"Gwahoddiad" is a Welsh

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

of American origin. , also known as and by its first line , was originally the English-language

gospel song Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

"I Am Coming, Lord", the first line of which is ''I hear thy welcome voice''. The English words and the tune were written in 1872 by the American

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

minister and gospel songwriter

Lewis Hartsough Lewis Hartsough (August 31, 1828 – January 1, 1919) was a Methodist evangelist and gospel song writer. Biography Lewis Hartsough was born in Ithaca, New York on August 31, 1828. In 1853, one year after graduation from Cazenovia Seminary, ...

(1828–1919) during a revival meeting at

Epworth, Iowa Epworth is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,023 at the 2020 census, up from 1,428 in 2000. History Epworth was platted in 1855. It was named from ...

, where Hartsough was minister. Hartsough was musical editor of ''The Revivalist'', a collection of

s which had begun in 1868 and continued through 11 editions. The English words with Hartsough's tune first appeared in the 1872 edition. The tune is in 3/4 time, with

fermata A fermata (; "from ''fermare'', to stay, or stop"; also known as a hold, pause, colloquially a birdseye or cyclops eye, or as a grand pause when placed on a note or a rest) is a symbol of musical notation indicating that the note should be pr ...

s at the option of the songleader. The metrical pattern is 6686 with refrain 5576. The

rhyme scheme A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other. An example of the ABAB rh ...

is abcb; the second and fourth lines rhyme, whether in the verse or in the refrain. In 1906 the American gospel singer and composer Ira D. Sankey wrote:

The words and music of this beautiful hymn were first published in a monthly entitled ''Guide to Holiness'', a copy of which was sent to me in England. I immediately adopted it, and had it published in '' Sacred Songs and Solos''. It proved to be one of the most helpful of the revival hymns, and was often used as an invitation hymn in England and America.

The Welsh version was translated by

Calvinistic Methodist Calvinistic Methodists were born out of the 18th-century Welsh Methodist revival and survive as a body of Christians now forming the Presbyterian Church of Wales. Calvinistic Methodism became a major denomination in Wales, growing rapidly in the 1 ...

minister and musician

Ieuan Gwyllt Ieuan Gwyllt was the bardic name of Welsh musician and minister John Roberts (22 December 1822 - 14 May 1877). His bardic name is derived from the pen name he used whilst writing poetry as a boy, Ieuan Gwyllt Gelltydd Melindwr (''John of the W ...

(literally John the Wild,

bardic name A bardic name (, ) is a pseudonym used in Wales, Cornwall, or Brittany by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement. The Welsh term bardd ("poet") originally referred to the Welsh poets of the Middle Ages, who m ...

of John Roberts) (1822–1877). It has become so well known in Wales that, despite its American origin, many people believe it to be an indigenously Welsh hymn. "I Am Coming, Lord" is an invitation song, typically sung at the end of a sermon in evangelistic meetings. The tune is usually called WELCOME VOICE in American hymnals and may be labeled CALVARY in British hymnals. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Hartsough expressed gratification not only for having heard the song in various languages but also for having learned of its popularity with soldiers in the trenches of Europe. Consider now the lyrics, with the Welsh version printed first.

Welsh words

The Roberts (Gwyllt) translation has four verses. The first verse is a virtual equivalent of Hartsough's original (see ''infra''). Roberts essentially skipped Hartsough's second verse and then conflated the remaining three verses into similar but not verbatim thoughts matching Welsh to the metrical pattern of Hartsough's tune.

Original English words

"I Am Coming, Lord!" as it appeared in the ''Revivalist'' (1872, p. 231, No. 464): The theology of the fourth verse from Hartsough's original has attracted some clarification from editors. The Calvinist Roberts (Gwyllt) in the Welsh version simply massaged the concerns away via the translation. English-language editors who are unhappy with the theology have sometimes gone the way of B. B. McKinney in simply eliminating the verse o
Elmer Leon Jorgenson
in revising it as follows: American hymn editor William Jensen Reynolds asserted in 1976, as he had done earlier, in 1964, another verse, between the third and fourth verses above: :'Tis Jesus who confirms :The blessed work within, :By adding grace to welcomed grace, :Where reigned the power of sin.That verse actually appears in all editions of Elmer Leon Jorgenson's ''Great songs of the church'' prior to 1937: Jorgenson eliminated the verse in his 1937 edition, ''Great songs of the church Number Two''. ''Cf.'' Forrest Mason McCann (1994), ''Hymns & history: An annotated survey of sources'' (Abilene: ACU Press), p. 573. .

Notable recordings

Morriston Orpheus Choir The Morriston Orpheus Choir ( cy, Côr Orpheus Treforys, link=no), based in Morriston, near Swansea, Wales, is a male voice choir, one of the best-known in the UK. History The Choir was formed on April 23, 1935, by Ivor E. Sims and in its early ...

, on their 1994 album ''60 Years of Song'':

EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...

TCPR 133. *

Cerys Matthews Cerys Matthews (; born 11 April 1969) is a Welsh singer, songwriter, author, and broadcaster. She was a founding member of Welsh rock band Catatonia and a leading figure in the "Cool Cymru" movement of the late 1990s. Matthews programmes and ...

, on her 2003 album ''

Cockahoop ''Cockahoop'' is Cerys Matthews' first solo album, released in 2003. It peaked at number 30 on the UK Albums Chart, spending five weeks therein. Track listing #"Chardonnay" (w, m: Roger Cook, Hugh Cornwell) – 3:04 #"Caught in the Middle" ( ...

'':

Blanco y Negro Records Blanco y Negro Records (Spanish: "White and Black"), a subsidiary of WEA Records Ltd., was established in 1983 by Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records and Mike Alway of él Records. Michel Duval of Les Disques du Crépuscule was also involved ...

2564-60306-2 *

Only Boys Aloud Only Boys Aloud is a Wales-based boys' choir founded by choral director Tim Rhys-Evans. Only Boys Aloud finished third in the ''Britain's Got Talent'' competition in May 2012 and released their debut album in November 2012. History Only Boys A ...

, on their 2012 self-titled debut album:

Relentless Records Relentless Records is a British boutique and independent record label currently headed by co-founder Shabs Jobanputra. Originally known for UK garage singles such as Artful Dodger's " Re-Rewind" and B-15 Project's " Girls Like Us", Relentles ...

Treorchy Male Choir Treorchy Male Choir, also known as Treorchy Male Voice Choir, is a choir based in Treorchy in the Rhondda, Rhondda Valley, Wales, United Kingdom. History Choirs have existed in the Rhondda Valley for more than a 150 years and Treorchy is one of ...

(1973) ''The Very Best of Welsh Choirs: 16 Fabulous Tracks'', EMI Records: EMC 3099 * Stonehouse Male Voice Choir, on their 1995 album "Wee Stone House"

Notes

{{authority control 1872 songs American Christian hymns British songs Protestant hymns Songs of World War I Welsh Christian hymns Welsh songs Songs about Jesus 19th-century hymns Pages using the Score extension