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krissyg2991 · Jul 5, 2008, 08:43 AM

Does anyone know the lyrics to the 1812 Overture? I used to but have since forgotten. I know the "Grant salvation to thy people Lord. And we pray thee bless thine inheritance, Oh God. Grant Vict'ry to those who fight to save our righteous faith and our dear sacred land...." I think... I don't really know them all and I don't know the order either.

N0help4u · Jul 5, 2008, 08:56 AM

I found some of the lyrics (I think)

Mighty Lord, preserve us from jeopardy.
Take Thee now our faith and loud crying in penitence.
Grant victory o'er our treacherous and cruel enemies
And to our land bring peace.
O mighty Lord hear our lowly prayer,
And by Thy shining holy light.
Grant us, O Lord, peace again.
O mighty Lord hear our prayer
And save our people
Forever, forever!

Or

Mighty Lord,
Preserve us from jeopardy.
Take thee now our fate
And glow bright in penitence
And be-e with me
O'er treacherous and cruel and grand unease and to our land bring peace.
O mighty Lord hear our lowly prayer,
And by light, shinning holy light, grant us oh Lord Peace again.
O mighty Lord hear our prayer
And save our people
Forever FOR-EV-ER

OR

Mighty Lord, preserve us from jeopardy.
Take thee now our faith
And our grinding penitence.
Grant thee vict'ry
o'er our treacherous and cruel enemies
And to our land bring peace.
Almighty Lord hear our lowly prayer,
And by thy shining Holy Light
When thou [sow], Lord, peace again.
Oh mighty Lord, hear our prayer
And save our kingdom
Forever, forever!

[still looking]

krissyg2991 · Jul 5, 2008, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by N0help4u

I found some of the lyrics (I think)

Mighty Lord, preserve us from jeopardy.
Take Thee now our faith and loud crying in penitence.
Grant victory o'er our treacherous and cruel enemies
And to our land bring peace.
O mighty Lord hear our lowly prayer,
And by Thy shining holy light.
Grant us, O Lord, peace again.
O mighty Lord hear our prayer
and save our people
Forever, forever!

Or

Mighty Lord,
Preserve us from jeopardy.
Take thee now our fate
and glow bright in penitence
and be-e with me
O'er treacherous and cruel and grand unease and to our land bring peace.
O mighty Lord hear our lowly prayer,
and by light, shinning holy light, grant us oh Lord Peace again.
O mighty Lord hear our prayer
and save our people
forever FOR-EV-ER

OR

Mighty Lord, preserve us from jeopardy.
Take thee now our faith
and our grinding penitence.
Grant thee vict'ry
o'er our treacherous and cruel enemies
and to our land bring peace.
Almighty Lord hear our lowly prayer,
and by thy shining Holy Light
when thou [sow], Lord, peace again.
Oh mighty Lord, hear our prayer
and save our kingdom
forever, forever!

[still looking]

Thank you but not one of those options sounds familiar. However, I do not think it would be horribly far-fetched to say that several lyrics have been applied to the song, given that it is a classical song and it is not uncommon for such songs to be applied to several different poems, hymns, etc.
Thanks again! I will await more responses! :D

N0help4u · Jul 5, 2008, 09:21 AM

Yeah from what I looked at even some Nazi type lyrics were applied

krissyg2991 · Jul 5, 2008, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by N0help4u

yeah from what I looked at even some Nazi type lyrics were applied

Uh-oh! Were there any "Hail Hitler" s in there? No, I'd rather present myself as a Neo-Nazi!

N0help4u · Jul 5, 2008, 09:49 AM

Looked it up again it is to the Russian National Anthem and Tsar not Hitler.

Fr_Chuck · Jul 5, 2008, 10:09 AM

Ok, the actual Overture as written does not have words, it is merely an instrumental piece as written. Any words would have merely been added by other authors latter using that music as its melody.

N0help4u · Jul 5, 2008, 10:19 AM

Yeah there were no lyrics in the original

krissyg2991 · Jul 6, 2008, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck

Ok, the actual Overture as written does not have words, it is merley an instrumental piece as written. Any words would have merely been added by other authors latter using that music as its melody.

Yes, that's what I was thinking. I believe in choir we sang another song with the same lyrics so, I don't know. Perhaps I will just have to go ask my director.

Clough · Jul 7, 2008, 02:38 AM

I can't disagree with my compatriots above concerning the lyrics to the overture. But, would just like to add and support the answers above, that as someone who has performed it in a concert band or orchestra a number of times, there were no lyrics to the original. There have been words added to a number of classical pieces where adding words were not the original intention of the composer. As such, there may be even more lyrics to it than have already been mentioned.

goflyalex · Aug 19, 2009, 08:18 PM

The lyrics to this are "The Troparion of the Cross", sung in the Orthodox Church. This prayer is also prayed during the Orthodox Matins service.

O Lord save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance!
Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians over their adversaries.
And by virtue of Thy Cross, preserve Thy habitation.

While the original 1812 Overture may not have had lyrics, Tchaikovsky absolutely intended the 4-part harmonization of this exact hymn, which is the Resurrection Tone 1 Moscow Imperial Court Chant melody and harmony. One might find a study of the 8 tones of the Russian Orthodox Church enlightening.

Clough · Aug 20, 2009, 03:39 AM

I really liked your response, goflyalex!

Thanks!

gedlandsend · Feb 23, 2010, 07:34 AM

My parents own a version of the 1812 on an LP. It's Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. It has the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing lyrics added to the opening part, as well as real cannons and Russian church bells. I believe it's the recording you are referring to.
(iTunes has this recording available here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tchaikovsky-symphony-no-4/id264717801)
The lyrics printed on the back of the album cover are:

"Mighty Lord, preserve us from jeopardy.
Take thee now our faith and love, thine inheritance
Grant vict'ry o'er our treacherous and cruel enemies,
And to our land bring peace.
O Mighty Lord, hear our lowly prayer,
And by Thy shining, holy light
Grant us, oh Lord, peace again.
O Mighty Lord hear our prayer and save our people.
Forever, forever. Amen."

rsbruner · Feb 5, 2011, 09:35 PM

No! Tchaikovsky wrote this sypmphony based on Othordox chants. Though this symphony may have been a great dissappoint to him, it is an excellent prayer to Our Lord to protect His people. Do you know how many Orthodox Priests & Bishops were killed during the ensuing Revolution? The lyrics were not added after the fact.

scooty809 · Aug 11, 2011, 07:50 PM

The 1812 Overture was written, with parts of the music based on the Divine Liturgy of the Orthodox Church. The lyrics can be found in the Orthodox Liturgy. Whether Tchaikovsky intended them to be there or not, I cannot answer for him.

Stellaw · Apr 8, 2012, 04:48 AM

You could search the lyrics at many websites. Here's one website: Song Lyrics

tabbiesandfinch · May 12, 2012, 10:53 AM

Dear gedlandsend:

Thank you so much for posting these lyrics that are sung by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the beginning of the 1812 Overture. I have searched everywhere for them. I even talked to the current Choir director and she didn't know where to find them. This version of the Overture by The Valley Forge Military Academy Band with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the real cannons and pealing bells conducted by Eugene Ormandy of the Philadelphia Orchestra is my most favorite piece of classical music.

The only correction I would make to your lyrics (now that I have read them while the recording plays) is that they do not sing the word "Amen" in the recording.

Thanks again and best of luck to you. tabbiesandfinches