This edition was prepared by Andrew Sims — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Jerusalem, my happy home
Staff Notation • Sacred, Hymns
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2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SATB · Andrew Sims
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Jerusalem, my happy home by Herbert Stephen Irons — Lyrics
William Burkitt, 1693
1. Jerusalem! my happy home,
When shall I come to thee?
When shall my labors have an end?
Thy joys when shall I see?
2. Thy gates are richly set with pearl,
Most glorious to behold;
Thy Walls are all of precious stone,
Thy streets are paved with gold.
3. Thy gardens and thy pleasant fruits
Continually are green;
There are such sweet and pleasant flowers
As ne'er before was seen.
4. If heaven be thus glorious,
Lord, why must I keep thence?
What folly is it that makes me loath
To die, and go from hence?
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About Jerusalem, my happy home
Herbert Stephen Irons sets a familiar English text in this SATB hymn. The music opens with a gentle, flowing vocal line, suggesting the longing for the heavenly Jerusalem described by William Burkitt. The composer builds the texture, creating a sense of hopeful aspiration as the choir sings of glorious gates and streets of gold. The harmonic language is straightforward and supportive of the text, conveying a deep spiritual yearning for eternal peace and the joys of heaven. This is a deeply felt expression of faith, suitable for services and occasions where themes of homecoming and divine promise are central.
