Crown Him With Many Crowns

The story of this hymn

Matthew Bridges published these verses in 1851, three years after the Oxford Movement had drawn him into the Roman Catholic Church; the Anglican Godfrey Thring added further stanzas in 1874, and hymnals have mixed the two men's work ever since. George Elvey composed the soaring tune 'Diademata' for these words in 1868. At a funeral it is the defiant, triumphant choice: 'Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed o'er the grave' turns farewell into proclamation.

Where it sits in the service

Almost always the closing hymn, chosen when a family wants the congregation to leave on victory rather than loss; it also opens a service of thanksgiving well. Hymnals differ over which verses they include — Bridges' and Thring's are freely mixed — so name your verses when you print, and make sure 'Crown Him the Lord of life', the resurrection verse, is among them.

In the programme, list it in the order of service as “Hymn — Crown Him With Many Crowns” with the leader or choir named beside it.

How it is actually sung

Triumphant and loud, which makes it a recessional rather than a hymn for the body of a funeral. It suits a homegoing or a celebration of life and sits badly at a graveside burial. Four verses of the original six. Needs an organ or a full choir; it falls flat sung thinly.

Printing the words

Public domain. Four verses is the usual selection and enough — it is a hymn that ends a service rather than filling it.

This is practical guidance rather than legal advice. Reproduction rights vary by territory, by hymnal edition and by the licence your church holds — the church office is the right place to ask, and they answer this question often.