by Pat Franklin
Here is a glorious, but forgotten song which I found in an old book of carols. It is about the best song I have ever found, but one which no one knows today. Please, can someone revive this wonderful song?!
Since it was in a book of carols, it was obviously sung as a nativity song, perhaps in Victorian times, although the words are not specifically to do with the Lord’s birth. It is in the key of C, and I have never succeeded in getting anyone else to even try to sing this great song. How I would love to hear a choir sing it! Sorry I can’t figure out how to put the piano music on our website; maybe someone can find it somewhere else.
This song is absolutely glorious. I’m not sure if it is about the Millennial Jerusalem when the Lord Jesus will rule fromJerusalem for 1,000 years, or if it refers to the New Jerusalem, the Golden City which will come down from Heaven at the end of the 1,000 years, the wonderful place believers will some day inhabit with the Savior of the world. Whichever city it is, I want to be there! And I want to sing this song there! Here are the words:
From Is12:6 and Psalm 48:12-14
Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Zion
Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Zion
For great is the Holy One for great is the Holy One
For great is the Holy One in the midst of thee.
Beautiful for situation (men: is Zion, is Zion is Zion)
beautiful for situation, beautiful
(both): is Zion, joy of the earth.
Beautiful (men: is Zion) Oh beautiful (men: is Zion)
(Both:) Beautiful is Zion the joy of the earth.
Walk about Zion and go round about her
Tell her towers tell her towers
Mark well her bulwarks consider her palaces
Tell it to the generations following thee.
Men: Cry out and shout
Both:cry out and shout Cry out and shout
Cry out and shout thou inhabitants of Zion
For great is the Holy One in the midst of thee (Repeat this verse in bold)
Cry out and shout,
Great is the Holy One in the midst of thee
Great is the Holy One in the midst of thee
