God of glory, Lord of love
Hearts unfold like flow'rs before Thee
Op'ning to the Sun above
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness
drive the dark of doubt away
Giver of immortal gladness
fill us with the light of day
"The Hymn of Joy" (often called "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" after the first line) is a poem written by Henry van Dyke in 1907 with the intention of musically setting it to the famous "Ode to Joy" melody of the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's final symphony, Symphony No. 9.
(wikipedia)
I am sorry, I got it wrong. I said here that Ludwig van Beethoven wrote these lines but it was actually Henry van Dyke writing to the Ode to Joy music composed by Beethoven. "Ode to Joy" is best known for its use by Ludwig van Beethoven in the final (fourth) movement of his Ninth Symphony, completed in 1824.Well that was awkward! I should have looked it up before I went off on my inspiration blogging. I have always loved the Ode to Joy and those poetic words. We sang this hymn at my wedding!
To the left is my original sketch, I am glad that I used the idea of a golden hued background. This is probably my favorite painting of the five I planned and finished. The green and gold color scheme, the movement of the shapes and lines, and the upward thrusting composition is still satisfying to look at. This painting has not sold, it is hanging in my dining area. 30x40 acrylic on canvas, framed in a floating canvas frame, matte black.
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| "We Adore Thee" by Janice Skivington 2009 |
