All Things Bright and Beautiful
Hymn History
By Savannah Logan
There’s just something about being in nature, isn’t there – well, at least there is for me. No matter what season of life I have found myself in, one of the most consistent aspects of my life has been being able to feel the spirit of the Lord just a bit more closely when I am surrounded by the grass, trees, sky, and everything in between. Being something that God created myself, feeling kinship with other aspects of God’s creation resonates in my soul in a special way when it comes to feeling God’s love in a more complete way. Sometimes I’m baffled by it all – you mean to tell me that the God who created a stunning sunset, the intricacies of how all plants grow, and each and every creature that flies, walks, and crawls, and the sun warming my soul created little old me too? It’s a thought with a certain gravitas, and I hope I never cease to feel it in its entirety each time I walk out of my door.
“All Things Bright and Beautiful” is a beloved hymn written by Cecil F. Alexander, who was born in 1818 at Ballykean House, Redcross, Wicklow, Ireland, and passed away on October 12, 1895, at The Palace, Londonderry. As a child, Cecil had a talent for poetry, which her parents initially did not take seriously. Her father discovered her poems hidden under a carpet and began reading them aloud every Saturday. As she grew older, Cecil channeled her love for teaching children through poetry. Before her marriage, she published “Verses for Holy Seasons” and “Hymns for Little Children” (1848), the latter including her most famous work, “All Things Bright and Beautiful.”
Cecil married the Reverend William Alexander, who later became a bishop in Ireland and the Primate of All Ireland. Despite his significant ecclesiastical accomplishments, William humbly acknowledged that he would be remembered primarily as the husband of the poet who wrote “There Is a Green Hill Far Away,” another of Cecil’s well-known hymns. Over her lifetime, Mrs. Alexander wrote more than four hundred hymns and was deeply committed to charitable work. She founded a school for the deaf with her older sister and established the Girls Friendly Society, an Episcopal Church organization that continues to operate worldwide.
“All Things Bright and Beautiful” was written to help children understand the opening line of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.” It is believed that Cecil composed this hymn at Markree Castle in Ireland. The tune associated with the hymn is an English melody dating back to the seventeenth century, which first appeared in “The Dancing Master” (1686). Martin Shaw, an English musician and church organist at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, adapted the melody to fit Cecil’s words.
The hymn’s vivid language evokes images of animals, birds, and nature, making listeners feel as though they can smell the flowers, hear the river, and feel the wind. It reminds Christians of their connection to the Creator through Jesus and encourages them to express their awe and gratitude for the beauty of creation by singing, “All things bright and beautiful, O Lord, You made it all!”
Do you have hymn you would like to know more about? Well, you know the drill – please feel free to send in a request by email at savannah.pearce@bibbcommunitymedia.com or by giving the office a call. I would love to hear from you!
