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Blest Be the Tie That Binds (DENNIS)

H. G. Nägeli / L. Mason · John Fawcett

Score

Read it and listen to it right here. It can't be downloaded — to sing it with your choir, use it in Cantico.

History

Blest Be the Tie That Binds (DENNIS)

The words are by John Fawcett (1739–1817), a Baptist minister, published in 1782. The tune DENNIS is an adaptation by Lowell Mason (1792–1872) of a melody by the Swiss Hans Georg Nägeli (1773–1836), published in 1845.

About the piece

A hymn about the bond between those who gather to pray. This edition carries the melody with its text, in 14 measures in 3/4.

How to prepare it

It is a short, easy-to-learn melody, D4–E5 (a major ninth). Because it is so brief, the challenge is not technical but one of meaning: sing each line as a complete phrase and make sure the triple-meter sway doesn't get heavy. A good exercise is to sing the first verse at half voice and the second at full voice.

When to use it

Ideal as a closing hymn, and often sung at weddings for its message of fellowship among those present.