Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise

Representative Text

1 Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluia!
to his throne beyond the skies. Alleluia!
Christ, the Lamb for sinners given, Alleluia!
enters now the highest heaven. Alleluia!

2 There for him high triumph waits; Alleluia!
lift your heads, eternal gates. Alleluia!
He has conquered death and sin; Alleluia!
take the King of glory in. Alleluia!

3 Highest heaven its Lord receives; Alleluia!
yet he loves the earth he leaves. Alleluia!
Though returning to his throne, Alleluia!
still he calls us all his own. Alleluia!

4 Still for us he intercedes; Alleluia!
his atoning death he pleads, Alleluia!
near himself prepares our place, Alleluia!
he the firstfruits of our race. Alleluia!

5 There we shall with you remain, Alleluia!
partners of your endless reign, Alleluia!
see you with unclouded view, Alleluia!
find our heaven of heavens in you. Alleluia!

Psalter Hymnal, 1987

Author: Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley, M.A. was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepene… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Hail the day that sees Him rise
Title: Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise
Author: Charles Wesley (1739)
Meter: 7.7.7.7 D
Source: Salisbury Col.
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain
Liturgical Use: Scripture Songs

Notes

Scripture References:
st. 1 = Acts 1:9-11
st. 2 = Ps. 24:7-10
st. 4 = Rom. 8:34, Heb. 7:25, John 14:2, 1 Cor. 15:20-23
st. 5 = 2 Tim. 2:12

Considered to be the most popular of all Ascension texts in English-language worship, "Hail the Day" was written by Charles Wesley (PHH 267) in ten stanzas and published in his Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739). Thomas Cotterill (b. Cannock, Staffordshire, England, 1779; d. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, 1823) altered the text and published his version in Selection of Psalms and Hymns (1820); the "alleluias" were added in George White's Hymns and Introits (1852). Included here with further alterations are original stanzas 1, 2, 4, 6, and 10.

"Hail the Day" sings out its "alleluias" for Christ's triumphal entry into glory after he accomplished his saving work on earth (st. 1-2) and for Christ's work of interceding and preparing a place for his people (st. 3-4). The text concludes by hailing the great day when we shall rule with Christ (st. 5).

Thomas Cotterill studied at St. John's College, Cambridge, England, and became an Anglican clergyman. A central figure in the dispute about the propriety of singing hymns, Cotterill published a popular collection of hymns (including many of his own as well as alterations of other hymns), Selection of Psalms and Hymns in 1810. But when he tried to introduce a later edition of this book in Sheffield in 1819, his congregation protested. Many believed strongly that the Church of England should maintain its tradition of exclusive psalm singing. In a church court the Archbishop of York and Cotterill reached a compromise: the later edition of Selection was withdrawn, and Cotterill was invited to submit a new edition for the archbishop's approval. The new edition was published in 1820 and approved as the first hymnal for the Anglican church of that region. Cotterill's suppressed book, however, set the pattern for Anglican hymnals for the next generation, and many of its hymns are still found in modern hymnals.

Liturgical Use:
Ascension; other services that emphasize Christ's reign.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988
==========================
Hail the day that sees Him rise. C. Wesley. [Ascension.] First published in Hymns & Sacred Poems, 1739, p. 211, in 10 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled, "Hymn for Ascension Pay" (Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. i. p. 187). It has come into common use in various forms, of which the following are the most popular:—
1. The original. This was given in the Supplement to the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1830, No. 630; in the revised edition, 1875, No. 718; and several other collections. The first stanza reads:—

"Hail the day that sees Him rise,
Ravish'd from our wishful eyes!
Christ, awhile to mortals given,
Re-ascends His native heaven."

2. The full text, with slight alterations, appeared in Whitefields Collection, 1753, No. 43. This form of the hymn may be known by stanza vi., lines 1, 2, which read:—

"Still for us He intercedes ;
Prevalent His death He pleads."

3. An abbreviated text, given in Madan's Psalms & Hymn, 1760, No. 23, in 4 stanzas of 8 lines. In this stanzas ii. and v. are omitted, and the alterations as in Whitefield are adopted. This has been repeated in several collections, both old and new, including the Dutch Reformed Hymns of the Church, N. Y., 1869, No. 187. In this last case the original reading (altered in Whitefield) is restored.
4. The most popular form of the hymn dates from 1820. In that year it was given in the 9th edition of Cotterill's Selection, No. 106, as follows (the italics being Cotterill's alterations):—

1. "Hail the day that sees Him rise,
Glorious to His native skies!
Christ awhile to mortals given,
Enters now the highest heaven.
2. "There the glorious triumph waits;
Lift your heads, eternal gates!
Christ hath vanquish'd death and^sin,
Take the King of glory in.
3. "See, the heaven its Lord receives!
Yet He loves the earth He leaves;
Though returning to His throne,
Still He calls mankind His own.
4. "Still for us He intercedes;
His prevailing death He pleads;
Near Himself prepares our place,
Harbinger of human race.
5. "O though parted from our sight
Far above yon azure height,
Grant our hearts may thither rise,
Seeking Thee above the skies."

This text was repeated almost verbatim in Bickersteth's Christian Psalmody, 1833; Elliott's Psalms & Hymns, 1835; and others down to 1852, when, in the Rev. G. C. White's Introits and Hymns, the "Hallelujah " refrain was added to each verse. This form of the text, with the addition in some cases, as in Hymns Ancient & Modern, of stanza v. of the original ("See! He lifts His hands above "), is very popular, and is found in the Hymnary, 1872; Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1861 & 1875; Thring's Collection, 1882; the Universal Hymn Book, 1885; and others. It is By C. Wesley, 1739; G. Whitefield, 1753; T. Cotterill, 1820; and G. C. White, 1852.
5. The text of the Hymnal Companion, 1870 and 1876, is from the original with the "Hallelujah" refrain, and the change in stanza ii., line 1, of "pompous" to "glorious" and stanza vi., line 1, "Grant” to “Lord."
6. In the Salisbury Hymn Book, 1857, No. 106. A cento from the original, the Cotterill-White, text, and others, together with a doxology, was given as "Hail the day that sees Him go." This was replaced by the original, in the Sarum Hymnal 1868,
7. The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Church Hymns, 1871, omits stanza iii. and vi. of the original, and gives variations from Gotterill and others.
8. In the 1863 edition of the S. P. C. K. Psalms & Hymns No. 230, there is a cento of which stanzas i.-iv. are altered from Wesley, and v., vi. are new to the hymn. It begins, "Master, Lord, to Thee we cry."
9. The American collections usually follow those of Great Britain in its various forms, and the source of each text can be determined by the foregoing annotations. In the Church Pastorals, Boston, 1864, No. 76, as "Master, may we ever say," is composed of stanzas vii.-x.
10. Several hymn-books also present slight variations either from the original, or from one of the altered forms, but these are too minute and numerous to give in detail.
When all its various forms are taken into account, this hymn ranks as one of the three hymns by C. Wesley which of all his compositions have attained to the greatest popularity. The other two are,"Hark! the herald angels sing," and "Jesu, lover of my soul."

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

ASCENSION (Monk)


LLANFAIR

LLANFAIR is usually attributed to Welsh singer Robert Williams (b. Mynydd Ithel, Anglesey, Wales, 1781; d. Mynydd Ithel, 1821), whose manuscript, dated July 14, 1817, included the tune. Williams lived on the island of Anglesey. A basket weaver with great innate musical ability, Williams, who was bli…

Go to tune page >


Timeline

Media

You have access to this FlexScore.
Download:
Are parts of this score outside of your desired range? Try transposing this FlexScore.
General Settings
Stanza Selection
Voice Selection
Text size:
Music size:
Transpose (Half Steps):
Capo:
Contacting server...
Contacting server...
Questions? Check out the FAQ

A separate copy of this score must be purchased for each choir member. If this score will be projected or included in a bulletin, usage must be reported to a licensing agent (e.g. CCLI, OneLicense, etc).

This is a preview of your FlexScore.
The Cyber Hymnal #2219
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #409
  • Full Score (PDF, XML)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
Worship and Rejoice #323

Instances

Instances (1 - 69 of 69)

Ambassador Hymnal #122

Text

Ancient and Modern #228

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #277a

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #277b

Text

Baptist Hymnal 1991 #165

Text

Breaking Bread (Vol. 39) #181

TextPage Scan

Catholic Book of Worship III #399

TextPage Scan

Celebrating Grace Hymnal #219

TextPage Scan

Christian Worship (1993) #175

Text

Christian Worship #474

Church Hymnal, Fifth Edition #266

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #135

Text

Common Praise (1998) #247

TextPage Scan

Common Praise #167

TextPage Scan

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #255a

Text

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #255b

Text

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #255c

Page Scan

Complete Mission Praise #202

TextPage Scan

CPWI Hymnal #191

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #388

Gather (3rd ed.) #543

TextPage Scan

Gather Comprehensive #457

Page Scan

Gather Comprehensive, Second Edition #468

Glory and Praise (3rd. ed.) #337

Great Songs of the Church (Revised) #236

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard Edition #87a

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard Edition #87b

Hymns and Psalms #197

Page Scan

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #176a

Page Scan

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #176b

Text

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #176c

Hymns Old and New #191

TextPage Scan

Journeysongs (2nd ed.) #451

Text

Journeysongs (3rd ed.) #429

TextFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

Lift Up Your Hearts #209

Text

Moravian Book of Worship #371

TextPage Scan

One in Faith #484

Oramos Cantando = We Pray In Song #451

Praise y Adoración #244a

Text InfoTune InfoTextScoreFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #409

TextPage Scan

Rejoice in the Lord #331

RitualSong (2nd ed.) #640

TextPage Scan

RitualSong #605

Santo, Santo, Santo #203

TextPage Scan

Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #176

Sing Glory #434

Singing the Faith #300

TextPage Scan

The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #186

The Baptist Hymnal #139

Text

The Book of Praise #265

The Christian Life Hymnal #193

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #2219

TextFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

The Hymnal 1982 #214

TextPage Scan

The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration #232

The New Century Hymnal #260

TextPage Scan

The New English Hymnal #130a

TextPage Scan

The New English Hymnal #130b

TextAudio

The United Methodist Hymnal #312

Text

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement #213

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement #214

TextPage Scan

The Worshiping Church #258

Text

Together in Song #369

TextPage Scan

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #290

TextPage Scan

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #371

TextPage Scan

Voices United #189

TextPage Scan

With Heart and Voice #106

TextPage Scan

Worship (3rd ed.) #471

Worship (4th ed.) #529

TextScoreAudioPage Scan

Worship and Rejoice #323

Include 480 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us