etc. #36Image
Songs of the Pentecost for the Forward Gospel Movement #d41
Songs of Worship for the Sunday School #d63
Songs to Jehovah's Praise #d13
Student Volunteer Hymnal #d26
Student Volunteer Hymnal: Eighth International Convention #d24
Student Volunteer Hymnal: Fourth International Convention, Toronto, 1902 #50Image
Student Volunteer Hymnal: Seventh International Convention, Kansas City, Missouri #d25
Student Volunteer Hymnal: Sixth International Convention, Rochester, New York #d24
Sunday School Book for ... Evangelical Lutheran Congregations, by Authority of the General Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America #d54
Sunday-School Book: with music: for the use of the Evangelical Lutheran congregations (Rev. and Enl.) #298Image
Sunday School Hymnal #d42
Sunday School Hymnal #d97
Sunday School Hymns and Tunes #d22
Sunday School Service Book and Hymnal #84Image
Sursum Corda: a book of praise #569Image
Tested Songs #d46
The A. M. E. Zion Hymnal #d146
The Abingdon Hymnal: a Book of Worship for Youth #d64
The Abingdon Song Book #d56
The Alleluia #d60
The American Hymnal #d144
The American Hymnal for Chapel Service #d95
The American Hymnal for Chapel Service #d97
The Army and Navy Hymnal #123Image
The Baptist Hymnal, for Use in the Church and Home #420Image
The Baptist Hymnal. Shaped notes ed. #d148
The Baptist Standard Hymnal with Responsive Readings #d124
The Beacon Hymnal #d57
The Book of Common Praise #d137
The Book of Common Praise, being the Hymn Book of the Church of England in Canada. Annotated ed. #d164
The Book of Common Praise, being the Hymn Book of The Church of England in Canada (revised 1938) #414
The Book of Praise #605
The Book of Praise for Church, School, and Home: Selections from the Prayer Book and Hymnal #d48
The Book of Praise for Sunday Schools: Selections from the Revised Prayer Book and Hymnal #d48
The Canadian Baptist Hymnal for the use of Churches and Families #d166
The Carol #d52
The Century Gospel Songs #d25
The Century Hymnal #245Image
The Chapel Hymnal #d66
The Chapel Hymnal with Tunes #d49
The Children's Hymnal (with tunes) #d57
The Children's Hymnal with Tunes #213Image
The Choral Hymnal #d52
The Christian Hymnist #d141
The Church Hymnal #d103
The Church Hymnal: revised and enlarged in accordance with the action of the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1892... #523aImage
The Church Hymnal: revised and enlarged in accordance with the action of the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1892... #523cImage
The Church Hymnal: revised and enlarged in accordance with the action of the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1892... #523bImage
The Church Hymnal: revised and enlarged in accordance with the action of the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1892... #523dImage
The Church Hymnal: revised and enlarged in accordance with the action of the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1892. (Ed. B) #523aImage
The Church Hymnal: revised and enlarged in accordance with the action of the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1892. (Ed. B) #523bImage
The Church Hymnal: revised and enlarged in accordance with the action of the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1892. (Ed. B) #523cImage
The Church Hymnal: revised and enlarged in accordance with the action of the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1892. (Ed. B) #523dImage
The Church Hymnal Revised: containing hymns approved and set forth by the general convetions of 1892 and 1916; together with hymns for the use of guilds and brotherhoods, and for special occastions #596Image
The Church Hymnal with Canticles #548Image
The Church Hymnary: a collection of hymns and tunes for public worship #577Image
The Church Praise Book: a selection of hymns and tunes for Christian worship #460Image
The Church School Hymnal for Youth #d73
The Clifton Chapel Collection of "Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs": for public, social and family worship and private devotions at the Sanitarium, Clifton Springs, N. Y. #1294Image
The Convention Hymnal: a compilation of familiar hymns for use at meetings where the larger collections are not available #50Image
The Day School Hymn Book. New and enl. ed. #d27
The Endeavor Hymnal: for Young People's Societies, Sunday Schools and Church Prayer Meetings #169Image
The English Hymnal #642
The Epworth Hymnal No. 2 #204Image
The Evangelical Church School Hymnal #d66
The Evangelical Hymn and Tune Book #d178
The Evangelical Hymnal #346Image
The Evangelical Hymnal. Text ed. #d93
The Evangelical Hymnal with Tunes #595Image
The Friends' Hymnal, a Collection of Hymns and Tunes for the Public Worship of the Society #d151
The Golden Sheaf #d22
The Hill School Hymnal and Service Book #d53
The Hymnal #d110
The Hymnal: Army and Navy #362
The Hymnal: as authorized and approved by the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1916 #531TextImage
The Hymnal Companion to the Book of Common Prayer with accompanying tunes (3rd ed., rev. and enl.) #359Image
The Hymnal for Schools #d40
The Hymnal of Praise #234Image
The Hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America 1940 #561Image
The Hymnal: Published by Authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. #d112
The Hymnal: published by the Authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. #594TextImage
The Hymnal, Published in 1895 and Revised in 1911 #594Image
The Hymnal : published in 1895 and revised in 1911 by authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America : with the supplement of 1917 #594Image
The Hymnal: revised and enlarged as adopted by the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the of our Lord 1892..with music, as used in Trinity Church #523Image
The Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, as adopted by the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1892 #523bTextImage
The Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, as adopted by the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1892 #523aTextImage
The Hymnary for use in Baptist churches #451
The Hymnary of the United Church of Canada #451
The Hymns from the Children's Hymnal; with a Service, for Sunday Schools #d56
The Institute Hymnal #d44
The Jubilee Songster #d24
The Liturgy and the Office of Worship and Hymns of the American Province of the Unitas Fratrum, or the Moravian Church #775Image
The Luther League Hymn Book #d34
The Methodist Hymnal #384Image
The Methodist Protestant Church Hymnal #d115
The Methodist Sunday School Hymnal #227Image
The National Baptist Hymn Book #d147
The National Baptist Hymnal: arranged for use in churches, Sunday schools, and young people's socieities (5th ed. Rev.) #422Image
The New Alleluia: a collection of hymns and tunes for the Church School, and the mid-week meeting #115Image
The New Baptist Hymnal #d88
The New Baptist Praise Book: or, Hymns of the Centuries #d107
The New Church Hymnal #d109
The New Era of Song #d35
The New Hosanna #d30
The New Hymn and Tune Book #d95
The New Hymnal of Praise #d90
The New Hymnary: a collection of hymns and tunes for Sunday Schools #120Image
The New Laudes Domini: a selection of spiritual songs, ancient and modern for use in Baptist churches #726Image
The Packer Hymnal #206Image
The Parish School Hymnal #d79
The People's Praise Book or Carmina Sanctorum #d164
The Plymouth Hymnal #d127
The Praise Book for Young People's Societies, Church Prayer Meetings and Sunday Schools #153Image
The Praise Hymnary: a collection of sacred song #230Image
The Presbyterian Book of Praise: approved and commended by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, with Tunes #209Image
The Presbyterian Book of Praise: approved and commended by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada; With tunes; Part I. Selections from the Psalter. Part II. The Hymnal, rev, and en. #209Image
The Riverdale Hymn Book #286Image
The Saints' Hymnal #d92
The School Hymnal #225Image
The School Hymnal: a book of worship for young people #137Image
The School Hymnal: Non-Sectarian Hymns #d12
The Singing Choir #d38
The Song Book of the Salvation Army #d190
The Spirit of Praise: a collection of music with hymns for use in Sabbath-school services and church meetings #167Image
The St. Alban Hymnal #d101
The Student Hymnary #d90
The Sunday-School Hymnal and Service Book (Ed. A) #467Image
The Sunday School Hymnal: with offices of devotion #244Image
The Voice of Joy: A Collection of New Songs for the Sunday-School #115Image
The Westminster Hymnal for congregational and social use and for the Sunday School #240Image
Treasure Songs for Schools and Churches #d56
Triumphant Joy #d50
Unitarian Service Book, and Hymns for Church and Home. Abridged ed. #d104
Voices of Praise: for school and church and home #326Image
Worship and Song #d73
Worship and Song. (Rev. ed.) #187Image
Worship in Song #d76
Worship in Song: a selection of hymns and tunes for the Service of the Sanctuary #499Image
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