Holy, Holy, Holy

And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come."

And when the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 

the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and they will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

 
"Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." 

 Revelation 4:8-11

Holy, Holy, Holy
Reginald Heber (1783-1826)

Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore Thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy--there is none beside Thee,
perfect in pow'r, in love and purity.

Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!
All Thy words shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

.....

Reginald Heber was always trying to improve the music at the Anglican church he served in Hodnet, England.  Though his superiors frowned on the use of anything but metrical psalms, Heber introduced hymns by Newton and Cowper and even wrote new hymns of his own.  This one would impress Alfred, Lord Tennyson as the world's greatest hymn.

After serving sixteen years as a parish priest in England, Heber accepted the call to become the bishop of Calcutta, India.  Whether in England, as he surveyed the prevalence of vice, or in India, where he was surrounded by the worship of false gods, Heber was impressed with the holiness of God.  "Only Thou art holy," he wrote.  The tune to which this hymn is usually sung is called "Nicaea," named after the church council that met in 325 AD which formulated the Nicene Creed and affirmed the doctrine of the Trinity.

.....

Holy, Holy, Holy - YouTube  [a cappella men's chorus]

Holy, Holy, Holy! - YouTube  [choir, orchestra, the works]

More about Reginald Heber
Reginald Heber - Wikipedia
Reginald Heber | Hymnary.org

About the tune: NICAEA (Dykes) | Hymnary.org (a long (mostly ads) but informative article!)