This edition was prepared by Charles H. Giffen — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Blessed City, Heavenly Salem
Staff Notation • Sacred, Hymns
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Blessed City, Heavenly Salem by Charles H. Giffen — Lyrics
Blessed city, heavenly Salem,
Vision dear of peace and love,
Who of living stones art builded
In the height of heaven above,
And by Angel hands apparelled,
As a bride doth earthward move;
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About Blessed City, Heavenly Salem
This anthem of praise would serve well in a service of dedication or at a festival celebrating the church. The text, a translation of a Latin hymn, describes the New Jerusalem descending from heaven. Charles H. Giffen sets this vision of ultimate peace and divine beauty for SATB choir, with the soaring lines of the opening "Blessed city, heavenly Salem" immediately establishing the majestic and aspirational character of the work. The music reflects the imagery of the text, with the choir portraying the "bride" adorned "fair" and the "gates and all thy bulwarks of pure gold." It is a hymn of profound hope and heavenly aspiration, fitting for moments of deep reflection and communal affirmation.
