The author of this hymn, Henry Van Dyke, was born in Pennsylvania in 1852. He was considered one of the finest Presbyterian preachers in America and a professor of literature at Princeton for more than twenty years. During World War I, Van Dyke was a chaplain in the Navy and was later appointed by President Wilson to be an ambassador to Holland and Luxembourg.
Van Dyke wrote the words to “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” in 1907 while visiting as a guest preacher at Williams College in Massachusetts. As tensions were mounting in Europe during those dark days before World War I, he found joy and beauty in the Berkshire Mountains and was inspired to write the poem and gave it to the college president, insisting that it be sung to Beethoven’s “Hymn to Joy.” It was first published in 1911 in the third edition of Van Dyke’s “Book of Poems” and later that same year in the “Presbyterian Hymnal.” The music was arranged for the hymnal by British organist-composer Edward Hodges.
The music for this hymn came from Beethoven’s monumental Ninth Symphony, considered to be his greatest work. It was published in 1826 after taking him six years to complete. This was the first time that orchestra and voices were combined to produce such a grand and majestic sound. It seems impossible that Beethoven was able to compose such music when he was totally deaf. At the end of its premier performance in Vienna in 1824, one of the soloists had to turn him around so that he could acknowledge the roaring ovation he was being given.
Van Dyke commented, “This is a hymn of trust and joy and hope.” One of the characteristics of the Christian’s life is joy: These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full (John 15:11). The closing stanza invites believers to “join the mighty chorus” of joy which began at creation When the morning stars sang together (Job 38:7). a
and music, we “o are urged to
Joyful, joyful, we adore thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before thee,
Praising thee their sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!
All thy works with joy surround thee,
Earth and heav’n reflect thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around thee,
Centre of unbroken praise:
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Blooming meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain,
Call us to rejoice in thee.
Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our brother,-
All who live in love are thine:
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.
Mortals join the mighty chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us,
Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful musick lifts us sunward
In the triumph song of life.
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