Words: Anonymous Greek; Translated by John Brownlie (1857- 1925), Hymns of the Russian Church, 1907

Music: St. Stephen, William Jones (1726-1800), 1789
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer
Meter: CM

Alternate Tunes: "Consolation" or "Morning Star" or "Morning Song"
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer (Melody Only)
Meter: 8,6,8,6,8,6

Traditional Greek Melody
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer
Meter: CM

1. The King shall come when morning dawns,
And light triumphant breaks;
When beauty gilds the eastern hills,
And life to joy awakes.

2. Not as of old a little child
To bear, and fight, and die,
But crowned with glory like the sun
That lights the morning sky.

3. O brighter than the rising morn
When he, victorious, rose,
And left the lonesome place of death,
Despite the rage of foes; --

4. O brighter than that glorious morn
Shall this fair morning be,
When Christ, our King, in beauty comes,
And we his face shall see.

5. The King shall come when morning dawns,
And earth's dark night is past;
O haste the rising of that morn,
The day that aye shall last;

6. And let the endless bliss begin,
By weary saints foretold,
When right shall triumph over wrong,
And truth shall be extolled.

7. The King shall come when morning dawns,
And light and beauty brings:
Hail, Christ the Lord! Thy people pray,
Come quickly, King of kings. Amen.

Alternate Tune: "Consolation," which has been traced to John Logan’s Sixteen Tune Settings, 1812. In 1813, it was included in John Wyeth’s Repository of Sacred Music: Part Second (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) and renamed "Morning Song" (and who is sometimes given credit for its composition). The tune has been included in numerous nineteenth century collections and is one of a very few early USA melodies to be included in recent British hymnals. Source: Providence United Methodist Church.

An article written by David Warren Steel, John Wyeth and the Development
of Southern Folk Hymnody, gives considerable background on Wyeth, although none on this tune.

According to Cyberhymnal, “Morning Song” is a melody from Kentucky Harmony, and was written by Ananias Davisson, 1816, although attributed by some to Elkanah Kelsay Dare (1782-1826). The Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) gives attribution to Davisson in Kentucky Harmony (Hymn 33). The Rev. Richard Jordan states "attrributed to John Weyth." The Hymnal 1982 gives attribution to Dare (Hymns 9 & 583). The Hymnal 1940 gives attribution of the same tune to The Union Harmony, Virginia, 1848. The Book of Hymns (1964) states "Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music, Part Second, 1813."

There are several tunes with the name of "Consolation" or "Morning Song" by other composers, including Felix Mendelssohn, Oliver Holden, James P. Harding, Francois H. Barthelemon, Samuel Webbe, Ludvig M. Lindeman and others.

¶ Monday, March 06, 2006