Lyra Davidica (1708)

Composer

The title could mean ‘David’s Lyre’ or ‘David’s Song’. The book was an anonymous London collection of mainly English versions of Latin or German hymns. At least 4 texts and one tune have proved popular with hymn-book editors and congregations for 3 centuries. The tune has since been simplified, and was (and usually still is) matched with the words of 470, but Methodists have borrowed it for the Wesley text to which it is set here. No.458.