“Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm does bind the restless wave,
Who bids the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea.“
William Whiting wrote Eternal Father, Strong to Save in England, in 1860, and English clergyman John Bacchus Dykes wrote the tune MELITA to accompany the lyrics. The hymn was first published in Hymns Ancient and Modern in 1861. The hymn has been adopted in various forms and adaptations by the Royal Navy, the United States Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and other maritime services. For this reason, it’s also known as The Navy Hymn, as well as sometimes being referred to as For Those in Peril on the Sea.
Larry was recently asked to write a 2-octave arrangement of this hymn. Here’s our demonstration video of this Level 3 piece:
More information about this 2-octave handbell music
Sheet music for Eternal Father, Strong to Save is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. You can either purchase an individual copy (useful for massed ringing events, or for preview), or purchase the full choir license. Purchase of the full choir license gives you our no-fuss permission to print up to 15 copies for your group.
Your purchase of the full-choir license allows you to perform, broadcast and live-stream this piece as part of a concert or worship service. There’s no need for any additional license or fee. We ask that you credit the arranger (Larry Sue) and publisher (Choraegus) in any printed media such as concert programs, and online (in video descriptions). Please see our licensing agreement for full details.
We appreciate your help in spreading the word about Choraegus handbell music. If you record a video of your group playing any of our pieces, we’d love to see it. You’re welcome to share it with us by email or on our Facebook page!
Please note that Choraegus handbell music is designed to come to you as a downloadable PDF file. You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. If you haven’t purchased music online from Choraegus before, we recommend our step-by-step guide. We designed this guide to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a (we hope!) stress-free way.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about our music, please start by reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. If someone has asked us a question even once, it will be there, along with the answer. Please contact us if you don’t find the information you need, and we’ll be happy to help.
