Composer's Note

This arrangement was commissioned by Rosalind Hall and the Brigham Young University Men's Chorus. Many years previous, former BYU faculty member and director of the BYU Men's Chorus, Mack Wilberg, wrote an iconic arrangement of this hymn that is performed around the world, and regularly now by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, of which Wilberg is now the music director. His setting is for mixed voices and is usually performed with a full orchestra. Ros wanted something that worked for men's voices, that kept the voices simpler, still with a colorful accompaniment, and with a big ending.

A few years prior I had written a very simple arrangement for vocal solo, and then adapted it for vocal duet, so I had much of the piece in place when I sat to write the new arrangement for Ros. However, I also knew that the choir had a wonderful pianist, my friend Jared Oaks (now music director at Ballet West), who has a particular gift for color in his playing, so I tried to bring a lot of color (both soft and loud) to the piano accompaniment. Don't be deceived by how simply it begins--you'll need a strong pianist for this piece!

The choir premiered the arrangement in 2012, with several reprises since. In time I created SATB and SAB settings. It has been recorded on two albums: one by the BYU Men's Chorus and the other by the BYU Singers Alumni Choir.

Text (Robert Robinson)

Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing thy grace,
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of thy redeeming blood

Jesus sought me when, a stranger,
Wand'ring from the fold of God.
He, to resue me from danger,
Interposed his precious blood.

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
Pront to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for thy courts above.

O to grace, how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, as a fetter,
Bind my wand'ring heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
Pront to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for thy courts above.