What Heavenly Music

What heavenly music steals over the sea!
Entrancing the senses like sweet melody!
’Tis the voice of the angels, borne soft on the air;
For me they are singing; their welcome I hear.

On the banks of old Jordan, here gazing I stand,
And earnestly longing, I stretch forth my hand;
Send a convoy of angels, dear Jesus, I pray!
Let me join that sweet music; come, take me away.

Though dark are the waters and rough is the wave,
If Jesus permit, the wild surges I’ll brave;
For that heavenly music hath ravished me so,
I must join in that chorus! I’ll go! let me go.

Author: Unknown

This hymn appears in various 19th-century American shape-note and camp-meeting collections (often in the Sacred Harp tradition) but is almost always listed without a named author or composer. No strong attribution to a specific lyricist (such as Fanny Crosby or others) has been established in standard hymnological sources.