Scripture Verse

The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:10

Introduction

Words: Ar­nold Brooks, 1900. Brooks wrote this hymn at the re­quest of E. C. Daw­son, ed­it­or of the Epis­co­pal Church of Scot­land’s For­eign Mis­sion Chro­ni­cle. It ap­peared in that ma­ga­zine in Oc­to­ber 1900, and in slight­ly re­vised form in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1904.

Music: Ran­goon Charles Wood, 1904 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Brooks (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Charles Wood (1866–1926)

Lyrics

Trumpet of God, sound high,
Till the hearts of the hea­then shake,
And the souls that in slum­ber lie
At the voice of the Lord awake.
Till the fenc­èd ci­ties fall
At the blast of the Gos­pel call,
Trumpet of God, sound high!

Hosts of the Lord, go forth:
Go, strong in the pow­er of His rest,
Till the south be at one with the north,
And peace up­on east and west;
Till the far-off lands shall thrill
With the glad­ness of God’s good­will,
Hosts of the Lord, go forth.

Come, as of old, like fire;
O force of the Lord, des­cend,
Till with love of the world’s de­sire
Earth burn to its ut­most end;
Till the ran­somed peo­ple sing
To the glo­ry of Christ the King,
Come, as of old, like fire.