October 2024 - "Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer"

This month’s tab is an arrangement of the hymn “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer”. The text was written in 1745 by the Welsh hymnist and evangelist William Williams of Pantycelyn. At the age of 20, while studying to become a doctor, he attended a revival meeting led by the Methodist evangelist Howell Harris. Williams was so moved that he abandoned medical school and started to prepare for life as an itinerant preacher. Taking all of Wales as his parish, for forty-three years he traveled almost 100,000 miles on horseback, preaching and singing the gospel in the Welsh language. There were very few hymns written in the language of the people he was preaching to, so he began writing his own hymn texts in Welsh. Williams was a persuasive preacher, and his hymns were also influential. He published nearly 900 Welsh hymns during his lifetime, leading to his nickname as the “Welsh Isaac Watts”. Many of his hymns were subsequently translated into other languages, and began spreading throughout England, the rest of Europe, and North America. “Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer” has remained his most popular and well-known hymn. Its verses refer to the story of the Israelites' journey through the desert after escaping slavery in Egypt, and asking God to do the same for His followers facing their own trials and tribulations today. It was said to be Princess Diana of Wales’ favorite hymn and was sung both at her funeral, as well as during the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

Here is a link to a video of the hymn being sung by the Huddersfield Choral Society accompanied by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra:

In music and friendship,

—Tull

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