Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven

Today is Christ the King Sunday. It is the last Sunday of the Church Year, as Advent begins with next Sunday.

Christ the King is celebrated as a festival day, and there are many great hymns which are associated with it, and the Kingship of Christ.

One of the most famous is "Praise, my soul, the King of heaven," with the words by H. F. Lyte, and sung to the wonderful tune, "Lauda Anima," composed by John Goss.

Henry Francis Lyte, M.A. (1793-1847) was educated at Portora (the Royal School of Enniskillen), and at Trinity College, Dublin, of which he was a Scholar, and where he graduated in 1814. During his University course he distinguished himself by gaining the English prize poem on three occasions. At one time he had intended studying Medicine; but this he abandoned for Theology, and took Holy Orders in 1815.

It is particularly fitting to sing these words today, as today is the 169th anniversary of Lyte's death.

The music was composed by Sir John Goss (1800 – 1880) was an English organist, composer and teacher. He was a boy chorister of the Chapel Royal, London, and later a pupil of Thomas Attwood, organist of St Paul's Cathedral, where he was organist from 1838-1872).

As a composer, he is most remember for this hymn tune, and was said to be "the last of the line of English composers who confined themselves almost entirely to ecclesiastical music."

From 1827 to 1874, Goss was a professor at the Royal Academy of Music, teaching harmony. From 1827 to 1874, Goss was a professor at the Royal Academy of Music, teaching harmony. Among his pupils at the academy were Arthur Sullivan, Frederic Cowen and Frederick Bridge. His best-known pupil at St Paul's was John Stainer, who succeeded him as organist there. Goss was knighted on his retirement, and, together with Sullivan, he received an honorary doctorate in music at the University of Cambridge in 1876.

Several photos are attached and the full text given in the First Comment.