Organ Prelude - Children of the Heavenly Father – Carol Barnett

Composer: Carol Barnett

Instrumentation: organ

Duration: Approx. 1:30 minutes

Date Written:  1989, rev. 2025

Composer’s note: 

The Swedish hymn “Children of the Heavenly Father” has long been one of my favorites;growing up in a part of northern Minnesota with a substantial Scandinavian population, I heard it often. I wrote this organ prelude in 1989 for Philip Brunelle, and in 2000 arranged the hymn for the Dale Warland Singers. The calm and reassuring nature of the setting is dictated in part by the text; see the English translation by Ernst William Olson below.

Children of the heavenly Father

Safely in His bosom gather;

Nestling bird nor star in heaven

Such a refuge e’er was given.

God His own doth tend and nourish

In His holy courts they flourish,

From all evil things He spares them,

In His mighty arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever

From the Lord His children sever;

Unto them His grace He showeth,

And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Praise the Lord in joyful numbers:

Your Protector never slumbers.

At the will of your Defender

Every foeman must surrender.

Though He giveth or He taketh,

God His children ne’er forsaketh;

His the loving purpose solely

To preserve them pure and holy.