Metrical Graces

Before Meals

Edited by Adam J. Thomas, 2023.

Texts extracted from: Nyce, A William, and Bunyea, Hubert. (1911)

Grace before meals: Brief prayers arranged for each day in the year.
Philadelphia: The John C. Winston Co.
 Hymn tunes in 11.11.11.11
Metre: 11.11.11.11
1 Normandy (Jacques)

   
Tune: Trad. Normandy. Arr. R. Jacques
12th November

              
 
The strength of the hills, and the depth of the sea,

                
     
  
     
            
The earth and its full -ness be - long - eth to Thee;

          
           

    
        
      
And yet to the low - ly Thou bend -est Thine ear,
    
        
      
    
     
           
So read -y their hum -ble pe - ti -tions to hear. A - men.

   
  
             
 
        


Music: Normandy traditional melody

Arranged by Thomas Reginald Jacques (1894-1969)
2

Metre: 11.11.11.11
2 StSt
Denio

 
Tune: Denio
13th November

           
    
All ho - nor and praise to Thine ex - cel - lent name;

           
      
 
      
          
Thy love is un - chang - ing, for - ev - er the same;

           
     
 
           
    
We bless and a - dore Thee, O Sa -viour and King;
       
     
    

            
  
 
 

           
With joy and thanks - giv -ing Thy prai -ses we sing. A - men.

  
   
          

Music: Adapted from a Welsh song set to a hymn in

John Roberts (1807-1876) Caniadau y Cyssegre, 1839
 3
Metre: 11.11.11.11
3 Dun Aluinn

  
Tune: Dun Aluinn
23rd November

           
    

Thine in - fi - nite good - ness our tongues shall em - ploy;
 
             

 
  
  
5

           
       
 
Thou giv - est us rich - ly all things to en - joy;

             
    
 
   
9

           


We'll fol - low Thy foot - steps, we'll rest in Thy love,

           
       

  
13

            
     

And soon we shall praise Thee in man-sions a - bove. A - men.
         
       
      
 

Music: Adapted from an Irish Traditional Melody
Harmony by Martin Edward Fallas Shaw (1875-1958)
 Graces before meals LM
Metre: LMAndante
(8.8.8.8)q = 80
4 Conditor Alme

  
Tune: Conditor Alme
4th April (Plainsong)
     
          

 
Fa - ther we thank Thee for this food,

 
    
 

      
2
  
    
 

   

For all the bless - ings thou dost give.

   
 
 
   

    
3
    
   

     
 
Streng - then our bo - dies and our souls,

  
 
 
  


        
4

             
     
And let us for Thy ser - vice live. A - men.
 
 
  
   
  

Music: Mode iv
Accompaniment by John Henry Arnold (1887-1956)
 Graces before meals DCM Tunes
Metre: DCM (8.6.8.6 D)
5 Kingsfold

 
English Trad
1st January

                  
    
O God, our good de - sires ful - fil; The bad do Thou re strain;
  
                
  
      

 
                 
  
Re - veal to us Thy Ho -ly Will, And make our du - ty plain.

                  
       

   
                 
  
Sus - tain us by Thy heaven -ly grace And all our needs sup - ply,

                    
         

 
                     
  
Help us to run the heaven ly race With Je-sus ev - er nigh. A men.

              
  
        
  

Music: Melody from English County Songs, 1893

Harmony by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Metre: DCM (8.6.8.6 D)
6 Third Mode Melody

 
212th January

           
   
      

                

When all Thy mer - cies, O my God! My ris - ing soul sur - veys,

     
 
  
 
       
    
 
    

                   

Trans -port -ed with the view I've lost In won - der, love and praise.

   
  
            
           

Ten thou - sand thou -sand pre -cious gifts Our dai - ly thanks em - ploy.

                
    
 
     
 
       
 
  

             
Nor is the least a cheer - ful heart That tastes those gifts with joy.

               

  
          
 


 


 
A - men.
  
 
Music: Thomas Tallis (c.1505-1585)
in Matthew Parker’s Psalter, 1567
adapted by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
 Graces before Meals 7.7.7.7
Metre: 7.7.7.7
7 The
Tune: Call
The Call

   
30th April

         
     
Heav'n - ly Fa - ther great and good,

   
We thank Thee for this our food.
 



 
   

  
5

        
      


Bless us ev - en as we pray;

 

 
 
 
   

 
9

                
      
Guide and keep us through this day.

        
   

 
 


 
16

 
 


 
A - men.
  
 

Music: Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), from Five Mystical Songs, 1911
adapted by Ezra Harold Geer (1886-1957)
2
Metre: 7.7.7.7
8 Galliard

 
Tune: Galliard
8th October
  
        
 
    
 
Fa - ther, hear us while we pray,
 
        
     
 
    
3
     
       
Look in mer - cy from a - bove.

  
   
 
    
  
5
 
      
 
  


Give us health and strength to - day,

      
      
 
   
7 2 2

2

      
  

  
Hear and Grant Thy pard'n - ing love. A - men.

        
 
     
2 2 2
Music: From ‘The Frog Galliard’ by John Dowland (1563-1626)
adapted and harmonised by Martin Edward Fallas Shaw (1875-1958) & AJT
 Graces before Meals 7.7.7.7.7.7
Metre: 7.7.7.7.7.7
9 Voller Wunder

  
Voller Wunder
21st January

        
 
Let us with a glad - some mind,
All things liv - ing he doth feed;

         
      
  
5

       
  
Praise the Lord for he is kind:
His full hand sup - plies their need:

        
   
  
 
9

       
 

 
For his mer - cies shall en - dure,

       
   
 
   
13

      
 

Ev - er faith - ful, ev - er sure. A - men.

        


  

Music: Johann Georg Ebeling (1637-1676)

Metre: 7.7.7.7.7.7
10 Petra (Redhead no. 76)

  
PETRA (REDHEAD No 76)
9th October Music: Richard Redhead (1820-1901)

        

         


Praise to God, im - mor -tal praise, For the love that crowns our days;

                
           

 
    

5

         
      
Boun -teous source of ev' -ry joy! Let Thy praise our tongues em - ploy;

               
  
    

 
       
9

       
    

All to Thee our God we owe, Source whence all our bless -ings flow.

  
               
      
 
13

  

A - men.

   
 

Music: Richard Redhead (1820-1901)

Metre: LM (8.8.8.8)
11 Veni, Redemptor genitum


14th June (Plainsong)
  
              
  
To Thee, O Lord, our hearts we raise,
     
   
 


   
2

      
      
  
For mer - cies mark - ing all our days.

 

  
   
    


3

    
    
     
  
Each morn our wants are sa - tis - fied
  

   
 



4
 
                    
   


With food Thy love and care pro - vide. A - men.

 

        
   
 

Music: Mode ii
Accompaniment by John Henry Arnold (1887-1956)
 3

Metre: LM (8.8.8.8)
12 Old Hundredth

 
16th June (Fauxbourdon)

          
    
Be pre - sent at our ta - ble,

     
 
   
  

25 5

   
           
Lord; Be here and ev' - ry - where a - dored.

         
  
 

  
7

             
      
These crea -tures bless, and grant that we May

    
  
        


11

   

           
 
feast in Pa - ra - dise with Thee. A - men.

           
 

    
 

Music: Genevan Psalter, 1551

Harmony by John Dowland (1563-1626)
Metre: LM (8.8.8.8)
13 O Lux Beata


17th June (Plainsong)

              
    
O God our Fa - ther and our Friend,

 

      
   


2

              
Thanks for the food Thy love doth send,

   


  

 
 

 
          
3

   


    

 
As we, Thy boun - ties now par - take,

 
    

  
   



4

                   
   

Make us a -new for Thy son's sake. A - men.

   

      



Music: Mode viii

Accompaniment by John Henry Arnold (1887-1956)
6

Metre: LM (8.8.8.8)
14 The Truth from Above

 
1st October

           
 
We thank Thee, Lord, for this our food, But
   
         
  

 
    
3

        
more be - cause of Je - sus' blood.


     
  
     

     
5

             

Let man - na to our souls be giv'n, The

           
  

     
  
 
7

                 
Bread of Life, sent down from heav'n. A - men.
   
    
        
   



Music: Herefordshire traditional melody

arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Metre: LM (8.8.8.8)
15 Resurrexit5

  
18th July

              
          


By day, by night, at home, a - broad, Still are we guid ed
  

      
  

      



 
7

               
     

 
by our God; By His in - ces - sant boun - ty fed, By
 
  
   
     
   
   

 
13

       
        

  
His un - err - ing coun - sel led. A - - men.
    



        
    
 

Music: French church melody

Harmony by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)