Old Melodies

What heavenly music steals over the sea

No. 1154
Metre 11s.
Tune HEAVENLY MUSIC.
Words Anon.
Music Arranged.
Key G major
Time 3/4
3 stanzas

Words

What heavenly music steals over the sea!Entrancing the senses like sweet melody?'Tis the voice of the angels borne soft on the air;For me they are singing; their welcome I hear.

On the banks of old Jordan, here gazing I stand,And earnestly longing I stretch forth my hand;Send a convoy of angels, dear Jesus, I pray!Let me join that sweet music; come, take me away.

Though dark are the waters and rough is the wave,If Jesus permit, the wild surges I'll brave;For that heavenly music hath ravished me so,I must join in the chorus! I'll go! let me go.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: running head «MISCELLANEOUS—OLD MELODIES.»; hymn number «1154» (large), tune name «HEAVENLY MUSIC. 11s.» centred over the music (condensed capitals and small capitals), «ARRANGED.» at the right (capitals and small capitals); no reference line. Stanza 1 is interlinear, one line per system, with «1.» before «What»: system 1 = verse lines 1–2 (to «like»), system 2 = the end of line 2 and line 3 («sweet mel - o - dy? Tis the voice of the an - gels borne soft on the air;»). Verse line 4 is printed in italics as a second line under the segno section, preceded by «D. S.—»: «For me they are singing; their» (system 1, from the segno) and «wel - come I hear.» (system 2, to «Fine.»); it is sung there after the «D.S.» at the end of the tune. Stanza 1 below is assembled in the order sung, the syllables written as whole words. Stanzas 2–3 follow as text in the left and right columns, numbered «2», «3» without a full stop (numbered «2.», «3.» here like stanza 1); the last line of stanza 2 is turned over in the print («take me / away.») and is one line here. «Anon.» in italics after stanza 3. The print sets a thin space before «!», «;» and «?» («sea !», «singing ;», «pray !», «brave ;», «chorus !», «go !»); it is closed up here; apostrophes are written straight. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's, including «Tis» without apostrophe and «melody?» with a question mark (see `uncertainties.md`).