In addition to singing We Plough The Fields And Scatter and Let All Things Now Living we also included All Things Bright And Beautiful to our Harvest Thanksgiving songlist today.
My All Things Bright And Beautiful story goes back over twenty years or so to a small church in the Brisbane valley hinterland where about six of us turned up. Three locals and three visitors. The organist and I launch out into the well known chorus of All Things after its announcement, but towards the conclusion of the chorus the organist gave me an odd look which I understood meant that she didn’t know how the tune for the verse went. Problem is, back then, neither did I. We both blanked at the same time and the six of us sort of fell to silence. Oh well.
Presently it is also one of two tunes (the tune All Things, not Royal Oak which is also used for this hymn) which are part of television ads which my grandson always likes to watch. He loves watching the animals on the RSPCA ad. (The other one he loves is for the Riverland Vet, of all things.)
I don’t use this hymn very often, but Cecil F. Alexander lyrics are such a simple and heartfelt praise to God for His revelation of Himself in creation that I love singing it.
The lyrics:
[Refrain:]
All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful,
the Lord God made them all.
1
Each little flower that opens,
each little bird that sings,
he made their glowing colours,
he made their tiny wings:
[Refrain]
2
The purple-headed mountain,
the river running by,
the sunset, and the morning
that brightens up the sky:
[Refrain]
3
The cold wind in the winter,
the pleasant summer sun,
the ripe fruits in the garden,
he made them every one.
[Refrain]
4
He gave us eyes to see them,
and lips that we might tell
how great is God Almighty,
who has made all things well.
[Refrain]
Finding a good version with the All Things tune proved a little tough. Singers like some of the more complex alternate tunes.
Here’s a version with the tune Rutter sung by Elin Mananhan from Songs of Praise.
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