New Doxology (website only)
Let's praise God for each good thing.
All creation, shout and sing!
Praise three persons, yet one Love:
Maker, Saviour, Holy Dove!
Amen.
Words: Marco Adria
Tune: "The Call" by R. Vaughan Williams 1911, adapt. E. Harold Geer 1956. Download as a PDF
Metre: 77.77.
Ideas for use
Marco Adria says he envisages his setting of the doxology being used after or as the offering is brought forward in a church service. It can be used at other points in worship to respond to a reading or action. See below for more information about how “the Doxology” has evolved and been used.
More information
Marco has chosen to use non-gendered language in his version of the Doxology and to use the beautiful, and relatively modern, tune by Ralph Vaughan Williams, “The Call”.
The tune was set by Vaughan Williams to the George Herbert poem “Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life” (the fourth of Five Mystical Songs), but the melody has been lost to recent hymn books. We are pleased to publish this setting in 2022, which marks the 150th anniversary of Vaughan Williams’ birth.
You may also wish to experiment with alternative tunes that use the same metre e.g. Consecration (StF 566ii) or St Bees (StF 426).
What is the Doxology?
A simple definition is: “a short, hymn-like expression of praise to God”. It is usually used as a response to the reading of a psalm or other passage of scripture, or as a spoken/sung response to the close of a section of liturgy in worship.
Sometimes the words have been directed to God without distinguishing between the three “persons” of the Trinity (Father/Creator, Son, Holy Spirit). A good example is the song of the angels witnessed by the shepherds in the Christmas story:
"Glory to God in highest heaven, and on earth peace to all in whom he delights." (Luke 2: 14)
The basic form of the ancient Christian doxology used by the early Church Fathers read: "Glory be to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit". This was later amended to avoid any insinuation that the Son was subordinate in some way to the Father: "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit." This formula is sometimes known as the Little Doxology.
As well as Marco’s inclusive language setting, there are other doxologies in Singing the Faith, for example the traditional Peruvian chant Glory to God, glory to God (StF 753) and Chris Rolinson’s more expansive setting: Glory, glory, glory in the highest (StF 754)
A number of hymns begin with a first verse that can be used alone as a doxology e.g. Charles Wesley’s Praise the Lord who reigns above (StF 85) and the medieval Jewish doxology Praise to the living God! (StF 87).
Marco Adria is a Canadian author and musician living in Edmonton, Alberta. He plays as a guest organist at several churches and joins others in his local congregation who are “seeking the peace and wellbeing of the city.” Marco is Professor Emeritus of Communication at the University of Alberta and a past president of the Canadian Library Trustees Association.