O My Father
About the Song
Text by Eliza R. Snow; Melody from John Wyeth’s “Repository of Sacred Music,” Part Second; Arranged by Sally DeFord
In this arrangement, Eliza R. Snow’s text is set to the tune we recognize as “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” This is a very simple arrangement, without even a single key change. The obbligatos are optional.
Sheet Music Downloads
Spotify, Soundcloud (inc. free downloads)
Click the 
to download the free track for personal use.
Recording featuring vocals by Allyse Smith Taylor:
Accompaniment track:
Apple Music, Amazon
These files may be copied/shared in any quantity in any physical format unless otherwise noted. They may not be re-sold or offered for download.
Apple Music: O My Father (feat. Allyse Smith Taylor)
Apple Music: O My Father (Accompaniment Track)
Amazon: O My Father (feat. Allyse Smith Taylor)
Amazon: O My Father (Accompaniment Track)
YouTube
(Video provided to YouTube by outside parties may contain ads that may be skipped after a few seconds.)
Lyrics
O my Father, thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place,
When shall I regain thy presence
And again behold thy face?
In thy holy habitation,
Did my spirit once reside?
In my first primeval childhood
Was I nurtured near thy side?
For a wise and glorious purpose
Thou hast placed me here on earth
And withheld the recollection
Of my former friends and birth;
Yet ofttimes a secret something
Whispered, “You’re a stranger here,”
And I felt that I had wandered
From a more exalted sphere.
I had learned to call thee Father,
Thru thy Spirit from on high,
But, until the key of knowledge
Was restored, I knew not why.
In the heav’ns are parents single?
No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal
Tells me I’ve a mother there.
When I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?
Then, at length, when I’ve completed
All you sent me forth to do,
With your mutual approbation
Let me come and dwell with you.
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15 Comments
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Do you have a Piano Trio arrangement of O My Father for Piano, Violin, Cello?
Hello Sally Deford,
I’m wanting to use the instrumental part on the Youtube recording for the cello/other string instruments. I was looking at the pieces and it seems like the instrument part is different. Is there a separate document for that arrangement for the strings that is used on the Youtube playlist?
Hello Sally. I have been a fan of your beautiful, sacred music for a long time. I have an uncle who is dying from cancer and requested that this song be sing at his funeral, but his three brothers. I wondered if you might have a male vocal arrangement of this song, such as TTB or TBB?
My wife, Judy, combined your O My Father with Abide with Me (O My Father being first of the two), for a medley which I sang for a friend’s funeral.
It worked very well.
Thank you so much for this beautiful arrangement. I will be singing it at my uncles funeral in a week and it is just perfect. The message, the key (I’m an alto) and the gorgeous obbligato all work together sublimely.
I’m not sure what I’m doing here. My son wanted music for O my father for his cello. Is that what you’re offering? Please and thank you!
Sue, the cello part here is an obbligato for solo voice. If you’re looking for a cello solo, you might try the links at the bottom of the page. Happy hunting!
I downloaded the Solo (Use with Obbligato for two C instruments) as I wanted to play this piece with the accompaniment music and my flute. But the accompaniment music does not appear to be in the same key as the piece of music that I downloaded. Is this true? If it is true, is there an accompaniment in the key of C which I could use to accompany my flute? Let me know if I am incorrect in my assessment, too. Thank you for your help.
Do you have an SSA or women’s arrangement of O My Father? If so, pretty please may I use it for my Stake Conference? ( my Stake President would like a women’s choir this Spring since it’s the year of the women.) If this isn’t available in SSA do you have any other recommendations?
Thank you.
Sarah Grass
Craig Petrie Family Music has a SSA arrangement for O My Father.
Your music is amazing! Thank you for sharing it. I have sung several in funerals and sacrament mtgs. Thanks for the use of them!
Sally,
It’s been awhile since I’ve been on your website and I thought there was a recording of O My Father. I tried looking under Playlist and Soundcloud. Is there a list my alphabetical song list (choir or solo) that references the mp3/youtube location?
Thank you,
This looks amazing, don’t you have this recorded? I’ll love to hear it.
Sally,
I really like your arrangement of O My Father but as a beginner choir director I don’t know how to use two instruments with this song. Can this be performed with just a piano? We are limited for instrumentalists.
Your thoughts?
Thanks,
Layne
It will work fine with just piano. The instruments are optional. 🙂