Durham - 11

Prior to the start of the Festival of Hymns we gathered round the grave of John Bacchus Dykes (1823-1876) and sang 'Praise to the holiest in the height' to the tune by Dykes called 'Gerontius'.

You can see Bishop Edward Darling (Executive President) standing at the bottom left hand corner of the grave and his eldest son David is standing at the bottom right hand corner. Between them both is Revd Robert Canham - the Honorary Secretary of the Hymn Society. Standing on Edward's left is Revd Michael Garland, who acted as Conference Chaplain.



Praise to the Holiest in the height,
and in the depth be praise;
in all his words most wonderful,
most sure in all his ways!

O loving wisdom of our God!
When all was sin and shame,
a second Adam to the fight
and to the rescue came.

O wisest love! that flesh and blood,
which did in Adam fail,
should strive afresh against the foe,
should strive, and should prevail;

and that the highest gift of grace
should flesh and blood refine:
God's presence and his very self,
and essence all-divine.

O generous love! that he who smote
in man for ma the foe,
the double agony in Man
for man should undergo.

And in the garden secretly,
and on the cross on high,
should teach his brethren, and inspire
to suffer and to die.

Praise to the Holiest in the height,
and in the depth be praise;
in all his words most wonderful,
most sure in all his ways!

Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)