Hail To The Virgin-born

For Christmas-tide

Words: Rev. D. T. K. Drummond

Music: Unknown

Meter: 77. 87.

Source: The Book of Christmas Hymns (London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1868), pp. 25-26. Originally found in The Church of England Hymn-book, 1838, of which Rev. Drummond was a co-editor.

Hail to the Virgin-born,
The Prince of life and light!
Hail to the bright and glorious morn
Revealing Him to sight!

Hail to the Lamb of God
The spring of health and peace,
Who came to gladden man's abode,
The captive to release!

Hail to the promised Seed
Of Israel's favoured race,
Who came His chosen band to lead
To God's own dwelling place!

Hail to the Lord and Son
Of David's royal house!
The God of heaven earth's veil puts on,
The heaven of heavens he bows.

Hail! The expected Christ,
Let heaven's wide arches ring,
With glory to our great High Priest,
Our Prophet, and our King.

Note:

Rev. David Thomas Kerr Drummond was co-editor with Robert Kaye Greville (1794-1866) of The Church of England Hymn-book, Edinburgh, 1838.

Drummond, David Thomas Kerr, B.A., youngest s. of James Eutherford Drummond, of Stragreath, Perthshire, was b. at Edinburgh, Aug. 25,1805. After studying at the University of Edinburgh, he went to Oxford, where he graduated B.A. He was ordained Priest in 1831, and, after serving various cures, became, in 1838, joint minister of Trinity Episcopal Church, Dean Bridge, Edinburgh. He resigned his charge and severed his connection with the Scottish Episcopal Church in 1843, when he became the minister of a church built for him (St. Thomas's English Episcopal Church, Edinburgh), where he continued to minister to a large arid influential congregation until his death. He d. at Pitlochry, Perthshire, June 9, 1877. His hymns appeared to the number of 10 in the Church of England Hymnbook, 1838, of which he was joint editor with Dr. Greville, a member of his own congregation. [Scottish Hymnody, § VII.]

[J. M.]

Source: John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, (1892, 1907).

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