Once Was Heard the Songs of Children

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Once was heard the songs of children

Author: Howard Kingsbury
Published in 95 hymnals

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Audio files: MIDI

Piano/Organ
	O Sanctissima/ O How Joyfully

Representative Text

1 Once was heard the song of children
By the Saviour when on earth;
Joyful in the sacred temple
Shouts of youthful praise had birth;
And Hosannas, And Hosannas
Loud to David's Son broke forth.

2 Palms of victory strewn around Him,
Garments spread beneath His feet,
Prophet of the Lord they crowned Him,
In fair Salem's crowded street,
While Hosannas
From the lips of children greet.

3 God o'er all in heaven reigning,
We this day Thy glory sing;
Not with palms Thy pathway strewing,
We would loftier tribute bring,--
Glad Hosannas
To our Prophet, Priest, and King.

4 O, though humble is our offering,
Deign accept our grateful lays;
Those from children once proceeding
Thou didst deem "perfected praise."
Now Hosannas,
Saviour, Lord, to thee we raise.

Amen.

Source: Voices of Praise: for school and church and home #72

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Author: Howard Kingsbury

Kingsbury, Howard. This name is associated with the popular hymn in days gone by, "Come, let us all unite and sing, God is love!" (God is Love), but concerning the same we have failed to gain any information. We know personally that the hymn was in common use nearly forty years ago (circa 1850). --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Once was heard the songs of children
Title:	Once Was Heard the Songs of Children
Author:	Howard Kingsbury
Meter:	8.7.8.7.8.7
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Notes

Once was heard the song of children. [Palm Sunday.] This in Hatfield's Church Hymn Book, 1872, and others, is attributed in the S. MSS. to "Howard Kingsbury, 1850.”

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

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Tune

[Once was heard the song of children] (15656)

LITTLE CLUSTERS

SICILIAN MARINERS

SICILIAN MARINERS is traditionally used for the Roman Catholic Marian hymn "O Sanctissima." According to tradition, Sicilian seamen ended each day on their ships by singing this hymn in unison. The tune probably traveled from Italy to Germany to England, where The European Magazine and London Review…

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