Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation: Lyrics

Lyrics

Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the head and corner-stone,
chosen of the Lord, and precious,
binding all the church in one,
holy Zion's help for ever,
and her confidence alone.

To this temple, where we call thee,
come, O Lord of Hosts, today;
with thy wonted loving-kindness
hear thy servants as they pray;
and thy fullest benediction
shed within its walls alway.

Here vouchsafe to all thy servants
what they ask of thee to gain,
what they gain from thee for ever
with the blessèd to retain,
and hereafter in thy glory
evermore with thee to reign.

Laud and honour to the Father,
laud and honour to the Son,
laud and honour to the Spirit,
ever Three, and ever One,
consubstantial, co-eternal,
while unending ages run.

History

This hymn began life as the Latin 'Angularis fundamentum' — a portion of the great mediaeval hymn 'Urbs beata Jerusalem', dating from around the seventh century. Its imagery is drawn straight from the New Testament's picture of the Church as a living building: Christ the cornerstone on whom the whole structure rests, 'binding all the church in one' (Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6). For centuries the Latin text was sung at the dedication of churches, and it remains a favourite for such occasions today.

The English version we sing is by John Mason Neale, the great Victorian translator who brought so many ancient Latin and Greek hymns into English use. His translation has proved remarkably durable — Hymnary.org records the hymn in over three hundred hymnals — and its closing doxology, 'Laud and honour to the Father… ever Three, and ever One', gives congregations one of the most stately Trinitarian endings in the repertoire.

Performance

This recording by St Martin's Voices runs to about three and a half minutes: a short organ introduction leads into four verses sung in full, ending with the doxology and a brief organ postlude.

Sources: hymnary.org · St Martin's Voices recording and Words book (Words for Hymns for Sunday 8th October 2023): 'Anonymous Latin translated by John M Neale (1818-1866)', '(Public Domain)'

About St Martin's Voices

The recording on this page is sung by St Martin's Voices, the professional vocal ensemble based at St Martin-in-the-Fields, the church on Trafalgar Square in London. One of the UK's most versatile professional choirs, they sing for services, concerts and broadcasts — including on BBC radio and Classic FM — and have released a number of acclaimed recordings.

Their hymn recordings are made freely available to Anglican parishes through the Church of England's A Church Near You Resource Hub, produced by Andrew Earis, Director of Music at St Martin-in-the-Fields, in collaboration with the Royal School of Church Music.