Hymn #431
Text: Anna Laetitia Waring (1823–1910)
Music: David Evans (1874–1948)
Tune name: NYLAND
THE TEXT
Anna Laetitia Waring was born near the town of Neath in Wales. Her parents were Quakers, but at the age of 19 she joined the Church of England, attracted to its sacramental theology. She learned Hebrew so she could read the Old Testament in the original language, a helpful ability for a poet and hymnist.
In 1850, she published Hymns and Meditations by A.L.W., a popular volume that went through many editions. Her other books include Days of Remembrance (1886), and two little books with proverbial titles, ‘What can’t be cured must be endured’; or, Christian patience and forbearance in Practice (1854) and ‘Early to bed, and early to rise, Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’; or, Early rising a natural, social and religious Duty (Northampton, 1856).
Dozens of her poems have been set to music, but “In heavenly love abiding” is by far the most popular. It echoes tenderly the spirit of Psalm 23. It was first published in her 1850 volume under the heading “‘I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me’ — Psalm 23:4.”
In heavenly love abiding,
No change my heart shall fear;
And safe is such confiding,
For nothing changes here:
The storm may roar without me,
My heart may low be laid,
But God is round about me,
And can I be dismayed?
Wherever he may guide me,
No want shall turn me back;
My Shepherd is beside me,
And nothing can I lack:
His wisdom ever waketh,
His sight is never dim;
He knows the way He taketh,
And I will walk with him.
Green pastures are before me,
Which yet I have not seen;
Bright skies will soon be o’er me,
Where the dark clouds have been;
My hope I cannot measure,
My path to life is free;
My Saviour has my treasure,
And he will walk with me.
THE TUNE
NYLAND is a Finnish folk melody named for a province in Finland. It was first published with a hymn text in an appendix to the 1909 edition of the Finnish Suomen Evankelis Luterilaisen Kirken Koraalikirja. In the British Church Hymnary (1927), the Welsh composer David Evans used it as a setting for “In heavenly love abiding.”
David Evans was born in 1874 in the village of Resolven, just eight miles north of Neath where Anna Laetitia Waring was born. He was an important leader in Welsh church music and served as professor of music at University College in Cardiff (1903–1939). He was also a well-known and respected judge at Welsh hymn-singing festivals and a composer of many orchestral and choral works, anthems, service music, and hymn tunes.
In 2020, as part of our Choir in Quarantine project, our choir recorded this hymn for our congregation. You may download a copy of the page from our Hymnal with this hymn here.
Below is Andrew Remillard’s rendition of this hymn on piano.