This edition was prepared by Andrew Sims — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Eternal ruler of the ceaseless round
Staff Notation • Sacred, Hymns
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3 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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Eternal ruler of the ceaseless round by Orlando Gibbons — Lyrics
1. Eternal Ruler of the ceaseless round
of circling planets singing on their way;
guide of the nations from the night profound
into the glory of the perfect day;
rule in our hearts, that we may ever be
guided and strengthened and upheld by thee.
2 We are of thee, the children of thy love,
the brothers of thy wellbelovèd Son;
descend, O Holy Spirit, like a dove,
into our hearts, that we may be as one:
as one with thee, to whom we ever tend;
as one with him, our Brother and our Friend.
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About Eternal ruler of the ceaseless round
This SATB setting of a hymn text by Orlando Gibbons would suit a service of prayer or dedication. The words speak of God's sovereignty over the cosmos and human history, and pray for guidance and unity. The composer's own words, 'Singing, in his Angellike voi'es', suggest his intention for this music. It is a solemn and earnest plea for divine leadership and a unified spirit, asking that singers might be 'one in the power that makes thy’. Gibbons's music matches the gravity of the text, offering a setting of profound dignity and conviction for a choir that wishes to express deep faith and aspiration.
