Love Divine, All Loves Excelling: words, tunes and where to sing it
Charles Wesley’s Love Divine is one of the few hymns families choose for weddings and funerals alike. It was sung at the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and its last line, “lost in wonder, love, and praise”, suits a thanksgiving for a life.
What tune is Love Divine sung to? In Britain, usually Blaenwern, a Welsh tune by William Penfro Rowlands from the time of the 1904–05 revival. Some churches sing it to Hyfrydol, an older Welsh tune by Rowland Prichard, or to John Stainer’s tune Love Divine. Tell the organist which one you want, because the congregation will sing whichever tune the organ plays.
We provide soloists, organists and choirs for funerals and weddings across London and the rest of the UK.
We have not filmed Love Divine yet. This is our full choir singing Be Thou My Vision, another hymn families choose for funerals and weddings. Hear more recordings.
The words of Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Wesley’s text is out of copyright. The four verses below are the ones most British hymn books print, with the second verse in its usual edited form; many books leave that verse out.
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesu, thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love thou art;
Visit us with thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
Into every troubled breast;
Let us all in thee inherit,
Let us find thy promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.Come, almighty to deliver,
Let us all thy life receive;
Suddenly return, and never,
Never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve thee as thy hosts above,
Pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
Glory in thy perfect love.Finish then thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in thee:
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Books differ in small ways: some print “thy grace receive” in the third verse, and some print “bent to sinning” in the second. Send us the order of service and we will sing the words it prints.
Wesley modelled it on a love song
Charles Wesley published the hymn in 1747, in Hymns for those that Seek, and those that Have Redemption. He shaped the first verse on “Fairest Isle”, a song Venus sings in Dryden and Purcell’s King Arthur (1691), which praises Britain as the home of love. Wesley turned a theatre song about earthly love into a prayer about divine love, and he may have meant it to be sung to Purcell’s melody.
Later editors changed some of his lines. Wesley wrote “that second rest” and “take away our power of sinning”, which some readers took to promise a life free of sin. Hymn books softened them to “thy promised rest” and “the love of sinning”, and many dropped the verse altogether.
Source: “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”, Wikipedia.
Blaenwern or Hyfrydol
Blaenwern is the tune most English congregations know. William Penfro Rowlands wrote it during the Welsh revival of 1904–05 and named it after a farm in Pembrokeshire where his son had gone to recover from an illness; it was first printed in 1915. It rises through each half of the verse and peaks on the last lines, so a congregation sings its loudest on “lost in wonder, love, and praise”. It was sung at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011 and at the funerals of Margaret Thatcher in 2013 and Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.
Hyfrydol, Welsh for “delightful”, is older: Rowland Prichard wrote it before he turned twenty, around 1830. It is broader and more stately, and many churches sing Alleluia! Sing to Jesus to it. Choose it if the family knows it from chapel.
If you are not sure, choose Blaenwern. Most people in a British congregation will know it.
Sources: “Blaenwern” and “Hyfrydol”, Wikipedia.
Love Divine at a funeral or memorial
At a funeral, we suggest Love Divine as the closing hymn. The last verse moves from this life to the next, “till in heaven we take our place”, and Blaenwern ends with the congregation in full voice. It also suits a memorial service, where families want the music to give thanks.
A family planning two or three hymns might open with The Lord’s My Shepherd, sing It Is Well With My Soul or Abide With Me in the middle, and close with Love Divine. Our guide to popular funeral hymns lists the other common choices.
At a wedding it usually comes after the vows or as the final hymn before the signing of the register; our guide to choosing wedding hymns covers the order.
What a choir adds
Blaenwern climbs high at the end of each verse, and an unled congregation tends to drop out just as the tune peaks. A soloist at the front keeps people singing; a choir of four adds harmony and can sing a descant over the last verse.
In Greater London a soloist costs £275, a soloist with an organist £550, a choir of four £1,150 and a choir of four with an organist £1,400. We add travel outside London. The pricing page lists every size.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote Love Divine, All Loves Excelling?
Charles Wesley, the brother of John Wesley, published it in 1747. He modelled the first verse on “Fairest Isle” from Dryden and Purcell’s King Arthur.
Is Love Divine a funeral hymn or a wedding hymn?
Both. It was sung at the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. At a funeral it works best as the closing hymn.
What is the difference between Blaenwern and Hyfrydol?
They are two Welsh tunes for the same words. Blaenwern, by William Penfro Rowlands, is the one most English congregations know and builds to a high finish. Hyfrydol, by Rowland Prichard, is older and broader. Tell the organist which you want.
Are the words of Love Divine out of copyright?
Yes. Wesley died in 1788, and the tunes Blaenwern, Hyfrydol and Stainer’s Love Divine are all out of copyright, so you can print the words in an order of service.
How much does it cost to have Love Divine sung at a funeral?
In Greater London a soloist costs £275, a soloist with an organist £550, and a choir of four £1,150, which covers the rehearsal and the service. We add travel for services outside London.
Ask us about the hymns
If you want Love Divine and are unsure which tune the church uses, or where it fits, get in touch. We will check with the organist and suggest an order.
Tell us about the service you’re planning
Text us on WhatsApp for the fastest reply, or email office@londonchoralservice.com.