When I Survey The Wondrous Cross — and Its Many Possibilities
“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” is one of the cornerstones of Christian hymnody. As times change, culture changes, and the songs sung in church by worshipers change. There are, however some hymn texts and tunes that pass the test of time, and this great hymn still works today amid conflicting theology and musical attitudes.
The great hymn writer and theologian Isaac Watts wrote the text to “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” in 1707 and it was published in Hymns and Spiritual Songs. Watts is known as the “Father of English Hymnody,” and is reported to have written over 750 hymns.
Watts included five stanzas, although only four are widely used. The fourth stanza is now rarely seen, a practice said to have been begun by George Whitefield. Watts used the cross-rhyme scheme for his text, set in the “a b a b” format. Included are pure rhymes — an example would be cross and loss; and false rhyme — using boast and compose in his text. It is set in a trochaic pattern of stressed unstressed, although not each and every beat is used in this manner.
Set in long meter of 8 8 8 8, the hymnic meter allows this text to be used in many ways. The best and most common example is the setting using the tune of HAMBURG. Composed by Lowell Mason in 1824, this is typically set in the key of F. Mason implied, “the tune was based on a chant in the first Gregorian tone.” It has but five notes, although not the traditional “1, 2, 3, 5, 6” pentatonic scale, but one that includes “7,1,2,3,4”.
A second approach is to set this text to the tune of ROCKINGHAM, composed by Edward Millar in 1790. This becomes an interesting adaptation set in 3/4 meter. At first it is difficult to sing, but rewarding when accomplished well. Commonly set in the key of D, the melody composes an octave range of D to D.
A third setting is the tune EUCHARIST, composed by I. B. Woodbury. This contains a slightly more complex melody, especially underneath the text “on which the King of Glory died.” This tune is traditionally set in 2/2 meter, also in the key of D, and it is the least familiar setting of the three discussed here.
Other options exist because the tune is set in long meter. These include DUKE STREET, more commonly known as “Jesus Shall Reign;” FEDERAL STREET, or “Lord You have Searched Me;” even OLD 100TH, or “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” and WOODWORTH, or “Just As I Am” are possible settings.
An uncommon but beautiful setting is to the tune VICARIA, composed by J. Remington Fairlamb in 1864. Rich harmonies containing fully diminished chords and leading tones create a more complicated but beautiful rendition found in older hymnals.
Finally is the tune WALTHAM, recognized today as “I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day.” A familiar song sung at Christmas, this can be used to as a teaching tool for your congregation, demonstrating how texts can be interchanged with tunes — as they have been for hundreds of years.
1. When I survey the wond’rous Cross
On which the Prince of Glory dy’d,
My richest Gain I count but Loss,
And pour Contempt on all my Pride.2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the Death of Christ my God:
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his Blood.3. See from his Head, his Hands, his Feet,
Sorrow and Love flow mingled down!
Did ever such Love and Sorrow meet?
Or Thorns compose so rich a Crown?4. His dying Crimson, like a Robe,
Spreads o’er his Body on the Tree;
Then am I dead to all the Globe,
And all the Globe is dead to me.5. Were the whole Realm of Nature mine,
That were a Present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my Soul, my Life, my All.
