Nearer, My God, to Thee

The story of this hymn

Sarah Flower Adams, an English poet, wrote this in 1841 for a hymn collection her minister William Johnson Fox was compiling. It retells Jacob's dream at Bethel — night falling, a stone for a pillow, angels on a ladder — as one soul's road toward God. It is forever tied to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912: survivors disagreed about what the band played at the end, but the world decided it was this, and the hymn has belonged to solemn farewells ever since.

Where it sits in the service

Most often the closing hymn, or the one sung as the congregation moves to the committal — its climb from darkness toward heaven suits the end of a service. It is sung to more than one tune ('Bethany' in most of the world, 'Horbury' in some British traditions), so confirm the tune with your organist and print its name beneath the title.

In the programme, list it in the order of service as “Hymn — Nearer, My God, to Thee” with the leader or choir named beside it.

How it is actually sung

Known to older congregations and to anyone who has seen a film about the Titanic, which is a real source of familiarity rather than a joke. Four verses, of which the first and last carry the service. It is a hymn of ascent and belongs near the end, and it holds up unaccompanied better than most.

Printing the words

Public domain. Print at least the first and last verses; the middle two are frequently dropped and nobody will miss them.

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.