This edition was prepared by Douglas Walczak — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Abide with me
Staff Notation • Sacred, Hymns
Preview
0
0
Subscribed as
Want Sunday picks sent to another address too?
Free weekly email
Your choir should not be left out in what's trending
Sunday mass selections, psalms, and trending songs in your area — straight to your inbox.
Abide with me by Francis Duckworth — Lyrics
1. Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
2. Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
3. Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;
But as Thou dwell'st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.
4. Come not in terrors, as the King of kings,
But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings,
Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea,
Come, Friend of sinners, and thus bide with me.
Read full lyrics
About Abide with me
This hymn, Abide with me, is well-suited for services of Evensong or at the close of a day. The SATB setting in English by Francis Duckworth offers a profound musical reflection on the well-known text. Its sacred nature and hymnody roots make it a staple for choral settings. The lyrics themselves express a deep yearning for divine presence during times of personal struggle, the fading of life's day, and the universal experience of change and decay. The choir's voices will convey the plea for comfort and steadfast companionship, particularly from the 'Help of the helpless' and 'Friend of sinners', asking not for a fleeting visit but for an enduring presence.
