SONGS OF PRAISE – HOW GREAT THOU ART – By Charles Schokman
The Christian hymn has roots in Sweden and has since travelled across the world.
‘How Great Thou Art’ is a Christian hymn which started life as a poem set to a Swedish melody.
The poem, ‘O Store Gud’ (O Great God), was written by the Swedish poet and lay minister, Carl Boberg, in 1885. According to hymnologist J. Irving Erickson, the poem is said to be inspired from a sudden violent thunderstorm which Boberg was caught in on his way home from church.
After the storm had cleared, and Boberg had returned home, he opened his window and looked out towards the sea. The evening was quiet, and Boberg could hear the sound of church bells. It was these sights and sounds that inspired the words of ‘O Store Gud’.
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The lyrics were matched with a traditional Swedish folk song and first sung in a church in 1888, three years after the poem was written.
As the hymn’s popularity gained momentum, the lyrics began to spread across the world. British missionary Stuart K. Hine translated the lyrics into English. His translation was actually done from Russian lyrics, which were a translation of German lyrics, which were a translation of the original Swedish lyrics.
Hine also added two original verses of his own to the 1949 translation, which still feature in the lyrics today.
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It has been named as the favourite hymn of at least three of the United States’ presidents and featured in major films and television programmes.
The song has also been covered by notable performers including Pentatonix and Jennifer Hudson in 2017, and country artist, Carrie Underwood.
In 1967, Elvis Presley also recorded the hymn as the title track of his second gospel LP How Great Thou Art which earned him two Grammy awards.
By Sophia Alexandra Hall
Let us open up our hearts by joining in the singing of this hymn and give thanks and praise to God.
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